Cristiano Ronaldo was lucky not to be booked for his handball and Lucas Vazquez should have been sent off as referee started well but failed to keep up his good form 

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Slovenian referee Damir Skomina initially kept up his excellent form from last week’s Europa League semi-final first leg between Liverpool and Villarreal, but his standards slipped in the second half.

Manchester City’s Kevin De Bruyne was stupid to lash out at Marcelo and was correctly cautioned on the half-hour.

Perhaps De Bruyne was frustrated at giving the ball away, having seen so little of it up to that point.

Kevin De Bruyne stupidly trips Brazilian full-back Marcelo on the half hour to earn himself a yellow card

Slovenian referee Damir Skomina rightly booked De Bruyne, who seemed to react in frustration

It was interesting to see Skomina manage Cristiano Ronaldo when the Madrid star waved an imaginary card after being dumped on the turf by Bacary Sagna.

Technically, that should have earned Ronaldo a booking, but the forward’s gesture was discreet and Skomina wisely smiled and asked the Portuguese not to try any repeat.

Given how well Skomina coped with that situation, I was disappointed he let Ronaldo get away with a deliberate handball on 65 minutes. 

The forward jumped high to catch Pepe’s cross and in the same movement hurled the ball into the net.

Cristiano Ronaldo called for a yellow card after being felled, but the referee managed the situation well

Ronaldo however should have been booked for this handball, even though he had already been flagged offside

Ronaldo was flagged offside by the assistant but still tried to gain an advantage.

Worse was to follow on 80 minutes. Lucas Vazquez should have been sent off when he dived in on City substitute Raheem Sterling with studs up.

It is often easier to see the intensity of a challenge in a replay but if Skomina is to be considered a top UEFA ref he needs to get these decisions right.

Lucas Vazquez should have been sent off, rather than only shown a yellow card, for a nasty lunge late on