Referee Daniel Schlager has defended his controversial offside decision in VfL Bochum's 2-1 win against Borussia Mönchengladbach.

"Due to the new interpretation of the rules, it's not about controlled play because he's in a duel.

Therefore, the decision to be offside was the consequence for us," said the 32-year-old on the Sky TV channel.

Gladbach's Ramy Bensebaini had scored the supposed 2-2 in the 82nd minute on Tuesday evening.

According to the video images, Schlager took the goal back because, from his point of view, preparer Jonas Hofmann had been offside.

The ball was cleared to Hofmann by Bochum defender Vasilios Lampropoulos.

Gladbach clearly criticized the decision after the game: "In my opinion, that's a stolen goal," said midfielder Christoph Kramer, who also works as a football expert for television.

"It's the rule if he's uncontrolled then it's offside.

If that was an uncontrolled ball, hats off.

Bochum's central defender played a really good game.

In the situation it wasn't out of control, it was inability because he can play the ball clearly and just doesn't hit it properly," Kramer described his view of the scene.

"I've looked at it.

If I take off the Gladbach glasses and put on the VfL Bochum glasses, it's still a stolen goal.

There are no two opinions," says Kramer.

Borussia coach Daniel Farke saw it similarly.

He spoke of a "regular compensation that was not given".

The coach clearly criticized the team of referees without taking his team off duty after a weak first half.

Farke spoke of an “underground referee performance”.

He had to “include the entire team of referees including VAR”.

Only the fourth official, René Rohde, he "takes out a bit".

Schlager said: "It's a defensive situation.

The player tries to clear the ball but does not control it.

If he does this in a controlled manner, he plays it toward the center circle.

When he is in distress, he does not have the time and control over the situation.

Therefore it is uncontrolled and no new offside assessment is required.”

The German Football Association (DFB) explains in its rules: "Touching the ball by a player of the defending team only cancels an offside position if the ball is played in a controlled manner and is not the result of an action to prevent a goal." In addition, it says: “The term “deliberate goal prevention action” requires further explanation.

An offside offense is committed when a player receives the ball from a defender's attempt to prevent a goal.

The action of the defender in this case is comparable to the defense of a goalkeeper.” In the disputed scene, Lampropoulos shot the ball from the penalty area.

The ball would not have landed directly on goal, there would have been a goal threat insofar as there were several Gladbach players in the vicinity.

Video evidence was needed when Bochum scored the opening goal: First, assistant referee Sven Waschitzki-Günther saw Christopher Antwi-Adjei offside.

Bochum's coach Thomas Letsch said: "I'm glad that I'm a coach and not a referee."