Why Jeremy Doku 'disappeared' during Real Madrid game as fans left baffled

Some viewers were left scratching their heads after Jeremy Doku momentarily 'disappeared' during the Champions League clash between Real Madrid and Manchester City. So, what happened?

In the second half of Wednesday's round of 16 clash, Doku knocked the ball past Trent Alexander-Arnold with a heavy touch before making his way over to the corner flag.

After being closed down by Federico Valverde, the Belgian winger had a decision to make: take on his man or find a Manchester City shirt.

Doku eventually won a throw-in but before the ball went out of play, he completely disappeared for a brief moment. "I swear I just saw Jeremy Doku glitch and disappear for a second," said one fan at home.

Another commented: "Doku just glitched off screen. Are we in a simulation??" and a third added: "Glitch in the matrix. Wtf happened here Doku disappeared for a split second."

So, what happened? Well, it appears Virtual Replacement Technology is to blame. The technology allows existing stadium advertising billboards to be digitally replaced during live TV broadcasts.

These virtual overlays are placed on our TV feed and, depending on the region the game is being broadcast to, you will be fed with a targeted advertisement.

In this instance, it appears Doku walking in front of the billboard while wearing a green shirt has glitched the frame for a second.

The technology went viral on Twitter in 2021, when Oliur posted a video of it in action. "Today I learned that stadiums can have different ads depending on channel and country," he said.

Going back to the action on Wednesday night, a first-half hat-trick from Federico Valverde handed Madrid a three-goal advantage coming into next week's Champions League second leg in Manchester.

Los Blancos boss Alvaro Arbeloa was full of praise for Valverde. "He is a player who perfectly represents what Real Madrid is," said the Spaniard. "He is one of the leaders and will continue to be for a long time."

Arbeloa added: "If the fans feel represented by someone, it is him. The night he had today fills me with pride because he deserves it, and it is a reward for all his sacrifice, for pushing forward when things go wrong, for always being the first, for leading by example, and for leading in the way he does.”