The referee blew his whistle and signaled that the goal counted.
Barcelona's players were all unhappy. They gathered around the referee to argue their case.
But there was no point in appealing.
This was no longer an era of controversial goal-line decisions.
Technology had advanced considerably.
The use of goal-line technology had made disputed goal-line calls increasingly rare.
A chip had been embedded in the ball. When the whole ball crossed the goal line, sensors around the goal sent a signal, and the referee's watch notified him of the goal.
So the referee pointed to his watch and said, "The ball completely crossed the goal line. I've confirmed it!"
Viewers watching on TV also got to see another application of goal-line technology.
Hawk-Eye Technology.
On the broadcast, the moment the ball crossed the goal line, Ter Stegen's hands had already closed around it and pulled it back.
But frame-by-frame replays from the high-speed cameras confirmed that the entire ball had crossed the line before Ter Stegen's hands pulled it back.
So the screen flashed the words: GOAL.
Less than three minutes after Li Mingyu had equalized for Barcelona, Atletico Madrid had taken the lead again.
2–1. Atletico Madrid were back in front at home.
The Wanda Metropolitano Stadium erupted in celebration once more.
The team's performance had the fans buzzing with excitement.
As soon as the referee signaled that the goal counted, all the Atletico Madrid players crowded around Suarez and celebrated wildly.
It turned out that the powerful header had been the work of the Uruguayan striker, Suarez.
Suarez excitedly slapped his own head, his trademark teeth flashing with a fearsome gleam.
The goal had dealt Barcelona a heavy blow.
They had just equalized, only to fall behind again. The emotional whiplash was miserable.
Barcelona restarted the game, and