Football Daily - Champions League Debrief: PSG silence Arsenal

Episode Date: April 29, 2025

Do Arsenal still have what it takes to make it to the Champions League final? An early goal from Ousmane Dembélé and another impressive european night for Gianluigi Donnarumma means they're 1-0 down against Paris Saint Germain after the first leg of their semi final. Kelly Cates is joined by Matthew Upson, Julien Laurens and John Murray at the Emirates to analyse the first leg loss and assess what Arsenal need to do differently if they’re to turn things around in the second leg. We hear from Mikel Arteta who believes his side have to “do something special” if they’re to make the final. Plus, we look ahead to the first leg of the other semi final between Barcelona and Inter Milan. Timecodes: 03:18 – Were Arsenal off balance without Thomas Partey? 04:40 – PSG’s transformation this season 07:02 – Are Arsenal lacking depth? 08:04 – Mikel Arteta reaction 10:31 – What do Arsenal need to change in the second leg? 17:52 – A Gianluigi Donnarumma masterclass 24:29 – Barcelona v Inter Milan previewCommentaries this week: Wednesday 30th April 20:15 - Manchester United v Chelsea – Women’s Super League – 5 live 18:00 - Aston Villa v Arsenal – Women’s Super League – 5 Sports ExtraThursday 1st May 20:00 - Athletic Club v Manchester United – Europa League – 5 live 20:00 - Spurs v Bodo Glimt – Europa League – 5 Sports ExtraSaturday 3rd May 15:00 - Everton v Ipswich – Premier League – 5 live 17:30 - Arsenal v Bournemouth – Premier League – 5 liveSunday 4th May 12:00 Manchester United v Manchester City – Women’s Super League – 5 Sports Extra 14:00 - Brighton v Newcastle United – Premier League – 5 live 14:00 – Brentford v Manchester United – Premier League – 5 Sports Extra 14:00 – West Ham v Spurs – Premier League – BBC Sport Website 16:30 – Chelsea v Liverpool – Premier League – 5 live

This BBC podcast is supported by ads outside the UK. Welcome to the Inside Track with me Rick Edwards. This is the podcast that takes you inside Formula One and Red Bull Racing like never before. And I'm Matt Magindian. Thanks to my exclusive access I'll be getting up close and personal with the Red Bull Racing team this season. This week we're focusing on that five second penalty for Max Verstappen. I don't see any world in which you could say that, oh no, that was fine. And we're getting very excited about a sit-down interview with the big dog team principal, Christian Horner. Experience Formula One like never before by

tuning into the Inside Track wherever you get your podcasts. BBC Sounds music radio podcasts Daily podcasts the Champions League debrief with Kelly Kitts listen on BBC Sounds Paris Saint-Germain are in control of their Champions League Semifinal against Arsenal after a 1-0 win at the Emirates It was Mandembele's goal in the fourth minute the difference between the sides Matthew Upson John Murray and Julian LeRoyne alongside me at the Emirates. It was Mandembele's goal in the fourth minute, the difference between the sides. Matthew Upson, John Murray and Julian Lerone alongside me at the Emirates. John Murray, how did it happen? Well with this the odds have swung heavily in favour of PSG rather than Arsenal taking their place in a second Champions League final in Munich next month. The only goal, and it was a wonder there was only one goal, came early in the fourth

minute. Arsenal without the suspended party and the PSG goal came right through the middle. Dembele, PSG's super top scorer this season, started the move and finished it. Running from deep, giving it to Kvaritz Kaliya, who played it back to Dembele, who shot in off a post. His 33rd goal of the season. Raya made a fine save to keep out Douay. Arsenal raised it in the second half. They thought they were level when Marinho headed in. VAR ruled it out for offside. Donnarumma played his part, you've heard that one before.

And actually PSG will think they could have had this just about won. Substituted Barkela, missed, Gonzalo Ramos shot against the post. So only one n0 it is. PSG, we know, are not unbeatable in the partner prance. But to make the final now, Arsenal will likely have to top what they achieved

in the previous round against Real Madrid. Maton, on this game, was the damage done early on? Yes, I think it was a tough start for Arsenal, not just to go behind with the goal, and I think it was just a realisation of the swiftness, the aggression that PSG were playing with in an attacking sense. I think it was just a bit of a shock early on and then it took them a little bit of time in that first half to really get to grips with the game and PSG were doing their thing, they were very confident, it was an excellent game from them I have to say and even in the second

half they managed the game very, very well. But in the second half I felt Arsenal just got into it, got their confidence, realised that physically, if they're going to win this game they've got to rely on their physicality. You know, the run from Declan Rice in the second half just indicated that they had to get more on the front foot, more try and dominate that side of the game. And when they did that, they looked more than a threat, to be honest. Jules, how did you see it? Yeah, I agree with what Max just said. I think the party absolutely, I know we have said it, it is on the goal that they conceded on the fact that it's Declan Rice who create that biggest chance in the second half for Trossard but with that run that he would

have done more if he'd been playing as an 8 and not as a 6, it's Luis Kelly who creates the one for Martinelli and again you know this is this is players that maybe are not just the creators where it was Odegaard and Saka tonight and I think the big players for Arsenal maybe were just not at the level that they should have been or we expected them to be. Where it the other hand, Vittinia was one of the match and I think so deservedly, then Belisco the only goal of the game and Pauskelja defended like heroically,

I thought against Timber and Saka for most of that game. But you could sometimes look at the Thomas party not being there as a reason as to why Saka wasn't getting the ball. Yeah, true. You know what I mean? It's like, I don't want to go too deep into how important Thomas Pai is,

but it's just more the balance. And playing with a different type of feel and balance can disrupt the way you feed those key players the ball. And your patterns of play, because this is something that they've been doing so much at training and in games where party is there. And we said it before, for rice to play in that position he doesn't have the same bearings does the same the same relationship with other

players around him in that position and and this normal and yeah I thought it was a big it was a big miss but obviously Arsenal will be better in this in the second half and this is one of the best games I've seen this season I really thought that and that there's not much in it and I think there's still a lot to play for in that second leg in Paris even with that slight advantage for the Parisian. Yeah, still all to play for but as you said it didn't start well for Arsenal, not just in terms of the goal but in terms of the all-round performance. Their first half passing accuracy in the opposition half was 64.9 percent. That's the lowest of any of this year's semi-finalists

in the Champions League so far in their campaigns this season. Arsenal's average is 83% normally, but they were kind of being hustled off the ball by PSG. It's the suffocation that they have, and that's so new to PSG. I've never... It's something that Enriquez bought, right? Absolutely. But just this year, not even last year. That's right. And it's made them a far better team. And only in the second half of this year as well, really,

in terms of their champions. Yeah, I mean, he's been trying to coach it, he's been putting it into the team, they're picking it up. And like you say, the team that came here in October, looking to the team that comes here now in April, it's unrecognisable in terms of how good they are off the ball. It clicked in January didn't it? Yes, the City game really happened. That's when it happened. Our man in the Brasserie, do you remember, he said to it, he said

that's the best performance he'd seen from PSG for 10 years. They were shocked. They were genuinely shocked. I think Van Dijk said it well after the Liverpool game that they never really faced a team like that with that kind of pressing and counter-pressing. I'm sure when we hear from Arsenal players, they probably say that the first 40 minutes especially, when they don't let you breathe at all, they are on you all the time.

Ruiz, Viteña, the two wingers, Debele. Sometimes you have one second, two seconds on the ball. Against them, when they are the best like this, you don't have that time, and it's so difficult to put your game in place together. So those numbers that you just said, they're going to be bad. You're attacking passes because the pressure that you're under all the time to find the ball,

it's really, really difficult. And credit to PSG for being that good out of possession. I mean, we simply weren't saying, were we, at the start of this season that Vitinha, João Neves and Fabian Ruiz, for all of the potential of João Neves, that they would now be considered probably as good a midfield as there is in Europe. No, you're right. I think it's credit to them for obviously the progress that they've made, to Luis Enrique to have made them this incredible midfield. It's not just the fact that they can run a lot and press and counter-press you.

You saw so well, I thought, today, the positioning, the fluidity they have in between, so they're never in the same space. When one stays, the other one goes, and the other one runs, it was not the same guy on Merino, or the same of them on other guards. same space when one stays the other one you know goes and the other around it was it was not the same guy on on Merino or the same of them on another guy they kept changing and switching and he's the same on the ball and it's just amazing really and also I know they're expensive because Vitinha was expensive,

Neves was expensive, Rui is not so much and but that was so what you pay for. John you were talking before the game about the difference in the in the benches. And when Paris Saint-Germain were able to bring on fresh attacking legs later on, it then makes it risky for Arsenal to try and go for that that equaliser. And Arsenal couldn't really dip into their bench in the same way. No, they couldn't because we mentioned Partey being suspended. But, you know, it was a setback for Arsenal not to have Jorginho either. So to have neither of those two players, I'm sure he'd have loved to have had just one of them out there tonight.

And obviously Havertz, top scorer, a man who scored here against PSG back in October. Gabriel at the back, thought Kivio did okay again tonight. Gabriel Jesus, you know, so it's, and that meant that that's, that's why tonight you saw the youngsters, Butler, Oyedegy, Jack Henry Francis on the bench, Ismael Kabia, you know, that's, that's not what one wants on the bench for a big match like this. You want it to be as strong as possible. Let's hear from Mikekkel Arteta. We are half time. Half time and my message being exactly the same post-Real Madrid at home 3-0. We have to go to Paris and win the game and we are more than capable of doing

it because I saw two very good teams where the margins are so small and they had efficiency in front of the goal and their keeper as well made a difference to see the result that we've seen tonight. I think the game had phases the first 15-20 minutes especially them scoring so early in a great combination play when the margins are so thin the finishing is unbelievable and then we had especially one issue that we corrected after 15-20 minutes and we sustained that for the rest of the game, which I think turned the game around. You want to win the Champions League final, you have to do something special and we're going to have to do something special in Paris to

be there. Before the match Declan Rice has picked up saying if we don't have the ball we die. Was the message from you to your players about having control every single minute against this PSG side? You cannot. This is one of the best, it's beating all the English teams, the best teams in this country. You cannot dominate this team in 95 minutes, impossible, forget about it. You have to understand what it means dominating them and in which area of the pitch and we have to be very clear. Again, what we have to do, where, when we cannot win it, okay, make sure that we take the game but we won't.

Will the performance have to be significantly different next week in the Parc de France? I think the magazine were so small so I don't think so but if it's significantly better, hopefully the result will be significantly different as well. I'm Aaron Paul and I'm Jovi Makhina and on Wednesdays on the Football Daily we bring you 72 plus the home of the EFL from Five Life Sports. As we'll get stuck into the latest from the Football League and beyond. I can't put a finger on why we weren't as energetic as we usually are. What they've got there is genuinely good people that really care about that football club and the fans have been huge in terms of the backing that they've given to this group. That's 72 plus the EFL podcast

only on the Football Daily. Listen on BBC Sounds. Welcome to the Inside Track with me Rick Edwards. This is the podcast that takes you inside Formula One and Red Bull Racing like never before. And I'm Matt Magindy and thanks to my exclusive access, I'll be getting up close and personal with the Red Bull Racing team this season. This week we're focusing on that five second penalty for Max Verstappen. I don't see any world in which you could say that, oh no, that was fine. And we're getting very excited about a sit down interview with the big dog team principal Christian

Horner. Experience Formula One like never before by tuning into the Inside Track wherever you get your podcasts. Well when you talk about the Arsenal players and and Jules mentioned it in With Kelly Kitts, listen on BBC Sounds. Matt, when you talk about the Arsenal players and Jules mentioned it in terms of the Liverpool game where Virgil van Dijk said he just hasn't played against a team who do that and Arsenal feeling suffocated in that first half in particular, does it make a difference now for the second leg that they know what's coming? Because we saw that in the games, both in Liverpool and with Aston Villa, that second legs, they looked ready for it. I genuinely think it helps. I really do. And I think it sounds weird, but I've just got a feeling that the second leg

is gonna be a better opportunity for Arsenal in some way. I mean, I know the atmosphere is gonna be amazing, but that also does bring pressure for the home team as well, taking an advantage into that game. But to have sampled that and have figured it out and I think that in the second half they realised, I mean I've been interested from Jules really whether or not you thought it was Arsenal maybe not playing as well or it was Paris that made them not

believe but I just felt that early goal, they lost that physicality Arsenal, which they then got back in the second half, which I think they'll take to Paris with them. Yeah, I think so too. I agree. I think there might have been a bit of nerves and we said that before, for that this team is the first time they play at this level and it's not easy to manage because even if Arteta wanted everybody to be together in that atmosphere, you still have to be on the page and you play against the team that does doesn't have the same nerves and it would go For and and starting pressing like also have never been pressed in this stadium, especially for a very long time so maybe there was a bit of that, but I also think that I

Just don't I don't know how long this PhD team can pressure them like that even in the second leg because we saw the end of the first half, the start of the second half, and we saw that at Villa Parc too in the second half, is that sometimes physically it's hard for PhD to keep that same intensity for the whole 90 minutes. Even at the Paris de France, there will be opportunities for Arsenal without a doubt on in transition with party bike, with maybe Marino going back as the number 9, although I probably would keep Trossin because I thought Trossin was good in what he brought today, especially those runs that he made on the chance that he should have done better with. So it'd be

interesting to see what lineup, especially on the front three, especially as the number 9 really, Arteta goes for in the second leg. But I do think experience in this competition does count. What did that go for in the second leg? But I do think experience in this competition does count. It really does. And they were in the semi-finals last season. Paris Saint-Germain lost both legs, one nil to Dortmund. And this is new for Arsenal. First time they've been in this semi-finals.

So, OK, quarter-finals last season, so went far in the competition. But to be at this level for the first time, for group of players first time for 16 years I think it does make a difference I think we did see that with Aston Villa in the you know the fact that you know maybe some teams that first leg when Nuna Mendes scored the third goal and added time some teams would have done something with the experience to make sure that that didn't happen. You know, this game management that we talk about. Yeah, I mean, I think the one thing I take from them is I think that Arsenal grew into that game.

Now, if the tie looks like that, then they'll grow in even more because they've experienced it, they've sampled it, they know what it's like. So that for me is the only thing that makes me wonder as to how they take this result and then what their mindset is when they go over to Paris next week. And that's going to define their performance. Finding this chat particularly interesting because of what you said after the Villa game

duels, which was that your nerves around Paris Saint-Germain progressing in this competition were based on the fact that they're relatively, I know they've got experienced players in there, but there's a lot of young players in there, and that they potentially could get a bit carried away, a bit overawed by the occasion, or maybe just lose emotional focus, I think is the phrase I'm not quite looking for. But funnily enough, it was Arsenal, certainly in the early stages, that that seemed to happen too. Yeah, and again, I think PSG have learned a lot from what happened at Villa Park, and especially getting carried away a little bit,

taking the game for granted, which, as we said, pretty much you can't do at this level. In Ligue 1, it's okay, not here. And I think they would have learned a lot from me. Luis Enrique went through the tape again and the video with the players the day after, when usually they have a day off, because it was so, not that he was unhappy because they're still qualified, but

it was just, there's a lot of things that I can show you for you to learn and to be better. All of you, Dembele, Marquinhos, Pacho, the young one, the most oldest one, the older ones, all of that. And I think they worked a lot on that and how to manage those moments where maybe physically they're not at their best best but still not to panic and not to consider as many chances as we saw at Villa Park. This is a learning process we said it for Arteta is learning process for those players for Julian Timber because Timber should have been yellow carded after 10 minutes tonight and that's not good when you go into a game like that in the semi-final where you have to play 80 minutes on a yellow and yeah he got

lucky and he got away with it but this is part of your learning curve as a young team, as a young manager that Arteta is. Even as Nikola Jovov, losing his head at the end for the foul on Donnarumma on the last corner. He will learn from that, Nikola. He's a great set piece coach, he's a great coach, great assistant coach, but this is all new to him. And I just think that's part of it.

That doesn't mean that Arsenal can't go to Paris and qualify, but I probably think they would be better the next time they're back in this position in the semi-final, whether that's next season or the one after or whatever, for what happened tonight and what would happen on Tuesday in Paris. But as well as their winning experience that they have with the winning that they did with Paris Saint-Germain, you look at their team, you've got Dembele who's won the World Cup with France, you've got Fabien Ruiz who's won the European Championship with Spain, you've got Hakim who's been at

Real Madrid, Donnarumma won the Euros with Italy. So there is big winning experience and probably more important than anything else, they've got a coach who's won the Champions League. Yeah, yeah, yeah, I think that makes a big difference. And even if as a team they are young, and this is year one of this project with no superstars, with a bit more cohesion, where everybody defends and attacks together, and all that intensity that we've been describing,

this, you're right, individually, individually it's a different story than if you look at some of the Arsenal players, or yes, Bukai Osaka has played two Euros finals, finals but is still young, same for Declan Rice, but they still also not have the kind of experience that we've mentioned for some of those PSG players. And if you add the bench too, then that's not making a big difference because the options off your bench are also very different from one team to the other. So there we are. That's why if they go and turn this around

and get through to the final in Munich, that is a massive achievement. But for example, PSG did that going to Liverpool. And of course they believed before, but not many people believed, not even me, that they could go to Anfield and do that there. So Arsenal can do to the Parisian next week and they will have to be the best performances of the season.

Everybody will have to be at their best. The coaching, the mentality, individually, collectively, they will have to pull at their best performance. But I think they're capable of it. Is also a good point. Yeah, but having said that, in both of those times, the performance didn't match the scoreline, I think, in either of them.

But it was another, the return leg at Anfield was another great night for Donnarumma. And David Reier has been talking about it. He said about Paris Saint-Germain, they started very quickly with the goal, dominated the first 20 minutes. But then he said after that, we dominated the game, created most of the chances.

He said Donnarumma made some brilliant saves, only half time, take the positives. We know they're a top team. Credit to the effort we put out. We could have won the game created most of the chances. You said Donnarumme made some brilliant saves, only half time, take the positives, we know they're a top team, credit to the effort we put out, we could have won the game, we have to try and approach it the same way and know we can win against any team. And I think the sort of goalkeeper praise for his opposite number is maybe one of the crucial parts

in that because when Arsenal did have their chances, Donnarumme was equal to it. He's like the sort of long running film baddie, isn't he? Who rears his head again. Oh, not him again. Not him again. Yeah, like in a computer game, he's the one that you keep coming up against and keeps stopping you from getting to the next level. It's a fascinating season for him because there are times where he hasn't been very

good for it and it was terrible. He conceded three goals on three shots on target. The first one he should have saved and the second one or the third one maybe a two. He's had really high this season. We mentioned especially against the English team, sorry guys, and some really lows too. There's this big scar on his face now from that Monaco game where Shingo kind of stamped on his face or and and that could have scarred him and there's also the contractual situation where he's out of contract in 2026 the club are not sure about

extending him or actually going for another goalkeeper maybe younger maybe better with the ball at his feet because it's always a little bit scary when the ball is at his feet and he's not sure what to do with it. But on his line, on his day, I just don't think there are many better goalkeepers than him. Porto, probably, for sure. But on the line, like on the Martinelli and Trostar chances today, he's so big, so huge, and he reads it so well that he is really good. It has to be the reading because the tross side one, his height doesn't help him in that.

To get down that low that quickly, it's not easy for a big guy. No, you're right. So... John knows only too well. But to make that save, I thought that was really impressive. This one is more impressive than the Martinelli one because Martinelli shows the side is going to hit, he opens his body so early.

But I agree with you, the trossin, with a right footer on his left foot like that, because he's not as comfortable as on his right foot, the ball can go near post, far post, you're not really sure, above you, and I thought he did really well on that save. If he does make a move, play brilliantly at Wembley, brilliant brilliantly at Villa Park, Anfield, the Emirates. Also if they're looking for a big guy in the sticks John. Maybe those times have passed. Bring your boots, bring your shirt. John Murray's ready to go, it's a green one. I've been struggling to get up and down all night in this seat.

As you mentioned, the junior player of the match and brilliant performance from him. Can we talk though about Joao Neves? Because he was fantastic for Arsenal and Statman Dave has got his numbers in the game. 88% pass accuracy, 35 passes completed. Number one for tackles attempted, which is six, one or six of them.

Couple of chances created, an interception and a shot. He was across the whole pitch for the whole of that game. How influential was he and how important was he? Yeah, it's been incredible since the start of the season. Really, the activity and we said the intensity, the energy that he has because he runs forever, it's him who got the ball just off Merino there in the first half. That was the one. That was the one really, but he reads that so well.

Dad is a coach that also coached Gonzalo Ramos by the way, we saw coming on at the end and hitting the woodwork. I can't help but thinking that when you grow up with the dad that is a very good coach in some of the best youth teams in Portugal, you kind of have that education in terms of football IQ and football intelligence, which is something that I'm not sure how much you can teach after a certain age. But when you are born almost into it and you understand it quickly, then it stays with you. And on top of the composure that he can have on the ball, and he's still only 20 years old. For me, it's that intelligence that sets him apart, really, because, yeah, Vitiniya is intelligent

and so composed on the ball and great, and he's, as we said, the most important part, maybe, of this whole jigsaw, sorry. But for me, Giorgineve is just, he's just indispensable in that team. Luis Enrique said, I think emotions are at that level in these matches, that it's difficult to analyze a match like that, which is what you guys have been attempting to do the team. We are going to be playing a tough match.

Luis Enrique said I think emotions are at that level in these matches that it is difficult to analyze a match like that which is what you have been attempting to do for the last 20 minutes or so. He said it was very difficult to play, great atmosphere, but I think we show what kind of a team we are. We tried to play our way.

We scored a goal in the first few minutes playing how we want to play. We suffered a lot in the match. It is going to be very, very tough. And that's Luis Enrique's summation ahead of that game in the Parc des Prances. And as we've said, it is advantage Paris, but this is still in the balance, this tie at 1-0. I just, I think it's hugely in the balance. I really do. I mean, I might be too optimistic here, but I just get a feeling that it's going to be a very different affair. And both teams have shown a little bit of themselves. I think Arsenal a little bit in shock about what happened in the opening 15, 20 minutes, grappled back into the game.

It will be a different set up over there in Paris. And I think he's right, Enrique, to say that he'll be disappointed that they didn't get maybe more. They could have had a two goal lead, which I think would have been an amazing result. And you couldn't have argued that it wouldn't have been deserved just from the way they managed the game and they managed to get those chances. It was a funny finish from Ramos. It was really unorthodox kind of toe pun. Why do you think? Because he can't move his body.

It was weird. I think they all thought he was offside body? I think they all thought he was offside. It's almost like he thought he was offside. Yeah, Saliba and Kibiel kind of stopped, nobody really went for the ball and then he thought, well, shall I shoot or not? It went really quiet in the stadium as everybody was waiting for the flag to go up, weren't they? And then the Lions were kind of half-put his flag up, but I think it was just flagging for a goal kick. And it was just one of those moments where everyone kind of froze, including Gonzalo Ramos a little bit, and he didn't really get a proper shot off.

So I think Enrique would be a little bit disappointed by that. But I completely agree that while it's going to be tough, I still think it's very much in the balance. Could be either Arsenal or Paris Saint-Germain in the final in Munich next month. Barcelona host Inter in the first leg of the other Champions League semi-final on Wednesday. We can hear from Barca boss Hansi Flick. We have the opportunity to reach the final from the Champions League. For everyone it's a dream to be there. So we have to stay focused. Inter is a very difficult opponent. They are defending, I think the defence is one of the best in Europe. But also they know how to build

up, what to do, what to do. difficult opponent. They are defending, I think the defense is one of the best in Europe, but also they know how to build up with the experienced player. They have midfield, really good midfield and also the two strikers are very strong. So they defend good, but also the transition what they make, it's very dangerous. So it's a tough match and we have to be prepared well for that. Jules, Barca against Inter for this Champions League semi-final for a place in Munich, or at least the first foot in Munich in this one. And it couldn't be more of a contrast in terms of styles,

approaches, attitude, expectations, and even in terms of the form that they're coming into this in. One has just won another Clasico in the most dramatic fashion too. And the other one is struggling to win and lost three games in a row in a competition which hadn't happened to them since 2012, I think it was, without even scoring a goal. And you're right, the form, the contrast in style, because in Barcelona, one of the most attacking side in Europe, probably with PhD, entered this great, well-drilled machine that plays with the back five, that is very hard to break down.

A team that is very experienced, that played not that long ago in Istanbul in the Champions League final against City, whereas for this young Barca team, this is still, again, year one of this Flick project and the La Minyamal project and the new Rafinha or great Rafinha project. So it's going to be fascinating, maybe not as entertaining as this tonight, but Barca also play with a very high defensive line that Inter can exploit and Barca have the talent going forward even without Lovanovski who's injured, which is a big blow for them,

but still the potential going forward to hurt even a very solid Inter Milan defence. There's something, I know it might not be as entertaining, but there is something very reassuring about a defensively solid Italian side progressing in European competition. It just feels right. Especially with one that is old, in Acerbi, that's 35, you know, those old Italian defenders that are so strong that celebrate the block or celebrate the last-ditch tackle. That's what we love, Kels. That's what we love. Yeah, it's going to be a really interesting one and then it's a match-up between them. At this stage, the final could be still any combination even though we're one leg of the of the semi-finals down. Yeah, absolutely. It could

be an Arsenal-Inter is a more tactical game. I think, maybe a bit more of a chess game. A PhD Barca is, if he is 6'5", I don't know who was 6'5", but it could be that kind of game too. So we will see. But it's good that we have those four teams and as we said, they all have pros and cons. Inter maybe don't have, as Matt rightly said earlier, the talent that the others have, but they are this incredible, well-organized machine. Usually, Barca have this very dangerous high line that could cause them problems going forward, and they have Laminia, Malen, Rafinha.

And as we saw tonight, PhD and Arsenal, they're not much in between them either, and they've got great qualities and some things that can still be exploited defensively. So it should be a great second half, a second leg here and a great two legs as well in Milan and in Barcelona tomorrow next week. Interesting one with the coaches as well in Zargui, who,

you know, has proved himself to be one of the best coaches around. And Hansi Flick, who I think has confounded many by doing what he's done in the time that he sort of come into his own. Thanks to Jules, John and Matt. Arsenal have it all to do next week and we will have commentary of the second leg against PSG for you next Wednesday on Five Live Sport. Aaron Paul will be here with 72 Plus

on the next episode of the Football Daily. Bye bye. Bye bye. The new series of Match of the Day Top 10 is out now, only available on BBC Sounds. Join myself, Garelinica, Alan Shearer, Micah Richards and my dog as we dig into the Top 10 of the Champions League. We go through our favourite goalscorers, best moment and even our all-time 11s. Now that, gentlemen, is a list. Oh well, they didn't get on a list. Welcome to the Inside Track with me, Rick Edwards. This is the podcast that takes you inside Formula One and Red Bull Racing like never before. And I'm Matt Magindian. Thanks for my exclusive access. I'll be getting up close and personal with the Red Bull Racing team this season. This week we're focusing on that five second penalty for Max Verstappen. I don't see any

world in which you could say that, oh no, that was fine. And we're getting very excited about a sit down interview with the big big dog team principal Christian Horner. Experience Formula One like never before by tuning into the Inside Track wherever you get your podcasts.