Palmeiras vs Chapecoense

The referee showed a red card to the Palmeiras player for this sliding challenge on the Chapecoense opponent, but based on what is visible in the frames, this appears to be the wrong call. The contact landed at roughly ankle/lower shin height without a clear studs-up, high-foot presentation that would normally justify serious foul play. Under IFAB Law 12, there is an important distinction between a *reckless* challenge (which earns a yellow card) and one involving *excessive force that endangers the opponent's safety* (which earns a red). The challenge here — mistimed, from the side-rear, at ankle level — looks like a yellow-card foul: deserving of punishment, but not crossing the line into the most serious category. A yellow card and a free kick to Chapecoense would have been the proportionate and correct response.