Chaos at Pittodrie as aberdeen vs motherwell tie ends with three reds and VAR row
Scotland midfielder John McGinn lambasted VAR after a frenzied Scottish Cup tie at Pittodrie that saw three players dismissed and several contentious interventions by the review system. The match — won by the home side — has reignited debate over how VAR is used when potential goal‑denying offences are under scrutiny.
Three dismissals change game at Pittodrie
Tensions boiled over in the cup tie with three red cards issued during a tumultuous encounter. The first sending‑off came when Oscar Priestman was ruled to have impeded Lyall Cameron as he broke through on goal; the referee went to the monitor and judged that a clear goalscoring opportunity had been denied. From the resulting free‑kick, Aberdeen forward Kevin Nisbet found the bottom corner and opened the scoring.
Shortly after, Dons debutant Dennis Geiger was shown a red card following a high, wild tackle that struck Lukas Fadinger in the groin. That dismissal restored numerical parity, but the drama was not over. Moments after play restarted, Motherwell defender Liam Gordon was ordered off for a foul on Toyosi Olusanya. Like Priestman, Gordon was judged to have denied a goalscoring opportunity after the referee reviewed the incident on the pitch‑side monitor.
The back‑and‑forth expulsions left both sides reduced and the game punctuated by long stoppages while decisions were checked, prompting frustration among players, staff and observers.
Strong reactions from players and management
John McGinn, the 83‑cap Scotland international who plays his club football in the Premier League, did not hold back in his assessment of the situation. He wrote: "I've sent you to the screen let's send you to an angle from the North Sea to back it up, " adding that VAR was "a mess". The brevity of his post reflected the widespread exasperation at how the incidents were handled.
Motherwell's manager echoed the bewilderment. He described Gordon's dismissal as a mystery and said the decision will remain one in which he cannot find clarity. He argued there were players behind Gordon who would likely have obstructed any clear chance, suggesting the incident did not present an unmistakable goalscoring opportunity.
The Scottish FA has been approached for comment on the chain of events and the application of the guidelines that define when a foul warrants a red card following a VAR review.
VAR scrutiny stretches beyond Pittodrie
Officials and fans have pointed out similar contentious interventions in recent fixtures, highlighting a pattern rather than an isolated problem. Earlier in the cup round a red card was shown in another tie after a review, and a different match saw a player upgraded to a red for a foul that occurred well away from the penalty area. At a separate ground, a centre‑back was dismissed for a bodycheck without VAR involvement, underlining inconsistencies in how incidents are assessed and punished.
Those examples, combined with the Pittodrie controversy, have intensified calls for clearer, more consistent application of the rules governing denied goalscoring opportunities and for better transparency about which angles and protocols are used in reviews. With cup ties and crucial league fixtures to come, the debate over VAR procedures looks set to continue unless governing bodies provide firmer guidance or process changes.
For now, the focus remains on the players who missed action because of the suspensions and on the fallout from a game that will be remembered as much for its disciplinary fallout as for the football played on the pitch.
