Anyone who watched Juventus - Bologna last night was likely, at least initially, a bit puzzled when, in the 25th minute, Pierre Kalulu held back the Bologna forward breaking through on goal without receiving any disciplinary action.
The situation might remind some of the one involving Reijnders in Milan - Udinese, when the Dutchman, in an unfortunate tangle of legs, tripped an opponent sprinting towards Maignan in open space. Reijnders was sent off, while Kalulu wasn’t, leaving Rossoneri fans somewhat baffled.
Reijnders' situation vs Kalulu's - The situations explained
Although the two situations might seem comparable, in reality, they are not, and there is a crucial distinction that determines whether the criteria for DOGSO (Denying an Obvious Goal-Scoring Opportunity) are fully met in one scenario but not the other: the attacker’s control of the ball. In the case of the Udinese player, Maignan was still far away, and the ball was not moving too quickly, whereas, in last night’s instance at the Stadium, the ball zipped rapidly across the pitch and ended up immediately in Perin’s hands. While Kalulu not being booked was indeed an error, it was not a red card offense as it was in Reijnders’ case, as explained by Milannews.it.
