Benfica Keeper Brilliance

20:40Jurgen Klinsmann:Because right now it's not the Paris Saint-Germain that I've seen last season winning the Champions League. And it's not like Newcastle are strong away from home, they've struggled. Yeah. So is this just PSG doing enough? They can find an extra gear when they need? Well, we definitely know they have an extra gear or two. Whether they will be able to find that rhythm like they did last year remains to be seen. I mean, they were just incredible. the way that they all performed last year, the back four, I'm talking about from January onwards, the back four, the midfield three, which had Fabian Ruiz in it, and then that front three or four or five, whatever ones they use, but especially with Dembele through the middle.

21:16If they find that form, they're the favourites. But if they don't, then they are gettable. So again, the question is for Luis Enrique, is it just a matter of clicking at the right time and peaking at the right time of the season, or have they got problems this year that they didn't have last? We'll see. Surely with the experience of last year winning it, they should be head and shoulders in the air above everybody else, given the quality that's there when everyone's on form?

21:44Jurgen Klinsmann:Well, it would seem the obvious thing to think, but, you know, things change. Players' form changes. You know, there's little things that can go wrong that all add up, and then you see the problems they're having. Listen, they're clearly having problems. This PSG side, the fact that they're not in the top eight is a complete head-scratcher for most people. Let's be honest. But we've seen them again tonight against Newcastle, where, yes, they were for half an hour brilliant, but then for the next hour, they just looked like a half-decent European side. So, yeah, I mean, obviously it'd be hard to put your money on them, but I still wouldn't fancy playing against them when it comes to the big game.

22:26Jurgen Klinsmann:what we saw from this team at the turn of the year, and they got hot. Part of getting hot was work rate. Part of getting hot was pressing the ball together. And at the front of all of that, and we would highlight it and talk about it and analyze it and say, look at Dembele leading the line for this team, pressing the ball, forcing turnovers, or at the very least, making the play predictable so that then you could defend with a second line of pressure. That wasn't happening today. So we assume that they can turn this thing on. We assume that they got it in them because we just saw them do it last year.

23:04Jurgen Klinsmann:But attitude, work rate, sacrifice, teamwork, all the things that were very good about PSG in their run to Champions League, they were not all that clear to see today. That has to improve. How concerned, if at all, would you be if you were Luis Enrique, Juergen?

23:25Jurgen Klinsmann:I wouldn't be concerned at all, to be honest. I mean, if you look back just a half a year, they played the Club World Cup. They played then, obviously, they won the Champions League. You know, they had pretty much no vacation. Then they go into the season. They struggled in the beginning of the season to get their rhythm then, and then slowly they picked it up. Then, you know, you have now this Champions League format that has a couple of more games than ever before. So I think, you know, I mean, he knows his team the best. He sees them kind of in their inconsistency a little bit, you know, going up and down.

23:57Jurgen Klinsmann:But I think it's normal. You know, now we're in the end of January. We have now Champions League games in January, which is crazy enough. And we go towards the end of the season where at that end is then the World Cup waiting for you. So I think it's normal that we see players being unbalanced, players, you know, providing you a super good game and then maybe two less good games to find, I would say, the best form towards the end of the campaign, the Champions League campaigns, and also in your domestic competitions. That is the big, big challenge for Luis Enrique, for all the managers out there.

24:34Jurgen Klinsmann:So how can I have them peak in March and April? How can I do that? So right now, I wouldn't be worried too much. I mean, you move on. Obviously, you want to be in the top eight if possible. It makes it easier, so it's one less round to play. But if you now have to go through the knockout phase, you know, in order to then go into the further stage of the Champions League, then you take that. And I think the quality of Paris Saint-Germain is really good enough to make the next round. And then it's crunch time. Then it gets really, really, yeah, the heat comes up, and it gets exciting. But as I said, you know, you are in January at the moment.

25:16Jurgen Klinsmann:And I would take it not too seriously. We're still waiting for PSG to peak. Apparently you've peaked, Frank. Thank you very much for all your contribution today. As always, much appreciated. Always a pleasure, my dear. Yes, for you. Meanwhile, are we going to go? Let's go to extra time. Ali, Craig and Steve will be here to answer your questions. It's available on YouTube. I like things my way, my coffee, my schedule and my treatment. So I talked to my doctor about self-injecting with the Vivgard Hytrulo Pre-Filled Syringe, which contains F-Gartigamide Alpha and Hyaluronidase QVFC. It's injected under your skin subcutaneously.

25:56It means I can inject in my space on my time. It's my treatment, my way. Visit VivgardMyWay.com. That's V-Y-V-G-A-R-T MyWay.com. And talk to your doctor about Vivgard Hytrulo. Brought to you by Argenix. Quick timeout. Some breakfast intel you want to know about.

26:14Jurgen Klinsmann:Kodiak frozen power waffles and flapjacks are built for busy mornings. Heat it, eat it, and you're out the door. No long prep, no complicated game plan. They're packed with 12 to 14 grams of protein per serving, a good source of fiber, and crafted with 100 % whole grains, not refined white flour. So you're getting something that actually fuels you. And there's depth on the roster. Buttermilk and vanilla, blueberry, chocolate chip, even gluten-free options. Breakfast that delivers. Snack that delivers. Find Kodiak frozen waffles and flapjacks in the frozen aisle at your local grocery store. They're the ones with the bear on the box.

26:57Barcelona needed a win and results to go their way to book a place in the top eight. That's exactly what happened as they thrashed Copenhagen by four goals to one. But Barca being Barca, they had to come from behind to do so. Barca, of course, a lot of fun to watch once again here today, Ali. getting the job done. You can almost write the script for them at the moment.

27:16Jurgen Klinsmann:This was Barcelona against Slavia Praga last week. Yeah. And this is Barcelona. This is who they are. If you haven't seen Barcelona play this season, this is who they are. They'll give up goals, but they'll create chance after chance after chance, and eventually they have too much in the attack. But if you're able to threaten and take advantage of the opportunities that you can create against Barcelona and trouble them defensively, you will get your goals. It's whether you can defend against Barcelona, Copenhagen hung on as long as they could in the first half once the second half started, and that early goal changed everything.

27:49Jurgen Klinsmann:Then it was all the momentum with Barcelona. La Minha, Matt, once again, excellent, particularly in the second half. Jürgen, I know you know Hansi Flick well. Is his health going to be able to cope with Barcelona doing this to him every single match? Oh, he loves that. I mean, he loves that. He always says, you know, I want to score one more goal than the opponent. That's it. If it's 4-3, 5-4, or 6-5, It doesn't matter to Hansi Flick. No, it's his philosophy. He takes those risks. He knows that he takes those risks. And obviously, it's to discuss. You know, a lot of people say you cannot do that.

28:24Jurgen Klinsmann:But he moves forward with his philosophy. And he wants just to play attacking-minded football. And he takes the risk of conceding constantly counter-play goals from the opponents. But, yeah, but he still ends up winning the games. it's great for us. You shouldn't complain, should we? No, exactly. Because watching Real Madrid can be a chore at times. Yes, yeah. I mean, he's taking these players and he's basically saying to them, go out there and express yourselves. And also... But is this going to bite them in the bottom? Like it did against Inter? Well, it could do in the Champions League. I mean, it might do in La Liga.

28:59I don't know. Less likely to do in La Liga. But I think it could do in the Champions League. I mean, I don't want to be too harsh on them. but I don't think Gerard Martins is getting in many other teams in La Liga. Certainly not in the top half. And yet here Hansi Fleck gets a turnout of him at centre-half and at left-back when he needs to be. And what he's done with Eric Garcia is just fantastic. You know, Eric Garcia is nothing more than a squad player, really, at most. He plays right-back, he plays centre-back, he plays centre-midfield. For all the stars that Hansi Fleck has, it's people like Eric Garcia that are worth their weight and gold for a manager like this.

29:33Because he can go and do a job in any position. So, yeah, I mean, defensively, I mean, it's like, I don't know. It's like throwing a hundred dollars at the dartboard. I don't know how many are going to hit and stick and stay on there. You just don't know because they're not going to change. They're going to be a huge threat going forward. You've got Ferran Torres to come back fit. They've got Pedri back, I think, in three or four weeks. So he needs to stay fit. you've got Lewandowski will probably go back to the bench, that's a big hitter to come on, they have so much going forward with Fermin Lopez as well who's been in great form, but the big conundrum is what the hell's going to happen with the back four How old's Peaky and Poole?

30:20Are they too old? I think so Stephen Yeah, that's a shame Maybe Rhys James could go there and play Just a reminder of course Barcelona in action this weekend live on ESPN Plus. It is turning into quite the title race, isn't it, in Spain? That's the late game on Saturday away against Elche. Early start for Real Madrid against Raio Vercano. Seven o 'clock, Ali, in the morning, Eastern? I'll be here. Good man. We'll have, of course, be taking you through all of those games live here on Plus. Bayern finished second then as they would defeat PSV by two goals to one. It would take Harry Kane coming off the bench to give Vincent Kompany's side the winner.

30:59There is so much talent up front that Vincent Kompany is going to have, obviously, on hand with Musiala back, Jürgen. It's going to be interesting to see how that plays out, obviously, between now and the end of the season, and whether or not Bayern can do it outside of Germany and make it all the way in this competition.

31:17Jurgen Klinsmann:Yeah, there's a lot of excitement at the moment in Munich. I was just there last week, and people won this Champions League so badly, so badly because they didn't make it to the final last year, when it was in their own stadium. It is a huge excitement also for the combination, obviously, for Leonard Kahl and Musiala coming back now after his brutal injury that he suffered in the Club World Cup. And seeing them both on the field was really exciting, you know, and the combination that they had, you know, for the first goal there coming off the young kids. Bischoff going forward into Kahl. Kahl passes on to Musiala.

31:55Jurgen Klinsmann:This is what, you know, the entire nation basically is watching and is asking, is this Leonard Kalkit, 17 years old? Is he going to the World Cup in the summer to the United States? This is the big discussion in Munich or in Germany in general. But having Musiala back is huge. Then obviously they left Harry Kane on the bench. But another huge substitution that happened, and not only that Harry came in the last half an hour and scored his goal, was also Alphonso Davies' back as well, you know, on the field. So when you have these type of players, you know, these, you know, difference makers, I call them, at your disposal towards the most important months of the season, meaning now February, March, April into the final end of May, this is big.

32:41Jurgen Klinsmann:This is a big deal. And it looks like, you know, Bayern Munich is having all these guys at their disposal. So that's huge, you know. But I want to give also a compliment to Peswe Eintof. And they actually played a real good game. They have great chances. and there was a certain kid, Sergino Dest, on the field that played a fantastic game actually against Luis Diaz there on his side. So that's another good news for the American national team, the US national team, that they're doing their job there in Europe. And yeah, it was an enjoyable game to watch. You've got to look at Harry Kane, haven't you, as well.

33:16You know, he's in his early 30s now, I believe. He played for a team in Tottenham, obviously, that weren't always a team at the top, but scoring goals for fun, scoring great goals, dropping back into midfield, playing great, just an all-around player. Still doing it and has done since he's went to GM. There's not a team in the world that he couldn't just go and play up front and score goals. Not a team. That's how, I mean, I think he's taken his game. What if people say, oh, it's the Bundesliga, anyone could score 30 goals, so you're playing for Bayern? No, no, no. Lewandowski scored. No, because that just gets knocked out of the ballpark with his numbers at Tottenham, who were, for long periods, nowhere near the best team.

33:56They had a good spell under Pochettino, but for long periods were even struggling to get in the top four. And yet his numbers were incredible. His numbers for England are incredible. Harry Kane could go and play in any team in Europe and be the number nine and score goals and lead the line. Just such a clever player.

34:14Jurgen Klinsmann:Harry Kane right now, to further the point, is actually a more complete player than his time at Spurs. He's doing things. He's always liked this idea of kind of dropping into deeper positions and sort of facilitating and also being a guy that can score goals. But he's actually rounded out his game to where now there is vision. There is change of point of attack. There is hold-up play. He can't quite run away from people, but he always finds a way to get himself on the end of crosses as well. So if he were sacrificing his goal scoring for being a guy who's playing underneath, then I'd be saying, eh, this is a guy that's getting older and doesn't quite have the legs to get there.

34:53Jurgen Klinsmann:No, no. He's dropping in, but he's also scoring goals. Far more complete player now than what he was at Spurs. And I think if you were to ask him, he would want to roll back the years with all this experience that he has now accumulated over the course of his career. And not sign for Spurs in the first place? That would be a good start. But the point being that I think he now sees the complete picture on the field. And you can see it in the level of performance. Bayern Munich is a team that should be among the favorites in this competition. But if you want to point at something that it's a shortcoming, defending set pieces is an issue.

35:34Jurgen Klinsmann:And the middle of midfield is an issue. Beyond Joshua Kimmich, the question of Goretzka and Pavlovich is going to come up time and time again. And that's an area where they can be exposed once they play against teams like Arsenal, like Barcelona, PSG. Those teams that can't have control of the midfield. I don't know that Bayern Munich has enough there. Is that a concern for you as well, Jürgen?

35:59Jurgen Klinsmann:Yeah, no, that's definitely a discussion to have. I mean, that's where, you know, they're vulnerable. They're vulnerable at set pieces, at corner kicks here and there. and this discussion in the defensive midfield has always been a part of our talks over the last couple of years when we talk about Bayern Munich. But I just think that this team now is so mature and is so driven and has so much quality that they definitely are among the top four in Europe. And the path of Harry Kane is just a wonderful story to follow because he became, as you said, he became a complete, absolute complete player but also a fantastic leader.

36:37Jurgen Klinsmann:You know, he guides these young Musialas, Karls, Bischofs, and all these younger players. You know, he feels like it's almost an obligation for him to tell them what to do, how to do it. And so he really kind of enjoys his time there at Bayern Munich. And the lifestyle in Munich is very simple. They live and die for the Champions League. They want to win that trophy so badly. So you hear that every day from the people in the streets. if you go to the Baker, the Butcher, wherever you go, it's all about the Champions League. And when you have that kind of feeling that you're responsible actually to deliver this trophy sooner or later, probably more sooner than later, then that drives you.

37:18Jurgen Klinsmann:It drives you in training. It drives you in your conversations with your friends, with your teammates. And I think Harry Kane is enjoying that. You know, he knows what is expected from him. He delivers it in an incredible way. And, yeah, if he's able to fulfil his dream and wins the Champions League at the end of this year, then you obviously go with very, very kind of large shoulders towards the World Cup and play for England. Yes, and lift the World Cup, Jürgen. And hopefully have a quiet summer. Beat Germany in the final. Might be wonderful. Just a small injury, nothing serious. You can see England's mighty, victorious captain.

37:55Jurgen Klinsmann:Can you picture Jürgen, by the way, walking into the butcher shop? I can lay it. Butchers, bakers, the whole shebang. and bakers and everybody. Hamburg Buy Me. 12.30 Eastern, Saturday, live on ESPN. In today's world, planning ahead isn't always top of mind, but not having life insurance can leave families facing difficult financial uncertainty during already emotional times. In many cases, loved ones are left managing expenses, debts, or long-term obligations without a clear plan in place. Life insurance is one of those ways to help provide financial security and support when it's needed most.

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39:50Real Madrid's defeat against Benfica opened the door for Manchester City to qualify in the top eight. I think that's exactly what they did thanks to a 2-0 victory over Galatasaray. Jürgen, we haven't spoken too much about Manchester City and their struggles of late. Given the standards that Pep Guardiola has set, how easy is it to rediscover that considering they are still, because of Arsenal's problems also of late, in the title race?

40:17Jurgen Klinsmann:Yeah, those up and downs, I think it's just normal. I mean, there's very few managers in the world like Pep Guardiola that know exactly kind of how to put things into the right perspective. You know, he knows when he's missing some results, you know, where to start fixing things. He knows where, you know, to say the right things in the right moment, you know, when the opponents kind of run away for a second and then he catches up on them again. I mean, over the years, you know, when you look back over the years, his work that he's done at Manchester City is just incredible. and that's why he never loses control, he never loses his patience, he knows also how to behave when there's a bad period of time, when there's a couple of results that aren't going your way.

41:05Jurgen Klinsmann:It's just an admirable manager. Haaland of course getting a goal today, Jürgen, he's been on a bit of a drought as a striker. How do you deal with that certainly as someone who has been scoring goals for so long, so consistently? Well, that's like Alejandro knows that when we strikers don't score, then we're miserable, we're angry. He knows him not sure. We are angry. No, but it is the typical path of strikers when you have a couple of bad weeks and you don't score is go back to work. Go back to training sessions, do all types of exercises that give you confidence, finishing stuff. and sooner or later you put it back into the net and things are OK again.

41:51Jurgen Klinsmann:The quality of Erling Haaland is incredible and we all know that. If there are a couple of weeks where he doesn't score, that wouldn't bother me at all because I know that he will work hard to get back on track because he's so ambitious, he's so professional and so driven. Then, no, I would never even worry one second about Erling Haaland. Are they still in the Carabao Cup? Maybe. Yeah, they beat Chelsea, didn't they? 3-2 in the first lane. Well, they might win the Carabao Cup with that back four. Ah, there we go. Won't win the Champions League. I know Gay's going to play, maybe Diaz will be fit at some point.

42:27Who's the other one? Glad they all is out for a longer period. Barring a big slice of defensive luck with form or fitness, even with Gay coming into that back four, I'm not going to win the Champions League. not even going to come close defending two legs against the better teams not going to happen. Liverpool thrash Caravag by six goals to nil to pick a place in the top eight. McAllister with a brace Vert scoring Salah with a great free kick Etiquique, Etiquette and Chiesa get the same. How much is this sort of result a relief then, Stephen? Considering what's been there? No, it is a relief. Absolutely it is.

43:10You know, you can look at it and laugh. We saw them beat Marseille, didn't we? easily. What's the relief about? Dr Bo?

43:17Jurgen Klinsmann:The relief is not sitting there on edge of your seat. You're not sitting there because they're going to make the top eight. Hiding your eyes, waiting on something falling apart or going wrong. That's the relief of being able to watch this. And on top of that, you just hope that the next time they step on the field in the Premier League, they can take some of that movement and some of the strikes and some of the chances and turn it into more consistent performances. That's that's been that since match day one I have been and again that's why it's a relief to sit through this but this doesn't mean anything the only thing he sat through was two large packet of chips and they were large they were very large there was a party going on somewhere look Liverpool you just don't know what you're going to get and this is obviously an extremely weak team in Carabag at home I think the true Liverpool is what we saw at Bournemouth at the weekend sort of up and down inconsistent making defensive mistakes Salah's form, regardless of the free kick, which was a good free kick.

44:17It was a carbon copy of the one at Bournemouth, but when he backstepped it to Sabozlai. But the big question will be when teams put them under more pressure, you know, in England and in the knockout stages of this, obviously they're going to miss a round. The big question will be, is the Achilles heel going to come back and bite them in the backside? And I just don't see it going away. I just don't see it going away. It's been there all season. It's a detail.

44:42Jurgen Klinsmann:It's a small detail of the state of mind of a player. Florent Verz, who hasn't had the greatest time at Liverpool and has been well-documented and well-reported, scores a goal today. And yes, it is against Cadabac, but you're not scoring goals all the time. And is there even a celebration? And he just kind of scores, and it's just a slow jog. And I'm thinking, man, this is a moment to find that release, to go and celebrate, to go and celebrate in front of your fans at Anfield and create some sort of connection, and create some sort of bond. I'm not suggesting that that's the difference between playing well and not playing well, but it does elevate the level of confidence, not only for you, but for those around you as well, and the fans around you as well.

45:22Jurgen Klinsmann:I don't see enjoyment from Florian Verz. Even when he's playing well, even when he's scoring a goal, it's almost like, all right, well, let's get on with it. When he was at his best with Bayer Leverkusen, there was a certain aura about him and a certain confidence about him that I'm just not seeing a Liverpool, even when he scores a goal. Maybe if he has a big game in the knockout stages when it comes round for them and it sort of lights up their season, certainly in Europe, maybe that will be the moment for him. But it's not... Because it looks like in the Premier League, it's not like they're going through the motions, but they know they're not going to win it.

45:59I mean, their fight is for the top four. Yes. So if they get a big moment, a big draw, some big games at Anfield, and that will be the last 16 at that point, I believe, that's when he could really step up and ignite his Liverpool career against the better sides.

46:14Jurgen Klinsmann:Is it too simple to say that in the Premier League Verts doesn't get as much time and space as he does when he plays in the Champions League? I mean, Jürgen, is that too simple to say that's really what the problem is for Verts? I think it's one maybe a very interesting point, absolutely. You know, I mean, the tempo played in the Premier League is faster than all the other leagues in Europe, you know, and the spaces are tight and the defensive mechanisms are to perfection. You know, I think, you know, when you go as a young kid, and he's still a young kid, we're talking about 21, 22, I'm not 100 % sure now, but you move, you know, from your home country, you know, to a different place.

47:02Jurgen Klinsmann:in Liverpool is then kind of not only challenging him on the field, it's challenging him also off the field. You know, you've got to go there. You've got to change your style, your way of living, a totally different environment. Everything is new to you, your teammates. You know, the expectations are huge. You know, you come up with a price tag that is out of control because none of these kids can really do anything for these transfer fee prices from 60, 80, 100 or 150 million. It's not their fault. And some are more kind of open to this new challenge than others, and it will take time. And I see in Florian over the last six months a path that is going through all these new moments, is going through all these new challenges, and is maturing, is maturing.

47:54Jurgen Klinsmann:He's just getting kind of used to certain things. And step by step, you know, he hopefully finds his way of scoring goals like he did at Leverkusen and finds his way, you know, to show his qualities. This kid is highly, highly talented. He has everything to prove his point in the Premier League. I don't see a problem there. But for some, it takes a little bit longer. And for some, you know, like Volte Mare for the other German kid that got suddenly transferred to Newcastle from Stuttgart that nobody really had on its plate. You know, he came and he just was happy from day one on and scored. So every character is different.

48:32Jurgen Klinsmann:It will be really super interesting now how it plays out with Liverpool in the next couple of months. But as long as Florian Wirtz stays healthy and kind of keeps on improving step by step, you know, I think he will have a very special career also in England. A lot more, of course, about today's Champions League matches. plus looking ahead to the weekend's games across Europe. Be sure to check out YouTube. Plenty of content there for you. Inter 2, Dortmund 0. Despite that victory, Inter will have to go through to the play-in matches. Dortmund will be there as well, both failing to make it through to the top eight.

49:11However, both of them advancing to the next round. Jürgen, of course, you're contractually obliged to talk about Inter when you come on. Is this a team that can make it to the final again?

49:24Jurgen Klinsmann:I mean, yes, they can make it, but I have my doubts. I have my doubts this year because I think they missed a little bit the chance to rejuvenate their roster, their team. Some players, they are 36, 37, 38 on the field. And I mean, that's why they maybe rotate so much. I mean, he left Lotharo Martinez on the bench, no Pastonin, and Parella was slightly injured. But the game was not offering very much. Both sides were kind of even and didn't create many chances. So the fact that they won it at the end of the day speaks for Inter and it doesn't speak for Dortmund in this moment. But I don't see them as strong as last year.

50:08Good stuff. Thank you very much. A lot more on Inter, the Italian teams as well, and what happened in the Champions League. We've got the latest edition of the Gab and Jules podcast. That, of course, drops on Thursday.

50:2718 matches then in total today in the Champions League. I won't read them all. Will have a cup with you. There's a couple of names I still can't pronounce, so let's not do that. Let's know we will look at the table just to confirm. Arsenal 100 % record. They've won every single game. Bayern, Liverpool, Spurs, Barcelona, Chelsea. Sporting up there. Manchester City in the top. Top A, as we've mentioned in quite some detail, those teams that have finished mid-table and those that are out include the likes of Marseille, PSV, Athletic Club and Villarreal. Take a look at the big... What's interesting, Jürgen, I wanted to take your view on this and we've discussed this over the last couple of weeks.

51:07Five Premier League teams in the top eight, what does that tell us?

51:14Jurgen Klinsmann:Well, it tells us that the music is played in England. as the music is played in the Premier League. You know, they are just a step or maybe two steps ahead of all the other big leagues. You know, it's the Bundesliga, the Serie A, and the Spanish League, the French League. Obviously, they're trying to catch up with the Premier League, but it's pretty much impossible because the salaries that are getting paid and the transfer fees are getting paid in England, they're just three, four, five times or whatever many times more than in the other countries. So it speaks for the Premier League. It's fun to watch the Premier League week in, week out.

51:50Jurgen Klinsmann:But it's a clear sign that, you know, if you want to play with the big ones, you got to be in England. But I think this has thrown up some, as it did last year. You know, Villa were up there, were in the knockout, did particularly well. Good side as they are. PSG barely made it out of the bottom 12 and won it. Napoli, you know, Napoli are knocked out this year. And Tottenham Hotspur is at fourth? Fourth, yeah. And come on, we know Napoli are a better side than Tottenham. I mean, this is Thomas Frank's salvation at the moment. He's at tipping point, certainly amongst the fans. They had a late draw, Romero goal, to get a point at Burnley at the weekend.

52:34They're in not quite a relegation dogfight, but not far off it. And that's, I think, tells you, as Stevie said before, it's kind of cup competition results.

52:45I don't think it's I don't want to get into this conversation we had last week again about how strong the Premier League is the Premier League is certainly without doubt the richest league and that's where the bulk of the money comes Is that starting to show itself more? With the ease that for example Spurs have made it into the top top four, even Spurs even some of these other countries they're better than what we've seen from Tottenham Hotspur Well, let's be honest about it. But they clearly aren't. Well, they are, but I mean... Borussia Dortmund, they just let them aside last week. How do you explain Napoli being down the bottom?

53:18Because they're not good enough. Well, they are. In this competition, they've not been good enough. You mentioned Conte's recent results in European football with different clubs. There is no way Tottenham are the fourth best team in this competition. So this table is a bit of an anomaly to me at this moment in time. And I think what we'll see is... is everything coming out in the wash. As soon as we get to this knockout stage, however teams have made it to where they are, I think it's all going to come out in the wash when it gets to the two-headed games. I understand that, but when you say come out in the wash, you mean Barcelona, Real Madrid, PSG, Bayern Munich.

53:56The problem is the rest, the also-rans, can't compete anymore, can they? With the bigger boys. But they never could. But there was always, you felt, a chance. But now because of the budget, now because, as Jürgen said... But who's the other boys? I mean, even in the old format, even in the old... Well, we saw Inter Milan, of course, make it well last year. Borussia Dortmund the year before. You know, there always seems to be other teams that are playing. Well, Inter Milan, you know, their team has got older and their manager left went to Saudi Arabia. You know, Lutaro Martinez was very vocal about that in the summer.

54:28You know, he was vocal about Chalinoglu wanting to leave and go somewhere else. And, you know, players... So, I think the... If I give a team a billion dollar budget... The entire scenario is the inter-squad was a big squad, but as Jürgen said, it's kind of at the end of its tether. It's needing a rotation now of younger players. I get what you're saying. There isn't the money in Italy. There isn't the money in Germany. There isn't the money in France. Even in Spain, to a certain extent, with the big two, that there is in England. But I think at the end of the day, it's only my opinion. It doesn't matter how much money there is in England.

55:03when it comes to the crunch, I think Liverpool will get knocked out. I think Tottenham will get knocked out. And I think Manchester City will get knocked out. I think the only team in England, for all the money they've got, that are going to be standing up with a puncher's chance is Arsenal. Now, I might be wrong, but for Liverpool and Man City to even have a chance of damaging the best teams in this competition, their seasons are going to have to go full circle. and we haven't, particularly Liverpool, we haven't seen that. Arsenal, I think, for all the Premier League's money, unless I'm missing something with Liverpool and Man City defensively.

55:43Would you sit here, Stevie, who would you put... No, no, but my point isn't who's going to win it. I'm just saying I don't think it's an anomaly as you're saying that five out of the top eight are English, are the richest teams when compared to the rest. I'm not sure who else you're putting into that conversation.

55:57Jurgen Klinsmann:So because... Because you're playing eight games. Because you're playing eight games, you're probably playing three good teams and five teams that are not just quite there. And the fact that all the Premier League teams are able to just brush aside the other five, it's why maybe we've got five teams in the top eight. There are so many things that can cause what we're talking about. Even the way the games play, we've been talking over the last couple of years of how a lot of the games that we watch in the Premier League have not been entertaining. But then, because the teams have got more money and they can bring in better players and stronger both physically and mentally, it's harder for teams to break them down in the Premier League, which makes it sometimes boring.

56:41Jurgen Klinsmann:Then you throw in the way teams play. Man City kicking it all off with this, just keeping the ball and not trying to go put balls in the box. There are so many things that can cause what we're talking about. But I think ultimately at this stage of the competition is because the Premier League teams have been able to brush away without any problem whatsoever against the teams that they should and do beat. It's really hard to make a sweeping statement about the state of a league above somebody else when you're not playing against the same teams. The schedules for each team are totally different.

57:21Jurgen Klinsmann:You're not playing against the same team, so it's not the same opposition. And so to Stevie's point, yeah, so Spurs are able to beat Kaida Almaty or whoever it is that they play. And you kind of go, well, yeah, I think they should. But as it pertains to looking forward into this competition, I think those that are remaining in Champions League would prefer to play against Spurs than, say, Atletico Madrid, for example. And that's when you start going into the path that Craig was talking about and what he was alluding to, that eventually you're going to get into a place in which these teams that are superior to Slavia Praga, superior to FC Copenhagen, they're not quite better than Barcelona, quite better than Real Madrid.

58:02Jurgen Klinsmann:And even I would say that a team like Borussia Dortmund could be a dangerous team to play in Champions League, even for a Premier League team. So making sweeping statements, it's always... It's what he does. I don't know what sweeping statement did I make. It's a slippery slope. Yeah, it's the sweeping statement. Sorry, I like to say that five of the Premier League teams are in, the Premier League's great. I think that's wrong. I don't think I'm saying... No, I don't think I use the word great. The Premier League is the richest. I think on these sort of occasions you see why. No, I'm not saying that.

58:35You're not? No, because... I don't think this is the anomaly. Man City are not on the top eight, even though they're a very rich Premier League team. PSG are not on the top eight. Inter are not the best at all, and not on the top eight. City are on the top eight. Huh? City's on the top eight. Are they?

58:54You've got five teams there. And I just think this is a trend that's going to continue. I don't see what will break it. I don't know why we'll be sat here next year. Listen, I remember... I don't know why there won't be another five Premier League teams here. No, I remember just before I moved here from the UK. And at that point, the Premier League was still the richest in Europe. By far. I'm talking about 2010 to 2011, 2012. And around one of those periods, I can't remember when it was, the Premier League teams were getting battered in the Champions League. They were really struggling. It was the old format, but they were really struggling to get results.

59:31And all the talk was, oh, this is a terrible look for the Premier League with all its money. So, just because you have the most money doesn't mean it's going to continue. I think it is cyclical to an extent. And I think this group stage, this 36-team thing, does throw up these anomalies of teams in certain positions. I mean, it's like the Sporting Club of Portugal being in there. So, yeah, I know what you're saying. But I think the very fact that Tottenham are in there, I'm sorry I keep going on about Tottenham, I think the very fact Tottenham are in there tells you that it can throw up these stories.

1:00:03Because they, at the moment, are a pretty terrible side. Jürgen, last word on this or do you want to go home? He is home. He is home. It's true.

1:00:11Jurgen Klinsmann:I love that discussion. I love the discussion and that's what we enjoy talking about. I think now we obviously enter in a different phase of the Champions League, you know, the knockout phase and there anything can happen. And it's a different story if you play cup competition, as we all know, than your normal domestic league. And a lot of surprises can happen also in the next round. and this is the beauty of the game. But eventually, we're going to see the big names in the last four, last eight. It's just how it is. But I think the new format of the Champions League is exciting. It got us a lot of surprising results over the last couple of months or last year as well.

1:00:54Jurgen Klinsmann:Very enjoyable. Good stuff, Ewan. You went down that road on purpose, didn't you? What road? Just to be a little ass. Wow. Well, you did, didn't you? I'll have that Premier League strong discussion with you again I don't think it's the last thank you to Jürgen we'll be back tomorrow for the Europa League and the European Conference League Europa Conference yes we'll be looking back that one too be sure to stay with us so Extra Time is next

1:01:26welcome in to the latest edition of Extra Time thank you very much for all your questions Benfica of course at the very last minute books a place in the knockout stages is Jose still the special one? No. How much would he have loved all of that though? Oh absolutely. I do like the radio version of our show no faces nothing. This is a great request that people have. We are here yeah as I mentioned the show it just

1:01:51Jurgen Klinsmann:so happens that the camera went exactly to him when he tells Trugan the goalkeeper hey you gotta get forward and of course Trugan ends up scoring the goal and so And then, what does it happen? It goes to the celebration of the goalkeeper for a little bit, and then it goes right back to Mourinho. Because Mourinho is the story. Look, Benfica is a great story. Trubin is a great story in how they're able, how he's able to score the goal, how they're able to get into the playoff. But the story will be Mourinho. Because they either play Real Madrid or they play Inter. So who do you think they're going to talk about?

1:02:22Jurgen Klinsmann:Pablidis? No! They're going to talk about Mourinho. We've had some questions about why you were giggling at the start of the show, Craig. seriously you really have got a short memory In case you were wondering... What's the name here? This is why... Oh why... Watch this, watch this! This is Matthew!

1:02:50Very subtle, Dan! Very subtle! Never did you realise how... Look at his arms, didn't he? He was like... You were properly giggling at that! It made me laugh because... It's when you sometimes, when you see people, when you see people who think they've got themselves in a very awkward situation. Thank you very much to Matthew for that. He was quick to go down. To be fair though, I forgot all about it. You had a panic up as well. If you hadn't have wafted him under the table, the director was on the, he stayed on Jürgen's shot. But Jürgen was way gone. We were on Jürgen and Farsely. No, but he's got a pretty, a pretty.

1:03:30Did you see how strong I was? That's it. The thing is, they're mad to stay there for a while. I'm like, no, no, dude, you can go now. I couldn't get it looking over. I saw him and I was like, I just could still laugh. On a scale of 100 % to 200%, how happy is Craig Burley that Kai Havertz is back? Score today, of course. A man you've been critical in the past about. It says there's Josie Sildes' special one. No, well, there's another. No, there it is. Oh. So, what's the... Well, because you were so... How much is the price? You said Arsenal would never win a league with Kai Havertz up top. Now he's back and he could...

1:04:03Well, the manager thought so and the club thought so also. Otherwise they would have not bought... Jokers. Yeah. But with Havertz, they're going to win the league. It seems I wasn't the only one who... No, but you were one of them. He's only scored against... Kyra, whoever they are. He's back. He's back. Will he start the weekend? I'm not doing that now. How long does it take for players to figure out whether a coach knows what he's doing or not?

1:04:36Jurgen Klinsmann:Not long. Not long. Minute?

1:04:43Jurgen Klinsmann:I don't know, the first few training sessions and then the game. A little bit of... First few training sessions and then the game, you know, coming in at half time and things you're saying. Right. Yeah, maybe a week. A week? You've kind of made your mind up what you think about them. You can lose the players much quicker than you can gain their trust. Yeah. And to Stevie's point, players are sitting there and there's an evaluation process going. The new manager is evaluating the players and it seems to be a fresh start for everybody. Players are all sitting there and say, okay, let's see what's going on here.

1:05:22Jurgen Klinsmann:and if you don't feel it right away, you know you have problems because you know a change is not going to happen right away because a change just happened and you're like, oh, this guy doesn't know what he's doing. Yeah. I don't think it's exclusively to footballers. I think that's everywhere in the world. At school, you know, in businesses, you've got a manager that comes in, doesn't know what they're doing. Well, who's the school? Teacher? Yeah, teacher, exactly. Kids are judging teachers straight off, aren't you? You know whether or not they're a soft touch, what you can get away with. Well, no, it is.

1:05:49What do you mean? Well, yes, there's no cane. Of course not. What? You never went to school. When I was younger, I did. We went to school. Eventually I figured it wasn't worth it. Was it 14 or 15 we left school? 15. I left school when I was 15. Do Real Madrid finish the season without winning a trophy?

1:06:13They haven't got the Copa del Rey. They haven't got the Spanish Super Cup. So Champions League or La Liga?

1:06:18Jurgen Klinsmann:The answer is yes. Right. They finished without a trophy. Yep, everyone agrees. For Stevie, would you be surprised if Liverpool wins the Champions League? I'd be shocked. You'd be surprised if they beat Carabaque. Honestly, I'd be shocked if they won the Champions League. They can't do it. They can't do it. Finally, during their playing days, did you ever see anything as insane as the Benfica goalkeeper scoring? You a game where a goalkeeper scored at all? No. Alisson, the famous one of eight. At Westbrook. At Westbrook. Yeah. Anything? Copa America 2011 against Paraguay. Late in the match, our goalkeeper wins a header.

1:06:55Jurgen Klinsmann:He doesn't score, but he wins a header that finds a player in the back post for us to tie the game 3-3. Nice. I was going to say during the show. I was trying to say during the show. Right. For your rudely cut. Barrett Skelia. Is that what you were trying to say during the show? Barrett Skelia. That's what I said. No, you didn't. You said it because I just said it. You called him summer, don't you? Listen, however you pronounce it, I'm not copying you. I like Stevie. I'll copy you. We'll give you a note of that later. Did you notice at the end of the show, Stevie went full on Scottish. Brrush.

1:07:28Jurgen Klinsmann:Did he? Brrush it aside. I was like, oh. I never even noticed. What were you going to say during the show, Chris? No, but it's going to say, well, I'm nothing much. No, I was going to say about Xhaka. Yes, go on. Did Jenge ever come up for a header? He said he went up once when he was playing for West Ham, ducked out the way for Anton Ferdinand to score. But I got slightly... I was taken off track when the young fella was... Matt was down there. I couldn't. Okay, that's it. A quick extra time today because we did a lot of other stuff. Oh, that's a long day. Well, you'll be alright Craig. I'm sure you have...

1:08:01No, I was just complaining. Not me.

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