Referee admits mistake:

“I also apologized to the player for it”

Harm Osmers (right) apologized to Jamal Musiala (left).(Bild: ASSOCIATED PRESS, APA/AFP/Christof STACHE, Photoshop)

A harsh action by Julian Ryerson against Jamal Musiala caused a stir during Dortmund's 2-0 win against FC Bayern. Although the Norwegian had brutally caught the 21-year-old on the Achilles tendon in the 31st minute, he was not shown a yellow card. Referee Harm Osmers admitted after the game that he had made the wrong decision.

"In the game, I'm focused on Can playing the ball. I missed Ryerson's action a bit, I wasn't focused on that," explained the referee in an interview with Sky. "When I see it like that, it's already dark yellow. I let it slip and I apologized to the player for it. It would actually have been the requirement to see that in the game."

"So the question doesn't arise"
A save by Mats Hummels also caused discussion. The central defender acrobatically raised his right leg just before the break when the score was 1-0 to prevent Bayern from scoring an equalizer. The ball rebounded onto his outstretched hand, but Osmers saw no reason to award a penalty. "It's a save that he threw everything into. The important thing is that he doesn't get the ball on his hand at all, so the question of handball doesn't arise," argued the 39-year-old. 

For Dortmund, it was their first win in the Allianz Arena in almost ten years, while for Munich the championship seems to be off the table for good. "Congratulations to Leverkusen," said Bayern coach Thomas Tuchel, congratulating Xabi Alonso on the Bundesliga title. Leverkusen now have a 13-point lead over the German record champions.