Former Premier League referee Mark Clattenburg has shed light on why Liverpool’s Virgil van Dijk escaped a penalty call against Bayer Leverkusen in Tuesday’s Champions League clash at Anfield.

Following Van Dijk’s challenge, Leverkusen’s Jeremie Frimpong fell down in the box, leading to calls for a penalty.

However, the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) maintained the ruling when referee Danny Makkelie waved away the claims.

Clattenburg, who refereed the 2016 Champions League and Euros finals, analyzed the incident on Amazon Prime Video:

“Virgil van Dijk does make contact with his shin, but then [Frimpong] goes one or two more steps forward before he goes down. That is why the VAR hasn’t got involved.”

Clattenburg emphasized that Frimpong’s hesitation was key in the referee’s decision:

“It was his first big decision… [Frimpong] hesitates before hitting the deck.”

Leverkusen had possession of the ball but was unable to threaten Liverpool’s goal when the incident happened in the 24th minute.