World Cup 2018: Christian Eriksen and Kasper Schmeichel blast VAR as Denmark drop two points against Australia
CHRISTIAN ERIKSEN and Kasper Schmeichel have blasted VAR after Denmark dropped two points against Australia.
The Premier League pair called the Socceroos "lucky" after the "exceptionally harsh" decision to award a penalty at Yossuf Poulsen's expense.
Poulsen was deemed to have handled the ball, as Mile Jedinak stepped up to score his second spot-kick of this World Cup.
The game petered out to a 1-1 draw, with Denmark's participation in the knockout stages not yet guaranteed.
After the game, Schmeichel revealed: "I think it dominated the game in its own way. I think it is an exceptionally harsh decision.
"I don't know what else Poulsen can do in that situation.
"He is jumping so his arm is going to be slightly raised and it is headed onto his arm from half a metre away.
"I don't know how you can give that but the referee unfortunately saw it differently.
"If you are going to be giving stuff like that then you are going to be facing a lot of penalties in general.
"I think work is needed on VAR, I don't think it is where it should be at the moment.
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"I think in time maybe it can work but that's two games in a row where we have come on the bad end of a VAR decision.
"...Someone needs to tell the referee that was a bad decision."
Meanwhile, Schmeichel's Denmark team-mate Eriksen concurred, adding: "They were lucky with the decision.
"I haven't seen it yet but I've spoken to Yussuf and the others. Of course it's handball in the penalty area but it's not an unnatural situation.
"Of course you're going to use your hands to jump but the decision has to be correct and maybe it's too correct."
Former Premier League referee Mark Halsey agreed that the decision was harsh.
Writing in his exclusive SunSport column, he said: "I cannot believe Australia were awarded a penalty for a handball against Denmark.
"But it was not a deliberate act by the Danish forward... It was not a clear error."