Melbourne Victory drew level at 1-1 in Saturday night’s Melbourne Derby in the final minutes of first-half stoppage time after a penalty call aided by VAR intervention.
Victory trailed Melbourne City 1-0 after Marco Tilio’s early goal but got back on level terms through Zinedine Machach in the seventh minute of first-half added time after referee Jonathan Barreiro was sent to the pitchside monitor by VAR to assess a challenge from Germán Ferreyra on Nikos Vergos in the penalty area.
Victory got to half-time level after an eventful opening stanza. After Tilio’s classy opener, Victory had claims for an early penalty waved away after a Vergos bicycle kick struck the arm of City fullback Nathaniel Atkinson in the penalty area.
Then, in the 44th minute, City defender Kai Trewin went into the book for a stamping challenge on Santos which Victory players and members of the club’s coaching staff adamantly claimed was a red card offence.
