This is certainly an interesting one.
During their post-match summing up on BT Sport, Gary Lineker, Rio Ferdinand, Ronald Koeman and Ian Wright noticed something dodgy in the game-time footage of Arsenal vs Barcelona.
In the 84th minute, shortly after Barca had scored their second goal in a 2-0 victory, their manager Luis Enrique was seen calling Gerard Pique over for a quick word.
As soon as play resumed and an Arsenal player was within touching distance – which happened to be Danny Welbeck – the usually serene and in control Pique needlessly scythed the forward down.
The result was a clear booking, which means that the defender is suspended for the second leg. With a two goal cushion and home advantage to come, was Enrique already planning for the next round?
The lads in the studio certainly thought so…
The incident was raised at the post-match press conference, with Enrique unsurprisingly denying the suggestion.
Luis Enrique denies Pique got deliberately booked (to miss return): “It hasn’t been deliberate. If you see the foul, he had to do that."
— Henry Winter (@henrywinter) February 23, 2016
Well he would, wouldn’t he?
