It makes you wonder if Stockley Park intercepted the VAR feed on its way from Glasgow to Nyon, for this was Premier League level incompetence.
Just when the technology was emerging as one of the stars of the tournament, it punishes Croatia’s Dejan Lovren for what you assume was the temerity to own an elbow.
The former Liverpool defender jumped with Czech striker Patrick Schick as they competed for a hanging cross inside the six-yard area, with the game goalless in the first half.
Ivan Perisic struck in the second-half to earn Croatia a point against the Czech Republic
Perisic drifted in from the left flank before blasting his effort through goalkeeper Tomas Vaclik
The sharing of the spoils saw Croatia get off the mark at the tournament, but they are in danger
Lovren headed the ball. Schick headed Lovren’s elbow. Penalty, said VAR. And just when it was all going so well.
Maybe it was that Schick’s bloodied nose caused the review. He was still receiving treatment when Spanish referee Carlos Del Cerro Grande consulted his pitchside monitor.
But no one inside Hampden Park expected a penalty, for replays showed Lovren had eyes only for the ball. Not so said Cerro Grande and the video referees in Switzerland, who deemed it dangerous play.
Patrik Schick is currently the top scorer at Euro 2020 after his penalty took his tally to three
Schick kept his composure to slot in from 12 yards, sending Dominik Livakovic the wrong way
Schick looked a little dazed as he wiped away the claret and prepared himself to take the spot-kick, only after persuading the referee he was fit to do so. Maybe the award of the penalty was as big a contributor to his shock as the injury itself.
But 12 yards is as good as a tap-in for Schick, scorer of that incredible 50-yard goal into the same net against Scotland on Monday. And so it was that he slotted in his third of the finals, later cancelled out by Croatia’s Ivan Perisic.
Czech boss Jaroslav Silhavy said: ‘Patrick was very determined to take the penalty and his team-mates were shouting to our kitman to get him a clean shirt. I just believe in him. He is a great goalscorer.’
The Czechs are as good as through now on four points, with England next up on Tuesday. But Gareth Southgate should be wary of the imposing Schick, the Bayer Leverkusen frontman who was again his country’s top performer – not that he had much competition.
The controversial penalty was given when Dejan Lovren caught Schick in the face with an arm
Luka Modric led the protests against the decision, with the incident shown on the big screens
Referee Carlos del Cerro Grande was told to check his monitor, and quickly pointed to the spot
His goal gave them a lead neither side really warranted after a fairly uninspiring 37 minutes of football.
But Croatia were better after half-time – they had set a pretty low bar in the opening 45 minutes – and they claimed a point that could yet prove invaluable thanks to Perisic’s curler two minutes after the restart.
It has been said about many teams that the 12-month delay to Euro 2020 was beneficial, allowing young talent to mature. Not for Croatia. Their players have simply got one year older and one year slower. They could have done with this tournament being brought forward, not put back.
Manager Zlatko Dalic said it was too hot for them during Sunday’s 1-0 defeat by England at Wembley. So did his senior citizens fare better in the tea-time shade of Scotland? Not really.
Schick was left bearing a bloody nose after catching Lovren’s elbow and required treatment
Vaclik was fortunate in the first half when his clearance hit Ante Rebic and went over the bar
Tomas Soucek rose highest to meet a corner early on, but his header went over the crossbar
That the Czechs could not beat this pedestrian Croatia side – they ran 12km further – will give encouragement to Southgate.
They celebrated on full-time as if they had done enough to make the second round, but their progress beyond there, you suspect, will be entirely dependent on Schick.
‘Obviously we are happy because the maths speaks for us, four points is usually enough,’ added Silhavy. ‘I hope we have the security before going to play England.’
Croatia, too, will likely progress should they beat Scotland back here in the final group game.
Stopper Vaclik plunged low to his right to keep out a low drive that looked to be drifting wide
Rebic squandered a golden chance for Croatia as they struggled to take the victory in Glasgow
Vaclik was left untroubled after a free-kick rose over the wall but drifted over the top of his goal
To do so they will need more moments of inspiration like Perisic’s equaliser, the Inter wideman escaping West Ham’s Vladimir Coufal with a tidy shuffle before whipping into the far corner.
The Croats might even have won it late on when substitute Nikola Vlasic lashed over from 10 yards. They did not deserve victory, but nor did they deserve to fall behind to such a ludicrous decision. Croatia boss Dalic was lost for words.
‘The penalty. Well, I’m not sure what to say about that,’ was all he would offer.
At least the VAR was in keeping with a pretty dire game of football.
Re-live all the drama from Glasgow with live updates from Sportsmail‘s DAN DAVIS…