UCL Debrief: Arsenal squeeze into semis & Bayern blast past Real

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On the football daily podcast, Champions League debrief with Steve Crossman.

So Arsenal are into the semi-finals of the Champions League at Letico Madrid,

Lion Weight, Michaela Tetta versus Diego Simeone. Much more reaction to come from Correspondent

John Murray and Chris Sutton inside the stadium. We'll have more on that remarkable tie as well

between Bayern Munich and Real Madrid. Chris though, before we do anything else.

If there's one word, is it relief right now for Arsenal? They've done it. They're there.

I think so. We know what's going to happen. We know what the narrative will be in a lot of parts

and people will rip Arsenal to shreds for the way they attacked or you could say didn't attack.

I do understand towards the end of the game. It's about seeing it through.

Why should they go gung-ho? Because the objective tonight was all about going through

and it's about finding a way and it wasn't perfect. It really wasn't perfect by any means.

But out of possession and defensively, they do a lot right.

It's been a struggle for a while now and things do need to change.

People will look forward to the game. They'll be looking ahead to the game at the weekend

against Manchester City and be writing Arsenal off. But I still think that they are a capable team

and it may well click now before the end of the season in that final burden.

Arsenal could see it through in the Premier League and the Champions League.

Well, relief at the Emirates tonight and there's going to be ecstasy inside the Allianz Arena.

It's exploded with the very last kick of the game.

Michael Alisey has showed up the tie for Bayern Munich with a trademark.

Michael Alisey, goalie, threatened it twice already tonight.

On the third time it pays off.

He puts Bayern Munich ahead for the first time this evening.

Six, four and aggregate, four, three, the game will finish.

Shoot, belling them, having a go at the officials.

Furious that they were sent down to 10 when Camarvingo was sent off.

Later on, a real topsy-turvy through the game.

Two for Alicula in the first half where Manuel Neuil was at fault for both.

Pavlovich and Caini collaged on both occasions with Bayern Munich before and

Bappe had them three to up on the break.

Second half a little closer but still just as intense.

As the anytime went up, Louis Diaz scored a corker from outside the box into the far corner

for three-three on the night and then as I said, Michael Alisey wins it.

Bayern Munich will produce a three-liter night and undoubtedly PSG

has a lot to live up for in the semi-finals.

It has finished.

Bayern Munich four, Real Madrid three, six-four to Bayern on aggregate.

Right, well we'll speak to Raphael.

On next time a little bit later then if he's still got a voice after that win

for Bayern Munich inside the Allianz.

Juan Castro as well, Spanish football journalist.

We'll join us too.

We should be able to bring you some reaction from inside the Emirates as well.

It's interesting, John, because looking at the pictures from the two stadiums in front of me

that there's a party happening at the Allianz.

But at the Emirates it does just feel like what you said in commentary.

A weight lifted, not just off Michael Alisey, but off the whole stadium.

Yeah, there was. It was, it was an uncomfortable night really for the Arsenal supporters.

They were playing at half time in the stadium.

They were playing living on a prayer.

It was more like living on their nerves throughout the course all the way through the second leg.

Right until the very end, really, that's some more shot

that was narrowly wide in the final seconds of the match.

But you know they were able to maintain the control that they had

and that was enough to see them through.

What I imagine, Chris, they are going to need to think about

and presumably they'll have been thinking about it already given recent results.

They're not really creating enough, Father.

No way, and that's a huge problem.

And that's an issue for Michaela Tehran.

I'm sure he's thinking about it every hour of the day.

How can they be more effective in the final third?

Just think, you know, little things like the wide players.

They're hesitant. They're on the back foot.

They're not quite decisive enough in the way that they think

and the way that they attack.

And then with Yoko Res in the first half,

you know, one of my favourite words, Steve, you know, is clunky.

That's what he was.

The ball doesn't stick.

He plays, you know, one touch at times.

And you have to find your teammate in that final third

and be cute and be clever and be aware of the centre forward.

He was anything but that got hooked and have her.

It's went on and, you know, I'm not saying he, you know,

he was brilliant, but they looked a little bit cleaner

in terms of their actions in the final third.

As I showed some, like a few moments in the game,

but he's not up to speed.

At this moment in time, Arsenal, you know,

they have a lot of work to do.

And everybody will be thinking in the Premier League.

It's Manchester City's game on Sunday.

But the way, you know, I take my hat off to Arsenal

because the way they defend and the way that, you know,

that they lose the ball and that they all track back.

Their recovery runs are there.

So they know they're not perfect at the moment.

But one of those, I'm certainly not going to ride them off

and rule them out with the Premier League

just because they've been a little bit ineffective.

That may come back.

I don't know.

I don't know how wrong.

Bakaio Sacka is going to be out.

But he does seem like a key player to me

because he's a little bit different to anything else

that Arsenal have got in that final third.

And I think he has that edge in terms of his quality.

So get him back and, you know,

I think they'll send a far stronger chance

of being more effective at the top end of the pitch.

But it is a problem.

Just reading some quotes here,

Chris from Declan Rice on TV said I'm delighted.

I'm so, so happy we now want to go one step forward,

one step further than last season and get to the final.

Is it frustrating?

No, we've just got to another semi-final.

Who cares what people think?

I agree with that.

And, you know, you talked about the, you know,

the stadium being flat at the end.

There is, there is the 20s at the 14-year-old Arsenal

Ultras who were who were still very excited

in their in their part of the stand.

But Declan Rice is absolutely right.

You know, what was the aim in the Arsenal dressing room

before the game?

It wouldn't have been, you know, let's go kamikaze

because everybody's criticizing our style of play

in recent weeks.

It's, it's about balance.

It's about seeing it through.

It's about the desired outcome.

The desired outcome before the game would be, well,

okay, well, if we, if we can't win it,

keep a clean sheet and we'll go through

Arsenal have done that.

And, you know, I said that there will be criticism

just because of the nature of, you know,

the landscape now and, and what, you know,

and people's views in football.

But, you know, I said people might, you know,

Manchester City players, you know, and Pep saying,

well, you know, we've got, we've got a week

to rest and what have you.

Manchester City players will be sitting at home tonight

and be thinking, I wish that was us

in a Champions League semi-final.

So I think Arsenal players can take a lot out of this game.

I don't know how you feel, John, but I think this is quite

a difficult needle to thread because I can completely

understand people listening to the commentary

and thinking, oh, creatively, Arsenal are in a funk here.

And you need to sort of critique that funk.

I can equally see the opposite, which is

they're in the semi-finals of the Champions League.

They have achieved what they set out to achieve tonight.

Yeah, I can understand, I was listening to Trish Johnson,

who was part of our master's team the other evening

when they were on.

With you, wasn't it, on Monday night?

Yes. When Trish was talking about,

and I guess she probably speaks for a lot of Arsenal fans

who just want to see this Arsenal team

and some of the brilliant talent that they've got in it

express themselves and enjoy themselves.

I mean, downwind did that to an extent

when he came onto the field,

but listen, what they want more than anything else,

what Michael Arthetta wants, what the most important thing

it's to win a trophy this season.

However, it's done.

Yeah, and you know what, Steve,

people will forget this game of Arsenal,

come on and win the Champions League.

Nobody's going to talk about the nil nil at home

against sporting Lisbon if they go all the way.

No, it'll be the same in the Premier League.

If Arsenal got to the eti hat at the weekend

and get a boring nil nil draw and end up winning the Premier League,

people, you know, I mean,

our Arsenal fans are going to care about that.

I think not.

I might be close to having forgotten it already.

It's the fun experience, I suppose, isn't it, Chris?

And if I was an Arsenal fan, I would feel exactly the same as they do,

which is I'd be delighted that they've gone through.

But you, the nerves make sense, don't they?

The feeling at full-time makes sense,

because yes, they're thinking about the goal,

but they're also thinking, well,

if we played like this against Diego Simioni's Atlético,

then what would happen? That's only natural.

Yes, and look, I think the

the thoughts foremost in Arsenal fans' mind

is the game at the weekend, really,

and going into it where, you know,

there are struggles in the final third.

You know, they'll look ahead to the semi-final against the Atlético

in the due course when it comes around.

But I mean, this Arsenal team, I think if you ask any Arsenal player

who would they rather play Atlético Madrid or Barcelona,

they'd probably tell you had Atlético Madrid.

So, you know, they just need to raise the game a little bit,

but they are capable.

You know, Maddoer K seems like he's lost a bit of confidence.

Martin LL, Martin LL is a little bit on the back for it.

You know, it's just not quite, quite clicking, quite connecting,

but as I say, these are all players we know

have seen before, Trossage, you know, off to the Benches.

You know, he's an intelligent player.

You know, it can click.

So, you know, and it is a big if coming towards the end of the season,

but you just can't write off, it takes a moment,

one moment in a particular game of, you know,

somebody seeing a pass, making a pass, a brilliant finish.

You know, they just need that spark in that final third.

And if that comes, then Arsenal have a real chance in both competitions.

Just last one for now, then Chris, and then we'll come back to you once we get

some reaction from inside the Emirates.

It's interesting what you're saying there about the confidence thing.

I was listening to Vittor Matos, the Swansea manager of the other day,

and he was asked this question about confidence in football.

And he said on the outside that people tend to see it as

win big game equals confidence.

But sometimes it can be a brilliant tackle,

a great piece of skill, one individual goal.

It could be a moment within a game that suddenly changes everything.

Yeah, I mean, I mean, looking at the game last night,

the Liverpool game, where, I mean, everybody fencing PSG to go through,

but Marquinhos, that block from Fanny, that, you know,

that moment, and, you know, I'm not all for defenders celebrating.

I sort of half got that one.

I think we were discussing that in the Monday night, because,

because it was that moment, I think,

I think Arsenal needs something to happen in the final third,

you know, for it to change.

But this has been, I mean, hasn't it not been Arsenal all season really?

You know, there've been, you know, a lot has been made about

their particular style, and Michaela Teta changing the style

that they were going to play to try and conquer Manchester City,

because everybody had tried to out-football Manchester City over the years.

That hadn't really worked.

Manchester City had been the dominant team,

so they've done it a different way.

So, you know, they haven't really, you know,

nothing has really changed,

but they're finding a way to be successful.

And is that not the aim in football?

Absolutely, right.

More to come then from inside the Emirates.

We'll also speak to Raffa Honextain and Juan Castro.

After Real Madrid were knocked out of the Champions League

by Bayern Munich this evening, so it's Bayern PSG

in Arsenal versus Atlético.

The two semi-final lineups confirmed.

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Right, let's go to Bavaria, shall we?

Bayern Munich have not been in a Champions League final for six years.

The last time they got there was during Covid.

It was behind closed doors.

So they haven't played in one in front of fans for 13 years.

And they're not in another one yet.

But they are one step away.

They have beaten Real Madrid by four goals to three

at the Allianz Arena.

It's finished 6-4 on aggregate.

Raffa, honey, Stein, do you still have a voice?

I'm not sure I still have a voice.

Just about.

It's not my full voice or not the regular voice.

Oh, what a game.

What a dramatic evening.

Tell us what it was like being there for that.

It looked amazing.

It was amazing.

I mean, you couldn't believe your eyes half of the time

because things happened that you just...

I mean, you tried to process it, but Manu and Neu are giving

that goal away in the first minute.

And then not looking great for the three-kicks.

We talked about the four-game.

You know, he was celebrated for some of the saves in the first leg,

but has been looking a little bit more like his age recently

and certainly did tonight.

But then Bayern found a way back and the crowd were really rocking.

And then, of course, Real Madrid chopped themselves

in the photo a little bit.

But it was just...

It was one of the loudest, loudest nights I've ever witnessed

in New York and Serena.

And that's...

Someone who's been going for a long, long time to this particular stadium.

Which is not necessarily known as one of the louder ones in Europe.

That's amazing, Raff.

So what do you think it was about this night then?

Because there have been some famous nights there.

It's always about Real Madrid.

Bayern see themselves as rivals around Madrid.

I'm not sure, Real Madrid feel quite the same

with 15 Champions League titles.

And Bayern has a mega-six in comparison.

But Bayern always, since the 80s,

really see Real Madrid as the game

that they want to win more than any other game.

Because domestically, they're in a position where

no one can really challenge them to this extent.

But Real Madrid throughout the years

and certainly the last decade have been their nemesis.

And tonight, you know, was...

Kind of just stem getting so many ghosts off there,

they're back and exercising those demons.

And that had that extra quality to it,

which made it very special.

That's really interesting, Raff,

because obviously we've been doing the Arsenal game.

And I was just saying to John...

How was that?

And it wasn't a thriller.

But it was this overriding feeling.

You could hear it from the stands, the feeling of relief.

And I was actually expecting to talk to you

about just pure relation.

But there's a touch of relief in your voice as well,

which is presumably because of the ghosts

you've just been talking about.

Yeah, I think there's both.

I mean, people are shaking their heads,

you know, sort of saying,

wow, how did we do that?

But at the same time, they are over the moon.

It was so nervy, because around Madrid,

you know, for all the flaws,

they again showed just how good they are going forward.

They need half a chance to score goals.

They need just a sniff to create problems.

And there are players that you...

At the end, cannot properly defend.

You cannot defend killing and bopping

once you start running at you.

So similar with the nemesis,

you can outplay them in midfield.

You can try have a better structure.

You can sort of collectively be a better side.

But once the board gets to those players,

the whole stadium held its breath.

And of course, then that extra sense

of shocking insecurity that came from,

from Neuer, and that mistake only on,

made it just extra nervy.

And there was just a...

It was an incredible experience, really it was.

And what happens now, Raff,

do you not speak to Julian Laron

until after the semi-final?

Second leg or what?

I mean, I was with him when...

when Bayern beat PSG in the final.

Yes, I remember.

And we had a...

We had a good time.

But...

No, you didn't.

You had a good time.

You had a good time.

Yeah, maybe one of us had a good time.

But now I'm looking forward to it.

I've already got my hotel booked in Paris.

I'm sure it's going to come to Munich.

We're going to have a really good time.

Before and after the game,

I'm not sure during the actual game.

So we're going to have a good time with each other.

But our friendship challenged you,

whatever the result.

Thank you very much, Raff.

Congratulations, great stuff.

Thank you.

Rafael Hunnxtain, inside the Allianz.

There is another side of the story, though.

Juan Castro.

And that's what happens to Real Madrid.

Yeah, here.

The most used word right now at this time.

Of the 19 Madrid is rope.

People's really furious against

the Welfare President Friend,

Benchich, the referee.

And people is really, I mean,

tremendous worry about what has happened today in Munich

and this will have consequence.

I think tomorrow club will say

and will do something because the rope

was in the Madrid distance perspective really clear.

As in, they feel that some sort of conspiracy

or something.

No, as everybody has seen,

that the second yellow car to Camarbinga,

you cannot give this second yellow car

in a really nice, semi-quality finals in the Champions League

in the last minute, where both things were equalized.

You cannot give this second yellow car.

It was one of the most modern rope

that we have had in the Champions League in the recent years.

Real Madrid have a history of not getting on with officials

as well, don't they?

There seems to be no love lost there.

So do you expect then that they're going to go

really on the attack here?

Yes, of course.

You can see all you have.

You could see all the players go against the referee after the match.

Even the other guler was taken by

what's enough with a red car for protesting.

And I think tomorrow the club will say

and will do something because you can be this qualified

from the Champions League,

but you cannot be this qualified

with this second yellow car,

which has no sense for the football sense,

for the competition you are in the best competition

in the world.

And you cannot have this kind of behave

in the Madrid Disperses Perspective.

And I think the Spanish press, in general,

will reflect this match as a kind of rope.

And just to finish on Réal, then,

what do you think will happen with Arboloa?

Does he take any blame for this

or will they just shield him from that completely?

No.

The name is vintage tomorrow, name,

and today, and tonight,

and in the next days,

all will be focusing vintage in the referee

of tonight's match.

I think Arboloa will be judged in a second stage,

but I don't think Madrid Disperses will blame Arboloa

because they were equalizing.

They are around,

and only a second yellow car for Camarbinga.

I think just make the balance go to Bayern Munich.

Juan, thank you for coming on.

I can tell you for a straight.

I'd really appreciate you chatting to us.

Thank you, cheers.

That's Juan Castro, Spanish football journalist.

Let's go back inside the Emirates,

John Murray and Chris Sutton are there.

I have to feel like they're not taking it too well.

Chris from the sounds of it, doesn't it?

I did.

I mean, it did seem an element of sour grapes.

Do you think?

Do you pick up?

I think so.

Real Madrid go out.

Just blame the referee, blame a conspiracy.

I mean, that was, yeah.

That was quite incredible, wasn't it?

Yeah.

Bad.

Are they bad losers?

Well, you haven't seen the decision yet, Chris.

I haven't.

But that did, you know.

Did everything go against him, Steve?

Well, Bayern would really good, weren't they?

So, yeah, anyway, we're at Letico Madrid, John and Arsenal.

As you rightly said in commentary,

I'm excited for our tether and simione on the same touch line.

Yeah, I think that we should point out that they have played

each other in the Champions League this season,

where, remember, Arsenal remain unbeaten in this tournament,

unbeaten semi-finalists.

That's not bad.

And when they played at Letico Madrid

on what you wafer like to call match day three,

they played each other here and Arsenal won 4-0.

So, that's not a bad one to have in your locker.

But, of course, it's a totally different matter.

Now, we get to this end of the season

and they've got to play each other over two legs in a knockout tie.

But the second leg will be here in London at the Emirates.

You know what they'll be, John, don't you?

Fire.

They probably will be fire in that one,

particularly in the metropolitana, which is, I mean,

so many of these grounds are tough places to go.

But that is right up there.

I mean, Tottenham have already found that out this season,

of course, when they went there, they were at a low-ebb,

weren't they under Igor Tudor.

But I think they showed there that in an attacking sense,

this Athletico Madrid have got a lot about them.

And, you know, but in a defensive sense,

Arsenal have got a lot about them.

You know, they're a capable team sporting,

Portuguese champions.

They couldn't find a way past David Raya

in either of these two matches.

And in this competition so far,

they have...

They've only conceded five goals in 12 matches, Arsenal.

So that tells you everything about their strength.

Do you think, then, Chris,

what's happened tonight shifts the dial at all ahead of the weekend,

by which I mean...

I think Juliana Rom was making the point before the game.

If Arsenal were able to get like a big confidence-boosting win,

then maybe it would undo some of what they've been feeling.

This wasn't that clearly.

So does that mean that that still persists ahead of the weekend or not?

Well, in every quarter now,

everybody will be writing Arsenal off at the weekend

because of how insipid they were in, you know,

in terms of their attacking play.

And I understand that to some extent.

But, you know, John, you know,

and I mentioned them out of possession,

Arsenal, the brilliant out of possession.

Defensively, they are absolutely exceptional.

So I wouldn't...

You know, in many ways,

if you're in the Arsenal dressing room,

you're loving it because, you know,

they're probably due something to go right for them in the final.

They're probably due sort of the combination play

to click Arsenal right where they want to be.

And, you know, people will naturally try and knock them.

You know, and they'll try and break the confidence.

But, you know, it's all about desired outcomes.

Sitting in the dressing room before the game,

the Arsenal players would have been thinking,

well, you know, let's play with balance.

Let's play our game.

Let's not get carried away with what everybody else wants us to do.

The main thing is to go through tonight.

And I actually...

I admired the discipline towards the end of the game.

There were times when Arsenal could have chucked bodies forward

and loaded the box.

But they didn't do because they knew the importance

of having that balance and, you know,

Declan, Rice and Superman,

they just stayed behind the ball.

And second half,

and I was sporting Lisbon Hit the Post in the first half.

Second half, I mean, there was a shot at the end.

But other than that, you know,

Arsenal defended superbly.

So for all...

All where people are looking at what hasn't quite gone right

for Arsenal, you know,

there are still a lot of good things about this team.

And, yeah, I'm repeating myself now,

but I wouldn't be ruling them out of anything at the weekend.

Manchester City is as good a team as they have been in recent weeks.

They got walloped in the Champions League against...

against Real Madrid and...

I think in the Premier League,

they dropped points against West Ham in recent times.

Everybody's just looking at that performance against Bournemouth.

And, you know, viewing that,

the Arsenal are going to crack.

I don't think it's that simplistic.

And what we don't know ahead of the weekend for Sunday

and whether Mikko Arthetta

sheds any light on,

who might be fit and who might not be fit,

I would doubt

because it's his way to be quite vague.

Yes. But we know that Marwick is as picked up an injury here tonight.

He had to go off.

But we do not know whether Oda Gard, Sacka, Timber, Calafiori,

whether any of those, one of them,

all of them might be available on Sunday.

And were they to be,

then that does put a different slant on things.

We might squeeze in a bit of Mikko Arthetta.

It's just sort of working its way through to us before.

He's just talking now.

I can see him on a screen just in my right here.

Now, I've got some quotes from him speaking on television,

just now, Mikko Arthetta.

Same what you'd expect, really.

It's a massive moment to be part of those four teams

in the semifinals.

His great work on a great night.

Very happy for all our people.

We're making steps that haven't been done at this club for 140 years.

Some more from Declan Rice on television as well.

He's talked about these noise surrounding the team in recent weeks.

This is interesting.

He says, like being at any other top club,

there's always noise.

This is Arsenal.

We get it with every game.

If you don't play well, take it with a pinch of salt and keep moving.

It's a rollercoaster.

Of course, you have to win every game.

We want to win every game.

Our record this year has been amazing in all competitions.

It's why we play the game.

I know I'll be ready for Sunday.

I know the boys will be ready as well.

What they've got, Chris, in their favour,

is what you were talking about.

They will be using one there.

The outside noise and discussion.

Not that they need extra motivation,

but to use the word for the 500th time tonight fire.

They'll be talking about it, won't they?

It will be inside the dressing room.

Everybody's writing us off.

Everybody's against us.

It will be about creating that siege mentality.

This is as basic as it is, Steve.

At the start of every season,

teams start back in preseason

and Arsenal start back.

I'm sure one of the conversations

at the start of the season,

can we achieve in the Champions League?

Can we achieve in the Premier League?

And Arsenal, if we are right at the business end of the season,

and Arsenal are there,

well, they are there.

They're at the top of the Premier League.

They're in the semi-finals of a Champions League.

They're exactly where they want to be.

And just little things,

like people writing PSG off in the Champions League,

sort of earlier on in the season,

because of their poor form,

maybe something will just click for Arsenal in the final.

But because of how good they are defensively,

maybe they don't have the flair of PSG.

They don't have the attacking prowess of Bayern Munich,

but they are still a brilliantly balanced team Arsenal.

And as I say,

anybody writing them off is foolish.

I think it is.

It's great, Chris, having you with us

over these weeks,

right now with Arsenal,

trying to do what they did coming under severe pressure

because that really must take you back

to when you and Blackburn were trying to win the league

and do something historic under severe pressure

from an established force.

Yeah, and that's when you're...

Let him said it.

That's when you're looking to your manager

for consistency in his messaging.

And the players sticking together

when things start to go wrong to Blackburn towards the end

and we had the odd bad result.

Kenny Douglas was the guy we all looked up to.

And it's about getting over the line in the end.

We got over the line last day of the season,

but over the course and distance of a season

that was the last of the 42 game seasons.

You deserve to win the Premier League.

We ground it out.

And that's what Arsenal are doing at this moment in time.

But I would view it.

I think people like Declan Rice will be thinking this way.

Everybody's thinking that Manchester City

are going to win the game on Sunday.

But I bet there are Arsenal players in there

who are quietly confident.

Let's go up there and put Manchester City away.

And really believing they are capable of that.

In fact, I'd say most of the Arsenal team will be thinking that way.

They'll be flipping it and using the noise and the negativity

to work in their favour.

And that's the right thing to do.

And I've mentioned it already, but it is a big Arsenal favourite

here at the Emirates living on a prayer.

And what does it say?

We've got to hold on to what we've got.

You could sing that, John.

That would be lovely.

You could sing it.

Oh, we could hear from Michael Artetta, your choice.

I'm going to vote Artetta.

Here's the Arsenal manager.

My message was gratitude to them.

I know the air for the commitment that they put in.

So there's a lot of war behind it.

We've done something that has never been done

in the history of our club in 140 years.

So that tells you the difficulty of that.

We have to do it as well in a very special way,

meeting a lot of important players.

Be credit to that.

And I'm especially happy to our supporters

because they were right behind it today.

And we're going to have two magical nights, one in Madrid

and another one here in London against Atlético.

So very proud of that.

The performances matter at this stage.

And if you aren't your best, does it matter?

Do you care if you're Arsenal on the best if you get the line?

You have to be better than the opponent.

And I think we have many periods in the game

that we were there.

We didn't score the goal.

We didn't finalize the action as well enough.

But we had many other things that are very important

to get the result that you need in Attaí.

And it's at this moment as well about the way you compete

and when you go to go and win titles,

that's when it's going to define the moments.

And we certainly don't that tonight.

Yeah, good choice.

I think that, John.

Good choice to hear from Mikael Aceso.

Yeah, I think so.

And I can't wait for that.

Because it's a brilliant place to go to that stadium.

It is much more real, I would say, ironically,

than real Madrid.

To go there, it is you get a genuine noise.

And that is a genuine atmosphere inside that ground,

which is not to say that the Real Madrid can't create

that sort of thing.

But in the metropolitan or it is, you know,

you've got to be on it there to perform against them.

And the other thing, I would say, with the results

as they've gone tonight, it does open up the possibility

of a final involving Harry Kane and Arsenal.

So certainly does.

Mikael Aceso there with the BBC's Alex Hals.

Thank you very much, guys.

Chris John, great stuff.

Cheers.

John Murray, Chris Sutton, inside the Emirates Arsenal versus

Atlético Madrid, Bayern Munich versus Paris Saint-Germain

will be the Champions League semi-finals.

That's it for the football daily.

And there'll be more reaction to that Champions League semi-final

lineup on the Euroleagues on the next episode

of the podcast.

As always, thank you so much for listening.

Hello, I'm Tyler West.

And I'm Alfie Watts.

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