Were Barca robbed of a penalty? Was the Pubill incident similar to Mings' penalty?

Diego Simeone finally ticked off one of the last boxes in his Atlético Madrid journey. After 14 years in charge, he guided his side to a win at Camp Nou for the first time, ending a 20 year wait with a 2–0 victory over Barcelona in the first leg of Champions League quarter final

But instead of being remembered purely for the result, the night has quickly turned into one of controversy.

Atletico got the job done with goals from Julian Avarez and Alexander Sorloth, sealing a big away win in a high stakes knockout tie. For Simeone, this was more than just another victory. Camp Nou had always been a difficult ground for him, and this result finally breaks that long standing barrier.

The biggest talking point came from a strange handball in the second half involving Atletico defender Marc Pubill. Barcelona were already a man down and a goal down when this happened.

Goalkeeper Juan Musso played a short goal kick to Pubill. In a moment that left everyone confused, Pubill stopped the ball using his hand, seemingly unaware that play had already restarted.

It was a clear handball under the laws of the game.

Fans immediately compared it to the well known Tyrone Mings incident, calling it a “Mings style” mistake, where a player switches off and handles the ball in open play.

Despite the obvious nature of the incident, referee Istvan Kovács chose not to award a penalty. VAR also did not step in.

Reports suggest the referee may have leaned on the spirit of the game approach, treating it as an unintentional and naive mistake rather than a punishable offence.

Barcelona were furious. Hansi Flick and his players were visibly frustrated, especially given the context of the game.

They were already down to 10 men after Pau Cubarsí’s red card in the first half. Many fans are debating that decision as well, but it was a clear denial of a goal scoring opportunity, which has to be punished with a red card even if it was accidental. A penalty at that stage could have changed the momentum or at least given them a way back into the match. Also, Pubill was already on a yellow card when it happened. Flick wanted him to be shown second yellow there.

Instead, Atletico held firm and later added a second goal through Sorloth to put the tie beyond reach on the night.

That is now the big debate.

From a strict rulebook perspective, it looks like a clear penalty. A player handled the ball after play had restarted. There is little ambiguity there.

From a referee’s perspective, it may have felt harsh to punish what looked like a genuine misunderstanding.

But at this level, in a Champions League quarter final, those decisions carry massive weight.

Simeone gets his historic win. Atletico take control of the tie.

One box is ticked, but the biggest one still remains. Winning the Champions League is the ultimate goal for Simeone and Atletico. Can they finally do it this time? We will have to wait and see.