UCL Debrief: Havertz scores late Arsenal winner

0:00On the football daily podcast, Champions League debrief with Kelly Cates. Hello and welcome to the Champions League debrief on the football daily podcast. Coming up we'll be reacting to Arsenal's 1-0 win away against Sporting Club in Lisbon in the first leg of their quarter final. We'll hear from former Spurswinger Andros Tansen shortly as well as our commentary team of John Murray and Matthew Upsen out in Lisbon. We'll also discuss Real Madrid's 2-1 loss at home to Bayern and we'll look ahead to Wednesday's quarter finals of Barcelona against Atlético Madrid and PSG against Liverpool. But let's start in Lisbon, where John Arsenal beat Sporting with a last-minute winner from Kayavertz. Yes, in this great maritime city, Arsenal have steadyed the ship with their returning stars making a big impact, rice in midfield at the heart of a controlled performance. But in a tight match goalkeeper, David Raya saves with pivotal. The Portuguese Champions had won their last 17 home matches. So for Arsenal to come and win here in the aftermath of their two recent Cup defeats,

1:03you could understand why there seemed to be an added feeling to their celebrations with the supporters who followed them here. And the winning goal from substitute Kayavertz, the same man who scored in Germany at the end of the first leg in the round of 16. And a fine goal it was. Another of the Sub's martinally finding Havards has run into the box. The old one too, right foot, left foot finish, beautifully done. And so a lead it is for Arsenal. And just like against Bialeva Cousin in the round of 16, you'd expect Arsenal to finish the job at the Emirates. Matt, it was a great substitution. Again, Michaela Tetis' substitution is paying off. Kayavertz coming on for the last 20 or so minutes of that game. And he has so many important goals for Arsenal. Yeah, he really does. And you know, switching the wide players as well, I thought was a really good decision. And he's done that a few times, Michaela Tetis, with really good results. But Havardsz has just got such a calmness about him. He's got quite a languid style anyway. And then he just, his first touch and then the composer just to calm himself.

2:08And I mean, he made it look so as he just stroked it in, bottom corner with his left foot. But he ghosts into those little areas lately, nicely on the D on the edge of the 18-yard box. He just kind of sees that little space he holds. It doesn't go in too early and then is in there bang at the right time. And the ball from Martin and he was great. So it all kind of came together there for Michaela Tetis. And I think Arsenal had the foundation and the basis of a really good performance, the seeding. It was just missing that final little piece, which they brought right at the end of the game. So I mean, it was a, it's a top-of-way European performance really. But Matt, that's kind of been the story of a lot of Arsenal season. Is it maybe just missing that final cutting edge? Look, it's not really done them any harm. So far this season. But it is just a feature now of their performances. Yeah, I mean, you know, you want to have it all, but you can't. And you have to do the best and fit that the features that Michaela Tetis developed in this team this season is clear to see.

3:09And they've done that very, very well. And I think up to like January, they were correct. They did have the other side to them as well. And they were blowing teams away. And it's been, it's been a hard couple of months with them. And they've had to overcome a lot and, you know, it starts to get tired and mental fatigue and man of games. It's all just kind of built up. And I think tonight was a great opportunity said before the game that you can reset it here. You're on the top stage playing the top composition, competition at a stadium and a club that are flying at home and almost unbeatable. And to keep a clean sheet and then win the game and have a measured performance. I just think it's a really positive step for this group of players because they've got to hold it together now from all the way through in the Premier League to the end of the season. It's really important for us. And, Dress, you always want to have your best players available for every game. But one of the features of Arsenal this season has been that that they have had this cover in pretty much every position. However, the big guns were the big gunners.

4:10We're back for this one, for this game against Sporting. How much of a difference does it make? Did it make particularly in the spine of the team? Yeah, a massive difference. And I think that's probably something that Michael R. Tetsu identified over the summer. Like, we have the first 11. Now we need the death. Yoko Rez. Yoko Rez made a wakey. Players who are not maybe going to fight them to the title. But they're going to provide cover and they've done that. But having Declan rise back in that midfield, having Saliba back at the back, just gave him that calmness, gave him that control. They know they can throw players forward. They know they can invert the fallback and put them into the half space areas. Because they know Declan rise is just going to cover in the number six position. And Kalafuri goes forward. He's going to provide cover at the left-back position. He's just so smart. He's so clever. And he's so important to this Arsenal side. And we saw that tonight in how we dominated that midfield along with Zubimendi. And Matt David Raya back in and made some really big saves in that game. Yeah, we didn't give him the credit in the save. But one that hit the crossbar because we're too busy admiring the pass

5:11and the play from sport. And we didn't get too much of a replay here. But when you do look at that replay, it does get a little fingertip to that shot. But I mean, it was more than just him his involvement in those key points, which we can always see is what's right in front of you. I just think he had a presence and his communication with Gabrielle and Saliba was good. His decision-making on when to go long. Arsenal didn't take any unnecessary risks where they're invited pressure onto them, which is so easy to do. Certainly, you know, we see goalkeepers time after time playing out and then inviting those kind of problems in a tough fixture away. And he just made all the right calls in that sense. And I think they were very, very happy and welcome to have his presence at the back again. And another player who's making such an impact and has really grown into this season and actually has been really impressive in the last couple of games, where Arsenal haven't got the win, Andrews, is Max Daman, who came on again 16 years old playing in the Champions League and looking like he was born to it.

6:12And he's just so fearless. It's amazing to see young kids where they just don't feel the pressure naive in a way. He just comes on. He doesn't think about what happens if he loses the ball, what happens if this or that. But he just gets the ball. He looks to be positive. He looks to take on his full back. And it's amazing to witness him. He's not just a 16-year-old getting an opportunity. He's a player our tattoo is looking for when he needs a goal. And that's the best compliment you can give Max Daman. He is a game-changer now for this Arsenal side who are looking to win the Premier League and looking to go far into the Champions League. He's more than just a great story, isn't he, Matt? Yeah, I was just going to ask Andrews about Daman in the sense that is it me or Andrews? Or has he got an unbelievable amount of grace and technical ability with the ball? He just looks like he's always creating time. Yeah, he's smart beyond his years the way. He's not just a typical fast winger with raw-ratchet boots. He's very good on the ball.

7:12He's got a cultured left for almost a Spanish swagger about him. And it's amazing for me, I'm 34 years of age and I'm looking at 16-year-old and looking what he does and trying to take tips off him. So it's amazing to see how much grace that 16-year-old does have in the biggest moments. It is scary how good he is technically. I mean, I think I generally think he is generational talent in this lab. I don't think I haven't seen a 16-year-old step onto the scene and look as good as him for a long, long time. I mean, he looks very special. I just hope that he gets developed in the right manner which it looks like they are. They're not trying to push it too hard, which I think is really important, but what a talent he is. Yeah, they're bringing him through very slowly, very carefully, but he's impressing every time he appears, Matt Stelman. And just in terms of what this means for Arsenal and to put this back into context, Matt, obviously they've come into this off the defeat by Southampton and the FA Cup. The defeat by Manchester City in the lead cup final.

8:14And probably, if not a lot of pressure, probably as much pressure as they've been under so far this season, as much criticism as they've had so far this season, or as many questions asked of them. Sporting did manage to have four shots in the first 10 minutes of the game and they're the first team to do that this season against Arsenal. So there were still maybe those early signs that this may have a bit of a hangover Arsenal, but they put that completely to bed. Yeah, I think they got to grips with the game after that, to be honest. And I thought they were exploited a little bit in those full-backy areas and how quickly sporting when they have that transition, they go all out. I mean, that they really commit forwards. The full-backs go, the left-backer, Iho, the first 15 minutes. We've just mentioned his name all the time. He was defending and he was going forwards and he was in the crossbar and he was on the overlap. It was just bombing all the time. And the moment they got to grips with it, I thought Arsenal really kind of grew into the game and started to be more controlled and more measured

9:16and stop those opportunities and nullify the time and the space. And we're just smarter with how they managed the game. And I thought that was impressive for how the team did that. And it's been a key feature of their season and they've been very, very good at it. And they've got a key getting back to what has got them into this position in the first place. And I thought they did that season. Do you think Ben White could be a slight weakness for Arsenal at the moment, struggled on the weekend against Southampton? Southampton, struggled in the early stages and I got caught on two or three occasions. I think so. And I think, you know, it's Lyon, Josh, you're coming into key moments of the season of huge scale games of your whole career. And, you know, he hasn't had a massive amount of football before this spell has he. He's kind of come in and all of a sudden you've got to get up to up and running when you've been weeks and months on off the pitch. So I don't think it's easy for him. And I think, you know, you also come to terms with the fact that he hasn't been first choice as he.

10:17So you've got to accept that. You've got to manage that thought process and still have the belief to think I can step up and play at the top of the game when you've suffered that disappointment and coping with all of that. And I think you're right. I don't think he's awareness of what's around him and that space has been quite right. So he gets a little bit caught and then it's too late because at this level the balls out there so quickly, the quality is so good that you haven't got that second bite, Avia, to get back in. And he just gets caught out in the odd occasion. I think you'll want Durian Timber, warranty for the match at Manchester City. Like I say, that doesn't help him white then step in it because Timber's been so good and everyone can see how good Timber's been. So it does knock you confidence and that belief level a little bit. So he's got to step in and find that and I think that is a tough challenge. And that is a week on Sunday at Manchester City and typically Mick Ollertetto is a quite vague yesterday on when Timber might be back in the frame again. It's not like him.

11:17He'll be giving anything away ahead of a game that big. Look, having got the win in Lisbon, Matt, Arsenal, you would imagine go through to the semi-finals. They will of course be focused on getting the win at the Emirates as well, but they do have that advantage that they can take there. Looks like they're on the way potentially to the semi-finals the Champions League for the second consecutive season. That's the first time that they've managed to do that. This is shaping up to be a fantastic season for Arsenal. It looks like they've ridden out that little mini-wobble. Yeah, it's all the Premier League, isn't it, Kelly? Well, at the start of the season, that's what the objective was in my mind. It's for Arsenal to win the Premier League and there's still in a fantastic position to do that. I've got a massive game coming up on Saturday. It's going to be very, very difficult in between these two Champions League teams, League fixtures. I suppose they are, we can't talk too early about going into the semi-finals.

12:18They put themselves in a really good position that you'd fancy if they turn up with the mentality and application they show this evening at home. You do fancy them to go through and see this tie through to the semi-final. So I agree, it's a great part of the season. There's lots to look forward to and Arsenal was still in a really good position. So lots to get excited about. He's had a very good night tonight. Let me tell you, Kelly, when he came into the room yesterday into the media room here, he was, I have to say, he did look like a man whose team were under pressure. He was stern faced. There were no laughs. There was only the occasional hint of a smile for him. It was properly serious. So I think for the team to have the players tonight, for them to play the way that they did. And also, his substitutes, Martin Allianne, habits to combine for the goal. It's been a very good night for him. Right before we move on, let's hear from Arsenal manager,

13:20Mikael Otetta. Yeah, extremely happy, obviously. It was a big night, a big moment in the season. Especially where we're coming from, I think we had a point to prove. And yesterday I talked about identity and the things that I wanted to see on that pitch. It certainly happens that it was a shift there and then we played opponent, that it's very tricky but it's very difficult to play. That's the reason why they won 17 games in a row here. They haven't lost for a long, long time. I really had to earn it. We had moments of real dominance with a lot of situations in and around the box without creating enough threads sometimes, lagging to be a big crispier. The moment I'd be sharper, the final ball. But we took the game where we won it. But after saying that, we knew as well that it's a team extremely dangerous when they have space to run and they have two situations when David had to intervene in a brilliant way. And then, again, the story of the season, the finish is coming when the most important part of the game is about to happen and they make the difference for us

14:20to win it. When you have a difficult period, I think the best thing that you can do instead of talk a lot is observe. Look around you and see how people react, how they talk, how they look at you, how they judge you, what they do. Do they look at themselves? Do they start to criticize other people? Look around that you're going to learn the environment and the people that you have around you. And I cannot be proud to work in a club with people that the only thing they could do is ask, what else can I do to help? And when you have people like this, I don't know, if it's going to take another week or two, but something good will happen at the end because we deserve it. England's fifth spot in the Champions League is now secured, incidentally, because of Arsenal's 1-0 win. That might help Liverpool, who we will speak about shortly. But first, let's move on to the night's other quarter-final, first leg. Bayern beat Real Madrid 2-1 at the Santiago Bernabéu and our reporter, Mazfaruuki, was watching the match. Yes. And until a point in the second half,

15:21Real really had looked like they were. Well, at one point in this match, certainly in the first half, then Lewis Diaz scored that goal early on, just before half-time, rather, that really put Bayern in the driving seat. And then they went well on top in the second half. The goal scored by Harry Kane right at the start, the second half. It obviously put Bayern to null up. And it was almost like somebody had put a pin in a balloon, really. Real looked incredibly deflated out of ideas, really. But then Arbara Albaloa did make the changes, midway through the second half. And in particular, Jude Bellingham. And there was one moment where Bellingham picked at the ball, basically, in Real's own half. He burst forward despite being tracked by Bayern players, forced his way away from them, put the ball through to Bayern. He nearly scored. And that really set the tone then for the last 20 minutes of how Real would finish this match. And that then allowed them to get that valuable Kylian and Bapé goal, which could be so important for them to build on next week in the return leg. And again, that had a big contribution from another England player, Trent Alexander Arnold

16:24with the ball. Sue and Bapé across the face of the Real goal. That really feels like it could be a key goal in this tie in a match that for vast minutes of it, Bayern really did dominate. And that's why I think the Bayern players looked a bit pensive when the full-time whistle went, Kelly, because I think they felt they could have forced home their advantage a little bit more in the first leg of this quarter final. Maas, thank you very much for that. And we can bring in our BBC Spanish football reporter, Elizabeth Conway, who's in Barcelona ahead of Barcelona against Adleti tomorrow night. It was their first leg home defeat, Elizabeth, but not as bad as Maas was explaining, as it looked at one point. And the Bayern Munich players looking slightly deflated at the final whistle. But what would a Champions League exit mean if it did happen for Alvaro Arbaloa? Well, it would be pretty disastrous for Alvaro Arbaloa, Kelly. There's so much pressure riding on this second leg in Munich, because Real have been so inconsistent domestically.

17:25Looked that the losing teams, they should never lose to just last weekend, they lost two, one to Mallorca in La Liga. Bernamont, my current team, who will just be happy to stay in Spain's top league next season. They sit seven points behind Barcelona with a classico at Camp Nou to go in May. The results aren't sitting in Arbaloa's favour at all. And the Champions League was a real chance to rectify that this season. So huge pressure riding on that second leg next week in Munich. Yeah, and that killing a rapid goal just means that it's much more, there's a much greater opportunity rather for Real Madrid in that return leg in Germany. But it feels as though that Real Madrid project is unraveling a bit, especially when you look back to the start of the season, when everything seemed so perfectly set up, they brought in Shabby Alonso, and it looked as though the Madrid machine was going to keep on rolling. Well, it did, but as we've seen with Real Madrid a year and a year out, the expectations and the pressure

18:26is so immense. And one defeat feels like the end of the club, that's why we see the turnover in the manager, Alonso, and in came Arbaloa with his very limited senior coaching experience with his experience in the Castilla. We saw him today start Tiago Pitach, again, a product of the academy in replacement of Bellingham. As Maz said, their Bellingham came in and really shook up Real Madrid, but it's just been a season of inconsistency. And that's something Real Madrid just won't stand for. So a lot riding on the end of this season and certainly their Champions League campaign. Let's talk about that Barcelona Athletico Madrid match that's going to take place Wednesday night. They played each other three days ago, Barcelona won it. They're unbeaten in the last nine. They've got 19 goals in the last four home Champions League game. The expectation is it is very much on them. Absolutely. Barcelona are just in top form at the moment. And they'll go into the match tomorrow oozing with confidence.

19:26As you say, they beat Athletico just a few days ago in Madrid. And just a few weeks ago, they thumped Newcastle at the camp now in the last 16. They're unbeaten in all competitions for almost two months. And their attacking talent is just phenomenal, led by 18-year-old Leninimo. He was big talk in the press today. As you can imagine, Hansi Flick described him as just unbelievable. So they're certainly going to be a very formidable position for Athletico tomorrow. And also, if you look at the significance of this game for Athleti, Simi only rested. Love key players against Barcelona at the weekend. So it doesn't necessarily follow that the same patterns will play out in this fixture. But it also shows how important the Champions League is to them. Look, absolutely. There's no doubt Simi only is really prioritising this Champions League. Athletico's position in La Liga is relatively secure. They're currently fourth. One point behind Villarreal. And 19 points behind leaders Barcelona. So Simi only could really afford to rotate his squad without jeopardising that top finish at the weekend in La Liga.

20:29Of course, Athletico have a Copa del Rey final to look forward to in just a few weeks. But again, that's just one, rather than this sustained Champions League campaign. So it means tomorrow, they'll have some real key starters. Lookman, Alvarez, Hansko, to name a few who will be fresh and ready to take on a very strong Barcelona side. It's going to be a great game. I'm really looking forward to it. And John Murray, you saw the Barcelona game against Newcastle. They are something special this season, aren't they? Yeah, they are. And also, I think that new camp factor is a big thing as well. I mean, we felt it when we were there, that extraordinary match against Newcastle. And the experience of going there, Liz was with us in the building site that is a 60,000 capacity stadium. I still can't quite get my head around the fact that they do that. And they've got something special there because they're seeing their team back in that stadium playing in Champions League knockout ties. So it's a huge factor. It is, for Adlet to come and trade, of course,

21:34they have got a brilliant home ground as well. And I certainly wouldn't underestimate it to make them, but you have to see Barcelona as the favourites, the way that they are right now. Elizabeth, John Murray, Matt Upsen, Andros Townsend. Thank you very much for joining us. Coming up, we'll be looking ahead to the other quarter-final on Wednesday night. PSG against Liverpool, with our commentary team in Paris, Evie and Dennis and Paul Robinson. That's straight after this. I like sports. So here's the first ball of this season. All the cricket you've lost. Say, Robbie W. And she lives on BBC Sounds. Come back straight back down the ground, this girl. Here, ball by ball coverage of the biggest competitions on the domestic and international circuits. It's a ball-fringing, and it's the huge one. You're on your own. Too sparse. It's a bad episode, right? Cricket on five-life sport. Oh, living in every ball, really. Listen, on BBC Sounds.

22:39On the football daily podcast, Champions League debrief, with Kelly Cates. Welcome back. The Champions League action continues on Wednesday night. We're bringing you commentary of Paris Saint-Germain against Liverpool in the Champions League quarter-final first leg on five-life. That kicks off at eight o'clock. So let's bring in our commentary team for that game. Evie and Dennis and former England goalkeeper Paul Robinson are amongst the Parisian locals. Evie and Liverpool in great need of something to rescue their season, but some tests they've got against PSG. Absolutely it is. And also, I think not only is it a test for Liverpool, but I think it could be defining for the manager, Anna Slot, who is becoming under increasing pressure, especially after their capitulation at the weekend against Manchester City. And, you know, I mean, there were some worrying comments there about the Captain Virgil Van Dyke we gave up. So Boss Lyre was also critical as well, saying the mentality wasn't there enough. And I just think that they're going to go in to a game against the Paris Saint-Germain side of when their last four matches

23:41and they are going to face a really intense Paris Saint-Germain side. And it was funny that Anna Slot earlier today said that at the weekend, we didn't deserve to lose 4-0, but we did deserve to lose 4-0 in the corresponding fixture when they met here in the last 16 last season. And the worries, I think, for a lot of Liverpool supporters, they're going to travel with a lot of trepidation is that what happens if Paris Saint-Germain score first and they do have a habit of scoring at home, you know, will goals 2, 3 and 4 follow as they did for that 20-minute period at the weekend? Well, Ian, as you said, Virgil Van Dyke suggested that Liverpool had given up in that game. Florian Vert said earlier, he wasn't aware of Van Dyke's comments and that he doesn't agree with his captain. I didn't know about this, that he said this, but I think, yeah, I would not agree directly because we still try to create chances to turn the game around.

24:41Of course, when the game gets longer, and it's like in the 18th minute or something, and you are 3-0 back, then it's mentally also difficult to go and go. And we just try to give our best in the game also when it was 3-0 or 4-0. I think we had also still a few chances then. Paul Florian Vert's disagreeing with Virgil Van Dyke in saying that they were still creating chances late on into the game, but maybe it's no surprise that he and a central defender have a different opinion because Liverpool have let in 18 goals in the final 20 minutes of league games. That's two more than any other team. So the perspective is going to be different because that's clearly where the issue is. So if it's not about giving up, what is it? Well, I think you listen to what the captain has said. And I think when he uses those type of words, you could see him actually. When I watched the game against Manchester City,

25:41he was actually striding into midfield. He was trying to instigate the press. What they'd been told to do, he didn't feel that other players in and around him were doing. I don't think that this is a game that Liverpool need at the moment. I think they're playing against the very, very good Paris-Angeman side. Lewis Enrique, at the risk of using a horse race in analogy, he's a very good jockey. He produces his horse at the right time in the race. And actually, PSG are a very, very difficult team to play against. And for Liverpool, now, if they're not pressing and Virgil Van Dyke's turn round and said, we've lost that, it's very, very difficult for them to come here against a team that will press high. They will try and win the ball in the final third. They'll look to, you know, it's a very, very difficult game for Liverpool in all honesty. And the unharmonie in the dressing room is apparent at the moment. Ian Paul, thank you very much. Commentary of PSG against Liverpool is on five-life, Wednesday night at eight o'clock. Then that's all we've got time for on this episode

26:42of the Football Daily Podcast. Thank you very much for listening. Bye-bye. Hello, I'm Tyler West. And I'm Alfie Watts. And this is the detour, the official companion podcast to race across the world. This is the post-episode checkpoint where you'll hear the latest shout around each episode from us and our race superfan special guests. Plus, I'll be joined each week by a resident travel expert, Alfie. That's you, man. I'll be revealing my optimal way to travel through each leg, including visits to all of those unmissable detours along the way. And we'll also have some not seen anywhere else, exclusive content at the end of every episode cannot wait. The detour will land straight after each episode of race across the world. You can watch on I-Player or listen on sounds, where you'll also find extra bonus content. We'll see you then.