Can one yellow card really change the rest of a Champions League quarter-final first leg? It seems farfetched but that might have been the case at the Santiago Bernabeu on Wednesday evening.
Francois Letexier, the French referee for the night, did not hesitate in showing Wesley Fofana a yellow card on five minutes after the Chelsea centre-back brought down Vinicius Jr. The tricky Brazilian had gotten past Fofana who had no choice other than to bring the winger down and take the punishment.
It's never ideal to get a yellow card so early on in the game especially when you're up against one of the best wingers in world football in Vinicius. It also has a psychological impact on how you approach the rest of the game. Fofana is at his very best when he is on the front-foot and aggressive with his tackles. Right in the attacker's face. But this essentially restricted him in doing just that.
