DISCUSSION: Champions League First-Leg Semi-Finals Review

Declan Link, Paul Schmidt-Troshcke & Jon Bonfiglio review the Champions League Semi-Finals.

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Transcript

SPEAKER_04 0:28

Welcome back to the welcome topic. It'll be John Bonfiglio in Mexico, and him Paul Schmidtroshka, elsewhere in Mexico. Hello, Paul.

SPEAKER_01 0:37

Hello, John. How are you doing?

SPEAKER_04 0:38

Good, thank you. And the other him, Declan Link, over in Orlando, Florida. Hello, Declan.

SPEAKER_03 0:43

Hello, chaps. How are you both doing today?

SPEAKER_04 0:47

Marvelous. All the better for the next. I'm going to ignore the either the bangers or the gunshots in the background. I don't know whether you can hear them.

SPEAKER_03 0:56

That really did sound like a volume of gunshots in the background, Jim.

SPEAKER_04 0:59

Where do you live? Don't worry. Let's let's this is why we record these things. As I said off-air before we came onto this, welcome to our thrice uh weekly therapy session. And this is uh speaking to you guys gets me away from what's happening out in the streets. Anyway, here we are again, the three of us come together to discuss one of the most spectacular Champions League semi-finals of all time. And another one which, well, you know, wasn't half bad, but of course it wasn't Paris Saint-Germain versus Bayern Munich. Nothing can hold a candle to Paris Saint-Germain versus Bayern. What's your reaction, Declan?

SPEAKER_03 1:35

Tuesday's game was absolutely sensational, arguably one of the best games I've ever seen, and I'm sure there'd be a lot of people in my corner. It was just edge of the seat riveting stuff between two teams that, in my opinion, are definitely the two best teams in Europe currently. Uh, because you got for the Champions League, you have to peak at the right time, like PSG did last year, and the game was just as a neutral absolutely thrilling. I mean, I look at it as there was two heavyweights playing in that semi-final on Tuesday, and by way of contrast, Wednesday's game was fascinating as well, but it was never going to be the same type of attacking, going at going at each other type of game that the heavyweight uh classic was. It was the the Wednesday game uh between Athletico and Arsenal was always going to be more of what I would call like a tactical chess match.

SPEAKER_04 2:28

Um, players of the match for you, Declan, of the first match. Let's stick to that one for the moment. We'll come to uh uh to uh to Arsenal and uh Atletico Madrid in a minute.

SPEAKER_03 2:40

I would say for PSG Usmondembelli, and then I can't pronounce his name, Kavravacchilia.

SPEAKER_04 2:51

I I deliberately asked you this because I just want you to say his name. This is what yeah, and if you if you hadn't sort of marked him out as one of the uh one of the key players of the match, I would have found I would have asked you to name the wingers or something like that. Yeah, my understanding is that it's uh Kvarchkalia is a pronunciation of the wrong thing.

SPEAKER_01 3:06

No, no, no, guys, guys, I I can help you with that. I I have lived in I have lived in Georgia for 10 months um after I finished uh school. So it's uh Kvaratskelia. That's his name. That's what I said, isn't it, Paul? Oh almost, yeah. Almost isn't that what I said?

SPEAKER_03 3:24

Isn't that what I said, Paul, as well?

SPEAKER_01 3:26

I mean, yeah, Declan, your pronunciation, of course, uh, as known in our audience, are among uh the best that we even um question question it uh is um it's heresy.

SPEAKER_04 3:37

God damn heresy and Paul, I love having you on the um on the show, of course, as a as a co-presenter and your thoughts, but um you having this sort of central European multi-language uh pronunciation know-how definitely leaves uh myself and to thankfully to a larger extent Declan Link in the doghouse.

SPEAKER_03 3:59

Yeah, if I was a sharp, intelligent, uh professional journalist uh like the two of you, I would have actually thought ahead strategically and phonetically written it out. I didn't.

SPEAKER_04 4:09

So let's go back in so let's go back in time, Declan. So your standout players for on uh for Paris Saint-Germain, who might they be? Then Billy.

SPEAKER_03 4:24

And uh I must admit Vatinho played quite well, but I think he got subbed out. Uh but they again they were just they're just a really exciting team, and and since they've got away from all the superstars, it's incredible the job they've done. And you know, the the the game is on a knife edge, it could go either way. I actually think Bayern will probably win because of the home advantage. But to answer the questions on Bayern, I don't think I'll struggle with this one. Harry Kay, Jamal Mussiala, and I think the the the best player in the game, he's got such an exciting pedigree nowadays, and and it you know just gets you off your seat, is Michael Elise from the French Flat.

SPEAKER_01 5:04

Yeah, he was absolutely brilliant, it was amazing.

SPEAKER_04 5:07

The um what I think one of the really remarkable things about Paris Saint-Germain and Luis Enrique's work there is we've spoken at length before about different teams and different nations and sort of footballing cultures, and how it's very easy to get trapped in a culture. And for him to have um so completely have changed the uh the culture at Paris Saint-Germain is absolutely remarkable. I mean, we see this inability to achieve something like that across so many other clubs and sides. I mean, of course, uh Xavi Alonso and Real Madrid would have been a key example earlier this season of an individual who was just thrown under the bus because that the club was not going to change its footballing uh culture, so to speak. So, you know, props to Luis Enrique for uh really moulding the team and the individuals in the team in a really particular way, and they are fully committing to his um uh to his style of preferred style of uh football pool.

SPEAKER_01 6:09

Yeah, absolutely. Um this game was definitely uh the most uh amazing Champions League game in my lifetime. Um, it of course broke, I think, two records at least. First most goals in a Champions League semi-final, um, I think since uh 1960 or something. Um and uh I think Harry Kane is now the only English player which scored six game uh six goals consecutively in the Champions League. Um that's what I've read as well. Um, and apart from that, of course, uh yeah, two teams um who whose playing style more and more I would say converged. Um I would say like the first 20 minutes uh Bayern Munich was uh was more dominant, and uh but then at some point both realized that we just have to give it all um in regards to the uh to the offensive side of playing and have to disregard the defensive side. And that was just amazing to see both teams um yeah, kind of at the at the same point in the game realizing that, and that's how we got uh got this result, right?

SPEAKER_04 7:19

Yeah, I mean it was it felt more like a charity match ends to end, really, than a Champions League semi-final. I mean, you see great games, you don't see great games every week, but you see them quite quite often. It's not unexpected, but great games with so much at stake is really, really uh unusual. And I guess an acid test about Harry Kane, uh, Paul is uh presumably, uh given his his year at Bayern Munich, um the the German, the average German fan would quite happily see uh Harry Kane as being a German and not an Englishman.

SPEAKER_01 7:54

Oh, one 100%. Uh in Germany we love Harry Kane. I mean, how how can you not love Harry Kane, right? He is a very humble um and uh yeah, just a just a very, very nice guy, also also in interviews, um very very down to earth. And um, yeah, another point which was uh quite funny to me um to uh to hear that from a player like um like Joshua Kimmich in his uh post-game interview, he said that this game didn't feel like losing and that he was uh uh quite um angry about not feeling um, I don't know, uh like a bit uh yeah, in the end, frustrated, um, because even even for him and for many other players, um it was more like a a party um at the end than than than a competition.

SPEAKER_04 8:47

Well, I mean at one point, of course, it was 5-2 uh to Paris Saint-Germain, and then um to some extent you could argue that uh the Bayern bringing it back to 5-4 is something like Paris. I mean, they could have um if it would have been 5-2, it would have been very tough to come uh back from. But 5-4 does feel as though it is really close, and of course they go back to to Bayern as well. Just a word for Luis Diaz, because I know we didn't really mention him in the sort of the preview, but what a season he's had. I mean, he was a good player for Liverpool, but he's also I think this is also a measure of uh Campani's Bayern, is that um he's he's spurred himself on or he's been brought on and becomes even a really multifaceted player uh I in in Bayern this year. And he was he was a handful uh throughout the match for the for the Saint-Germain defense.

SPEAKER_03 9:37

I think uh actually he was a player I I didn't mention just then, but I think if you actually analyzed and saw the way he played, how technically brilliant he was, the pace he played at in the game sort of showcased how the whole game went because the the game was played at an incredible pace and and and uh speed, and Lewis Dias looked a world-class player, so he definitely seems to have uh upped his game, and that's probably because of the uh stewardship management of uh Van Saint Company. Um so with Scottie Parker losing his job or supposedly mutually leaving Burnley today, um, there's hope for Scotty Parker because uh Van Saint Company's last job was uh with Burnley uh and a fail team. So um John, just as completely aside, I'm just a bit worried. You haven't um got on the wrong side of one of the cartels, have you? Because it sounds like your casa is under attack, full-blown attack tonight.

SPEAKER_04 10:43

No, I think that's it. I think they've they've stopped and moved on now. Um Mexico does like its fireworks. I used to live in a place called Cholula, which famously has 365 chapels in the in the small town, uh, with a feast, uh, with each chapel designated uh to a feast saint uh on a different day of the year. So every day in Cholula there was bangers and fireworks going up uh across a different part of the, you know, it was a pretty small town. Uh that was uh unstoppable. But here where I am at the moment, no, that they definitely it's pretty much um ongoing. It's pretty easy to just go for a walk or move out in the car somewhere to just to get some milk or something and then just find yourself caught up in a procession for for an hour. Um, it is uh Catholic is as Catholic does uh Declan. But hopefully we'll have a bit of peace now. Just to come back to Luis Diaz, also uh Catholic, so he would have he would have had some of these similar experiences in in Colombia. But the thing that's I think he's always been really fast on his feet, he's always had incredible pace, he's always been able to take on uh defenders. Uh to my mind, the thing that's changed this year, and we saw that with what I think was the fourth goal for Bayern, his finishes now are absolutely uh clinical, and they are such a complementary asset. I think you could also argue that it's one of the reasons why the likes of Harry Kane are doing so well, because when the when the threats are multi-pronged, then people can almost it's not that they forget the center forward threat, but they have to be looking elsewhere, and that all automatically opens up space for for a center forward. What's the perspective of Luis Diaz in in Germany, Paul?

SPEAKER_01 12:22

Um, I mean he he by now is I think already also 29. Um he definitely has has some some years to play, but I think at Bayern Munich he has a uh he has a bright future. Um Bayern Munich has the ability to to win the treble this year. And um and Harry Kane, of course, uh is a little bit older than him, so he could be a successor. Um but these two play play just incredibly together. And uh yeah, just one one thing regarding the game and uh his clinical finishes, how he how he received the ball um just seconds before he scored was uh I mean world class in uh yeah just breaking from from this speed, then receiving the ball almost like with his heel, and uh yeah, then tricking the defender uh to to go into this uh the wrong direction and uh scoring like that. Um yeah, absolutely amazing. So bright future at Bayern Munich. And uh I think he is uh still because he so he shows that um we that we see new uh styles, not necessarily necessarily styles of play, um, but his uh I don't think he has reached his uh his maximum potential yet.

SPEAKER_04 13:31

Yeah, and we might see that in the World Cup this year.

SPEAKER_03 13:35

I do I do think the fact that I think the game would the game and potentially the tie was over and done when it was 5-2 to PSG. Uh but Bayern Munich never gave up. They showed that strong traditional sort of German foundation of resolution, never give up, never give up. Obviously, they have a multicultural, multi-international team, but I think the fact that they brought it back to 5-4 and they're still alive, effectively 1-0 down, means to me, like I said at the beginning, that buy and go into the game as the favourites despite the fact they're losing 1-0.

SPEAKER_01 14:12

Let's move on to you. One thing regarding uh regarding Bayern Munich, because um Bayern Munich has uh if you look um into the uh the Bundesliga, for example, I think it was their their last game they played against um Mainz, and Mainz is not known to be a particularly um strong team, but they managed to fall back uh 3-0 um and came back. I mean Bayern Munich uh fell back uh 3-0 and then uh came back and finished uh 4-3, um, turned around the game. And that is a um particular quality, um, first managing to get behind three goals and then come back and and win the game. And of course, if you if if your opposing teams know that, the the nice um like psychological effect you achieve with it is even if a Paris Paris uh Saint-Gemor is leading with three goals in a Champions League semi-final, they still have to be afraid that you basically can equal um if not if not win the game. So that was uh the last thing.

SPEAKER_04 15:20

Um of course it um it works both ways, that psychology, doesn't it? It works for you because you know that you have the mental strength to keep pushing till the end and get goals back, but it also works on the opposition because the opposition know the very same thing as as well. But let's move on to the the second semifinal, Arsenal, uh against uh Atletico uh Madrid. It seemed to me watching the the post-match press conference, Paul, uh as though our friend Mikel Arteta was uh having some prostate trouble again.

SPEAKER_01 15:52

Um yeah, I mean first uh Declan, you were very right with with your prediction um that we uh we could realistically see quite the opposite um to the to the um Paris Saint-Germain um Bayern Munich game, and we exactly saw that. I think uh it it couldn't have been better in the end. I mean it was it was not um it was definitely not uh boring to watch, um at least um at some points, but uh it's comedic that even the goals were two penalties, like uh one penalty on each side. Um so yeah, quite quite quite the contrast program, I would say.

SPEAKER_04 16:32

Can we just uh all agree? Well, you and me, Paul, agree never to use the phrase ever again. Declan, you were very right with your prediction, please.

SPEAKER_01 16:41

Oh, I I'm very I'm very sorry. I mean it it doesn't occur a lot, so um, we just have to like throw some some bits at the checks the check is in the mail pool, as they say.

SPEAKER_04 16:50

Uh Declan, what's your what was your what was your take on the second uh on the second semi-final? The lesser brother.

SPEAKER_03 16:56

Again, like I said in the uh pre-game pod we did, completely different atmosphere, knew it was going to be like that, it was gonna be tense, it was gonna be you know a very physical type of game and and controversial, and I think the way it's been teed up at the end with uh Arsenal losing the penalty that was given by the referee on the pitch, uh Diego Simeoni, and uh the stuff he gets up to, the so-called dark arts of knockout football, the Ben White running across the Atletico Madrid um badge as they walked off the field, and there was there was verbals, there was some handbags. It was it's just so nicely teed up because it almost looks like you know Arsenal so want to win something, they're so tense and nervous, they're not playing anywhere near as well as they did earlier on in the season, and now this is the proper business end of the season. And the narrative about Arsenal is because they're relatively inexperienced at this stage of a major European competition, can they actually survive Simeone and his dark arts football? Because you know what he's like. So apparently, part of the reason they they all ended up not liking each other at the end of the game, predictably, was Simeone was constantly on at the fourth official, and uh that penalty was almost something that Simeone caused the referee to go and see uh on VAR and watch on the TV. So it's got all the ingredients because there's so much on that game at the Emirates to be an absolutely explosive game, and then on top of that, Arsenal have got a tough game against Fulham at home on Saturday. So it's it's it it's gonna they're both gonna be absolutely incredibly fascinating games in their own unique ways, and that's why we love football.

SPEAKER_04 18:56

Yeah, if you if you were to wake up in the night to and uh to see somebody standing over your bed, you know, as happens in horror films, and and you could choose uh or you could uh uh you could one of those four managers were standing over your bed, you would not want it to be Diego Simeoni of all four of them, I think. Um Paul, uh just injury related across the two matches, of course, Julian Alvarez uh for Atletico Madrid, uh had an incredible match, uh very uh close to uh to getting a goal earlier on in the in the tie as well, came off in the 70 odd minute with a twisted ankle, but he seems as though he's going to be okay. But across the other semi-final, uh Hakimi has uh been ruled out of the by-and return with a thigh injury. Uh, I'm guessing um we would all agree, but just to start with you, Paul, that actually the way in which those two injuries have sort of manifested and resolved themselves and and uh not resolved themselves could actually be key for the for the outcome of both those matches.

SPEAKER_01 20:04

Oh yes, I mean absolutely Hakimi was uh was very very central as well. Um and uh I mean let's hope that that he will be able to play uh in the World Cup, of course. And um I think he uh already before, like he was just uh just injured before, um even though not as severely. Um, but every everybody knows that um that mounting injuries um and uh yeah not uh the the body not having enough time to recover fully is is a very bad thing. So um yeah Hakimi missing out um definitely and of course uh Julian Alvarez he has the I would say the the biggest role um at Atletico Madrid. And um if if he is not able to play that uh could have a severe severe impact. I mean Arsenal would would cheer, of course, but uh he he was definitely uh he created the the most um the most dangerous uh situations for for Arsenal and uh so so therefore uh yeah it uh it would increase the chances dramatically for Arsenal in the rematch.

SPEAKER_04 21:15

Definitely because you picked out Hakimi as one of your players to watch before the before the the first uh uh the away leg.

SPEAKER_03 21:22

Yeah, I mean uh he's definitely gonna miss the return game. He's definitely gonna miss the final if they get into the final. And there seems to be a big question, Mark, as to whether or not he'll make the World Cup squad. I hope he does, because the World the World Cup, the World Cup is obviously what we talk about, and we want the best players in the world to be competing for their nations. My sort of takeaways from from the uh particularly the Athletico uh Arsenal game I love Alvarez. I think there's rumors he's gonna get a move back to the Premier League uh next year, which will be fantastic. Manchester City left him. It must have been a com let him go. It must have been a contractual thing. But from my own sort of selfish ends here in Orlando, Griezmann is playing as well as he's ever done at the moment. And we're going to benefit. He's coming here after the World Cup to uh play out front for Orlando City in the MLS. And it's just, I just hope he doesn't get annoyed too quickly that the players around him aren't good enough. What's also interesting is I heard a story, a rumour, that Declan Rice, my namesake, was saying some controversial stuff in the media afterwards. So, and a question mark as to whether or not he might get a fine or get suspended. If that happens to Arsenal, they're going to be in deep doo-doo because Declan, you know, everyone knows what a great player he is. Uh, and how he he does so much work off the ball. If he isn't playing in that game, that's going to be a major problem for Arsenal. And they're also impotent up front right now. They just don't seem to have, uh, although Geiker has scored a great penalty, knocked it away fantastically, Arsenal just seem impotent up front. And where are the goals going to come from? Because it doesn't seem as though their tactics in the Premier League are now working from set pieces and set plays like other teams have worked them out. And although they have a fabulous European record this year, uh, they don't really seem to, in the latter stages in the knockout rounds, be able to score the goals off set pieces like they were early on in the season. So again, everything so teed up for both games, really, really interesting. I can't wait till next week.

SPEAKER_04 23:37

And um, Declan, what's your uh your tip for buying Harry Saint Germain and the return leg?

SPEAKER_03 23:44

The score or who wins? Just who wins? Bayern.

SPEAKER_04 23:48

Uh Paul, your tip for the return?

SPEAKER_01 23:51

Yeah, same for me. And uh I would say they uh they win by one goal, and I think it's gonna be um it's gonna be a penalty shootout.

SPEAKER_04 24:02

It's um this is a cliched point, but I think the first goal, of course, is uh is crucial because if if Paris Saint-Germain then go two up on aggregate, then that's that's a mountain for Bayern to climb even this Bayern. But of course, if it stays uh nil-nil or if Bayern score early, then then yeah, I think Bayern will I wouldn't say that they'll scroll it, but I think they've definitely got um a steal to them, which it is difficult uh to sort of push away this year. And then Declan, the uh your tip for the Arsenal uh uh Atletico Madrid return?

SPEAKER_03 24:34

I think Arsenal will just shade it. I think Atletico will do all of the dark art stuff, but I think they might well implode and uh Arsenal will go through and then Arsenal will lose to Bayern Munich in final.

SPEAKER_01 24:49

Paul? Uh yeah, that would be my my favorite setup to be honest. Um I wish for Arsenal winning, and um I think they definitely have have the the ability, even though the chances might I don't know. Um but like one one last thing. I've just read uh it was hours ago confirmed that Julian Alvarez will be able to play in the match. Um so that that's definitely bad news for Arsenal. Um but uh I hope for Arsenal to to win the game. Realistically, it's a coin flip, in my opinion.

SPEAKER_04 25:18

Yeah, it's um it's just gonna take a moment, I think. And Julian Alvarez is definitely the kind of player who, as you were saying before, Declan, um if a moment comes, you uh you would think that Julian Alvarez, especially given how he took that penalty, there was no stopping that penalty by anybody on on God's good earth. Um, whereas Arsenal, if a chance comes, will they put it away? Exactly.

SPEAKER_03 25:44

Can I just say something, John? I I know, like on global podcasts like we do, on radio shows, sports radio shows around the world, more often than not, you have two people you know chatting about a particular event or a game or whatever, something comes, and one always takes the opposite view just to be controversial. Young Paul Schmitt Trotsky is definitely growing on me because he just agrees with absolutely everything I say.

SPEAKER_04 26:08

He's he's a he's he he's a disciple of yours. You haven't seen you haven't seen his workstation. He's got a little he's got a couple of um photos he's downloaded off the internet uh of you, and he's got them next to his computer. He's even made one into a little sticker, which is quite cute.

SPEAKER_03 26:22

Oh, that sounds lovely.

SPEAKER_01 26:23

Yeah, not nice that that you expose me here live on air.

SPEAKER_04 26:27

Yeah, I I apologize, but uh, you know, it's all private, nobody's listening. Uh on which note, uh, thanks. Uh uh chaps we'll we'll talk again, of course, uh next week about this and ongoing issues related to the semifinal, but no doubt we will talk before then also. Thank you very much.

SPEAKER_01 26:42

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SPEAKER_03 26:45

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SPEAKER_04 27:03

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SPEAKER_01 27:09

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