Jarrod Bowen saw his 91st-minute penalty saved as West Ham missed the chance to move top of the Sky Bet Championship after a 1-1 draw with QPR.
Nicolas Madsen put Rangers 1-0 up from a penalty awarded in highly controversial circumstances. The spot kick came in the 18th minute, after Tomas Soucek slid in on Paul Smyth. Soucek, returning from an ankle injury sustained at the World Cup, got the ball, but referee Ruebyn Ricardo pointed to the spot. Lee Hendrie called it "an absolute howler" on co-commentary, and Soucek was left in disbelief.
West Ham were far below their best in the first half, managing just two shots. They came alive as the game wore on, and Bowen equalised with his seventh goal of the season after his first shot was blocked. In the 90th minute, Amadou Mbengue tugged the shirt of Pablo in the area, and Bowen had the chance to win it from the spot. But Pierce Charles dived low to save the initial effort, then tipped Arne Engels' follow-up over the bar.
Nuno Espirito Santo said his side had the quality to do much better. He admitted they had not started well and were imprecise in their passing, but added that they had chances to win the game. Soucek said the referee later admitted he was wrong but would not speak to him on the pitch. The result leaves QPR in fifth place.
Source: Sky Sports Champions League · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing