Atletico Madrid's Europa League semi-final first leg against Arsenal on Thursday got off to the worst possible start as they were reduced to 10 men and had their manager sent to the stands with barely 10 minutes gone.
The Croatian's first booking came with the game just two minutes old as he slid in on Jack Wilshere and proceeded to take the man and not the ball.
From then on he was always going to be walking a disciplinary tightrope and he came crashing off it just eight minutes later for another late challenge on Alexandre Lacazette, catching the Frenchman on the ankle.
Referee Clement Turpin immediate reached for his pocket and produced a second yellow to send the defender for an early bath, leaving Atleti feeling like they had been robbed.
To make matter worse for the visitors, manager Diego Simeone was then given his marching orders after he vociferously remonstrated with the officials following a foul by Arsenal's Hector Bellerin.