Bayern will travel to Atalanta with the job done. After a 6-1 thrashing, the Bavarians will only have to seal their passage at home against an Atalanta side that can only cling to (something more than) a miracle, but Bayern could be in for a double dose of bad news.
Despite what seems to be good news for Kompany’s side, there is the spectre of possible sanctions for Olise, the two-goal striker in the first leg of the last 16, and Kimmich.
The reason for this is for deliberately getting a yellow card when taking a corner when the match was 0-6. The British-born Frenchman will miss the irrelevant second leg of the last 16 tie due to, or thanks to, this booking.
In the case of Kimmich, in the 82nd minute and with the score at 0-6, he delayed a free kick in his own half for more than 45 seconds, which angered Atalanta’s Yunus Musah, who pushed him to take it and also cost him a yellow card.
Both players now face the spectre of UEFA, who could act by sanctioning the players with more than one match.
UEFA punishes players who force a card to “clean” their cycle of bookings with a two-match suspension and fines. The Disciplinary Committee uses video footage to detect time-wasting or unnecessary fouls that show premeditation. This regulation seeks to protect sporting integrity.
The player, in the hypothetical case of being sanctioned, could miss the clash against Real Madrid or Manchester City, the winner of which will face Bayern in the quarter-finals
Precedents for yellow card forcing
The most high-profile case of this type of sanction was that of Sergio Ramos, who was sanctioned after his confession against Ajax in 2010, but the very fact of admitting the action seems to be key, as Dani Carvajal was investigated for this fact but was not punished.
The same situation occurred with Pique against Arsenal in 2016, who was not sanctioned despite being disciplined.
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