Paul Scholes, a veteran of Manchester United, has said that he can see why VAR awarded Bruno Fernandes a handball penalty in the match that resulted in Real Sociedad’s contentious penalty in their tie with the Red Devils.

On a challenging night at the Reale Arena, Mikel Oyarzabal cancelled off Joshua Zirkzee’s opening goal in the 57th minute, denying United a first-leg triumph.

Twenty minutes from the end, VAR official Pol van Boekel saw that Fernandes had handled the ball with his left arm in the penalty area, giving the home team a chance to tie the score.

Before pointing to the location, Slovakian referee Ivan Kruzliak was instructed to examine the incident on the pitch-side monitor.

Following a period of intense United pressure, captain Oyarzabal took the ball and made no mistake, sending Andre Onana in the wrong direction.

On social media, United supporters were furious with the penalty incident, and a former midfielder called the entire situation “strange.”

Scholed told TNT Sports, “I don’t know why the game stopped, but I think it’s handball.” “You don’t expect Fernandes to be in that position; sometimes you’re afraid of getting hit in the head when you raise your hand.”

Kruzliak and the Sociedad players did not first see Fernandes’ infraction, and only a small number of them called for a penalty.

To the surprise of many in the audience, including Scholes, Van Boekel was eager to suggest that the referee investigate into the incident.

The 50-year-old went on, “I didn’t really see anything at the time, but looking back, it is a penalty.” ” None of us, I believe, saw it. I questioned why the game had been stopped, but they later revealed that it had been a penalty.

I’m a little shocked that Bruno Fernandes is in that position because he pulls out and doesn’t seem like a dominant player who can head the ball. You can see why they provided it, and I would feel the same way in the circumstance.

Prior to Sociedad being given a way back into the match and even the tie, United was in control of the proceedings.

Alejandro Garnacho created the opening down the left-hand side, and Zirkzee gave them the lead with a low drive into the middle of the net.

The Dutchman’s goal, which was only his second in 17 outings, gave United the boost they needed to keep going after he missed the game-winning penalty in United’s FA Cup fifth-round loss to Fulham.

Six minutes after the first goal, Garnacho nearly struck the side netting, continuing to cause issues for the Sociedad defense.

However, when momentum shifted, the home team would equalize, and United’s chances started to dwindle. Luckily for the guests, they would wait for a worthwhile attraction.

“We were in control until the penalty changed the momentum,” United manager Ruben Amorim told TNT Sports. We were quite exhausted in the last half hour, but things will be different at Old Trafford because we will be under pressure.

“The momentum shifted, but it was obviously exhaustion.” They were stronger in the final half hour, and we were late on the balls.

We had good possession up until the penalty. Even if we occasionally make poor choices, we occasionally have positive moments.