WATCH: Qarabag Defender Left Embarrassed After Referee Replaces Yellow Card With Red in the Europa League

The BayArena in Leverkusen played host to an enthralling Europa League Round of 16 second-leg fixture on Friday. The match saw the hosts, Bayer Leverkusen, script a roaring comeback against Qarabag FK to confirm their place in the quarter-finals of the European competition.

While the game was headlined by the German club’s gritty efforts, a hilarious moment featuring a Qarabag player transpired in the second half.

Elvin Cafarguliyev, a defender of the Azerbaijan Premier League side, found himself in a tricky situation following a last-man tackle on Leverkusen winger Jeremie Frimpong.

The on-field referee, Anthony Taylor, initially showed Elvin Cafarguliyev the yellow card. The official, however, decided to give the foul a second check on the pitchside monitor. The replay clearly showed Cafarguliyev denying a clear run by Jeremie Frimpong and the tackle was quite harsh.

After returning to the field, Taylor dismissed the yellow card and put it back into his pocket. His gesture certainly came as a relief for Cafarguliyev. The Qarabag centre-back clapped to appreciate the decision and tried to high-five the referee.

In an unexpected turn of events, Anthony Taylor took out the red card from his pocket, leaving Elvin Cafarguliyev red-faced. The Azerbaijan international was evidently disappointed before leaving the pitch. Cafarguliyev’s embarrassed reaction was captured by the broadcaster’s camera and the video went viral in no time.

The absence of Elvin Cafarguliyev in the backline certainly made a huge impact on Qarabag’s performance. The score line remained goalless in the first half before Abdellah Zoubir opened the scoring for the visitors in the 58th minute. Qarabag’s Juninho made it 2-0 moments after Cafarguliyev was sent off by the referee.

Despite conceding two back-to-back goals, Bayer Leverkusen looked desperate to turn the tables. The breakthrough finally came in the 72nd minute, with Jeremie Frimpong scoring the first goal for the home side. The match had already entered the stoppage time when Patrik Schick unleashed his inner beast to turn the tables. The Czech forward struck twice in a matter of five minutes, helping Bayer Leverkusen maintain a 37-match unbeaten streak across all competitions.

In the Bundesliga, Bayer Leverkusen are currently atop the standings. Xabi Alonso’s men have so far collected 67 points from 25 games.