"Know the rule like this"

Should the referee have blown the whistle before Bayern scored?

While Jamal Musiala cheered, Niklas Süle (in the background) lay on the ground joking.(Bild: AP/Martin Meissner)

Should referee Sven Jablonski have blown the whistle before Bayern Munich scored in their 1-1 draw against Borussia Dortmund on Saturday evening? There were some heated discussions after the Bundesliga top match.

Jamal Musiala gave coach Vincent Kompany's Bayern a point with a pinpoint header in the 85th minute. But before the young star scored, Leroy Sane had hit Niklas Süle on the head with a free-kick in front of the BVB penalty area. The central defender remained on the ground, but play continued.

While Jamal Musiala cheered, Niklas Süle (in the background) lay on the ground joking.(Bild: AP/Martin Meissner)

"I would have blown the whistle in that situation," said Dortmund's Nico Schlotterbeck on Sky. BVB coach Nuri Sahin took a similar view: "I know the rule that the game is stopped or interrupted if someone is hit in the face." However, the protests on the pitch had no effect.

"Then I ruled a goal"
 And what did the referee say? "The ball is blocked, then I follow the ball as it goes straight on - and a goal is scored. Then I decided on goal," explained Jablonski. "I wasn't sure whether there was a head injury."

In any case, Sahin tried to talk to the referee again. "That was the end of the matter for me." For Schlotterbeck too: "I would have liked him to blow the whistle, of course. But it wasn't wrong."