Does The Champions League Put The Premier League To Shame?

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0:12Gary Lineker:They're the first to rise, the last to leave. They always have that little extra something. And maybe you've got it too. Chevrolet. Together let's drive. Visit chevy.com slash trucks to explore the lineup.

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1:25Alan Shearer:They're in the semi-finals of the Champions League and six points clear at the top of the Premier League table. If someone had said that at the start of the season, you'd go, yes, please.

1:43Alan Shearer:Hello and welcome to The Rest is Football with Alan Shearer, Micah Richards and me, Gary Lineker. Well, we've had a couple of games in the Champions League this week that I think, quick reminder of how much we love football and why it's so good. I don't know about you guys. I mean, I know you're at home, Alan, you watched Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, sounded like a cracker. Mikey, you obviously had an eye on both games because you're working with CBS. I, I went to Arsenal and I didn't see Bayern Munich against Real Madrid, which looks like one of the games of the season or century. Yeah. I went to watch Arsenal and, and funny, I've had a long day.

2:21Alan Shearer:and we had a board meeting this afternoon. I never thought the board meeting for Goal Hanger would be the highlight of my day. I mean, it was turgid. I mean, Arsenal got the result they needed and I think there was an element of they knew all along that if they didn't concede, they'd get through, but it wasn't great. So I don't think we'll start with that one. I had a great journey home. I left 10 minutes before the end because I thought I need to get back to do the pod because we're doing this after 11 o 'clock at night so i ran all the way to the tube i got on the tube got off at green park jumped on the piccadilly line got to hammersmith thought i'd get a line bike there weren't any because the apollo theater had just finished and everyone was coming out so i've gone through the crowds walked over hammersmith bridge got on a bus to the end of the road and then jumped on a line bike to make it.

3:16Alan Shearer:See, that's dedication for you fellas.

3:18Gary Lineker:Did they accept your bus pass?

3:20Alan Shearer:Yeah, I get free now. That's what I'm saying. I've got a rail ticket as well so I get off price or production. Do they know what would bother you on the train or the bus or the tube? I always get the tube. People talk to me but everyone's pleasant and nice and do the odd selfie. It's fine.

3:41Gary Lineker:You're a man of the people. A man of the people. Yes!

3:44Alan Shearer:I've used all sorts of forms of transport to get here. And obviously lots of them would have been, you know, you've got to get the tube because you've got to care about the environment, which leads me nicely to. Fuse. Well done, Micah. Well done. This episode is powered by Fuse Energy. Before we kick off a quick pre-match warmup from Fuse. One question, Four options and two contestants. Today's a little question for you, lads. Which goalkeeper has the most clean sheets in Champions League history? Is it A, Iker Casillas? B, Gianluigi Buffon? C, Manuel Neuer? Or D, Edwin van der Zah?

4:34Gary Lineker:Manuel Neuer for me. You know what?

4:37Alan Shearer:I'm going to be different. I'm going to go Buffon. You're going to go Buffon? Yeah. Well, Micah, that was not correct. The answer was one Manuel Neuer. Ale, role play. The best sides don't give things away. It should be the same with your energy. Get more than just lower rates at fuseenergy.com slash football. Use the code football, all uppercase, when you sign up. Save around£200 on your energy bill and get the chance to ask us your football questions on the pod. Full terms and conditions at fusedenergy.com. I've seen the highlights when I got home. Harry had them ready for me. And Bayern and Real Madrid looked like an absolute belt.

5:23Alan Shearer:You two would have both watched it. Brilliant game.

5:25Gary Lineker:Well, you go first, Al. You go first because you watched it. I tuned into Arsenal and it lasted 10 minutes and I thought, I'm not watching anymore this. So I switched over because my phone kept on pinging, and saying, oh my God, this game's incredible. So I turned it straight over and left Arsenal. That's not having a pop at Arsenal. That's just because the game sounded brilliant on the other channel. And it was. It was absolutely outstanding. Two teams who just went for it. Not great defensively, both teams, but Bayern had enough and Real Madrid will be kicking themselves. And in particular, Camavinga for his two yellow cards.

6:01Gary Lineker:Look daft. What do you think to that, though? Oh, when you're on a yellow card, you can't do that though, Mike. It's just stupid. Yeah, but do you remember I was doing the games last week and it was that thing where, you know, the defender put his hand on the ball, didn't they? Yeah. And it should have been a penalty, shouldn't it? It should have been a penalty. That was definitely the case, yeah. But common sense was interplay. I just think with that, he wasn't gaining an advantage by it. I understand the rules are rules. So if you're going to give one as a rule, which it was, it was a yellow card for doing that then last week you've got to give a penalty it's a simple and that's the bit that and I don't want to talk about referees when we've had such amazing games over but it's just the consistency really annoys me as for the game though wow wasn't it outstanding I think that's the game of the season I mean Alise wasn't his sizzling best I would say because Mendy played really well against him but then Kane wasn't his best but then made a difference Mbappe was kept quiet at times, but then he scored an unbelievable goal, great turn of pace.

7:08He just had absolutely everything. And I didn't know, I couldn't pick it. At halftime, I couldn't pick the winner. And then obviously, I think the red card did change the game a little bit.

7:20Gary Lineker:Massively, yeah. They've got some forward line, by the way, Bayern Munich, yeah? Cool, haven't they? You know what? I was really happy for Vincent Kompany. I did an analytical piece before the game in terms of how he wants to play, very aggressive, wants to press high, but it does leave himself exposed. But when you've got that calibre of player, you're just going to outscore the opposition. And yes, they were lucky at times, you have to say that. But to see him in a semi-final, to see him winning the league, to see him managing that calibre of players and potentially could win it, I'm just absolutely delighted for him because to go from Burnley to Bayern we all questioned it didn't we in terms of why has he been given that opportunity it's because of his style of play he wants to win football he wants to play attractive football so yeah good recruitment I would say very good recruitment

8:11Alan Shearer:looks good now doesn't it it really does yeah I'm really pleased for him I like the way that he's playing forward attacking adventurous football and he's you've got to remember he was a central defender and actually it brings me to to a point we watched Bayern, Real Madrid go hammer and tongs, really, right throughout the game. We saw last night two Spanish sides, but, you know, people talk about Simeone a bit defensive. Not at all. I mean, he did defend when they had to defend and done pretty well, but they really went for it. And both teams went for it. It was a magnificent game of football.

8:44Alan Shearer:The pace of the game, it was like relentless. Jamal was unbelievable. And Griezmann was, I mean, in his 30s was brilliant. Koke's in his 30s was amazing. I thought it was just a fabulous game of football. And I'm trying to think of many games we've had like that in the Premier League this season. We seem to have gone into a negative mode. I don't know whether this is fair or it's just for circumstances, or I don't know whether it's tiredness, but it just seems to me there are not many teams that really, really go for it and play this adventurous football. I know we say, well, Real Madrid can't defend.

9:22Alan Shearer:then Bayern look dodgy at the back. Barcelona play the crazy high line. But we see an entertaining football when we watch them. And ultimately, that's what it should be about. Obviously, you want to win games. But are we getting that in the Premier League at the moment? It's tippy-tappy around the back. Goalkeeper plays it back. They wait. Then somebody waits up there until something happens. And then eventually, when they do get forward, there's usually so many players back that they come out and they regurgitate the ball and it goes around. and it's very different to what I've seen in some of the entertaining games in Germany and Spain in this season and look at PSG as well.

10:01Gary Lineker:Yeah, I would think so. Certainly this season, I think it's been more, I don't know, methodical. It's been slow. There's been more of it this season than any other season but I think we also have to remember that when you mentioned PSG there, don't forget PSG had the weekend off. Their league sort of helps them and protects them. And there's none of that from Premier League. I mean, Arsenal were up against Bournemouth being beaten at the weekend. Liverpool are playing their game and PSG have got the weekend off ready to prepare for Tuesday evening against Liverpool. And I guess the pace and the intensity and all of those things, it does catch up with Premier League teams at this time of year.

10:40Gary Lineker:There's no doubt about it. I would agree with what Alan said. But also, I think the biggest teams in Europe back themselves. If you look at PSG's front line-up, Dembele, Krabeskelia and Desiree Dewi, and they've got Barcola to come off the bench as well. If you look at Barcelona, well, Rashford didn't start, but they've got Laminya Mal, Olmo, and they've got Rashford to come off the bench. It's all high energy, isn't it? What we do in England, we say our league's the best, and I still think it's the most entertaining because you've got bottom teams taking points off the top teams and it's very physical and it's become very tactical.

11:21A lot of teams going in that low block. But in Europe, they back themselves. They back themselves. And this is why we all said at the start that Arsenal might do well because they're very good defensively and they can nick a goal when they need to. They might be boring, but the objective is to win the game, you know? And it's going to be really interesting to see how Arsenal set up against Atletico because they can defend too as well. So how's the game going to play out? That's going to be really intriguing to see.

11:50Alan Shearer:It is. It's funny, isn't it? We talk about Arsenal and we're going, oh, it's all going wrong. They're in the semi-finals, the Champions League and six points clear at the top of the Premier League table. If someone had said that at the start of the season, you'd go, yes, please. Seems a daft question, but does tonight's result help their belief or does it hinder it slightly? Because they weren't very good, but ultimately they did what they had to do and that was get through.

12:18Gary Lineker:Well, I would go back to last week because I asked the same question last week when they beat Sport and Lisbon away. I thought, here we go. The momentum and the belief and confidence will take them through and it should see them through the game against Bournemouth. But then they put in such a weak performance and Bournemouth really deserved their victory at the weekend. So the answer to that is I'm not sure. I guess it might help them going into such a gigantic game against City, knowing that if they were to win that, the league's probably there. So that's a great incentive.

12:49Alan Shearer:If it's a draw, I think that obviously favours Arsenal massively. I think City have to win. Again, how do they face the game, Arsenal? I mean, Arteta has gone very defensive against City on occasions. I suspect he might do the same thing because they're not really firing up front anyway. So it's going to be a, it's a huge game and it will have a massive impact on the rest of the season. So let's take a break there and then we'll discuss the other games when we come back. This segment is brought to you by Vegas. You're never short of games to watch during the summer of international football. This year, the competition is expanding to 48 teams for the first time in incredible 104 matches.

13:36Alan Shearer:in 39 days. And with that much football on, how would you like to watch it? On the TV? Do you prefer to be at the ground? No, forget that nonsense. At the ground. Forget the ground for a minute. You're in Vegas. We're talking about Las Vegas here, guys. Picture this. 25, 26 degrees. Celsius, not Fahrenheit, because I know there's always a discrepancy between Fahrenheit and Celsius. 80 degrees, Micah. 80 degrees. We can say both. Okay, say both. 80 degrees Fahrenheit. I'll say both. And you've got your shorts on. All, all, I won't say oiled up. All creamed up. Nice, son. You're glowing. And you're walking down the strip.

14:20You head to a pool party with a big screen, a few drinks. Nothing, nothing too much. Nothing too much. In a perfect setting. On a couple of beanbags or something. On a nice comfy chair. That has got to be the perfect way to watch it, no?

14:38Gary Lineker:Now you're talking, Big Meeks. Now you're talking. You can get behind that, Gazette.

14:45Alan Shearer:Yeah, the nice big screen, bit of sunshine would be perfect, wouldn't it? I think that's an ideal way to watch football myself. I think that's a really good shot. I've done that a few times over the years. Not obviously walking down in just my shorts and all the sun cream on like you, Mike. I can't quite pull it off. But I think there'll be a lot of places, and Vegas being one, where they'll have lots of places to watch the World Cup, multiple screens, et cetera, because there's so many games going on.

15:15Gary Lineker:Now you're getting me jealous. I'd rather be out there than actually working on it, I think.

15:19Alan Shearer:What's the best experience, or let's say atmosphere you've enjoyed when you've actually not been in a stadium? So an outside venue watching a game.

15:27Gary Lineker:It's got to be, again, with all your pals at someone's house or at a party or whatever. I don't think you can beat that. You know, when you've had a couple of beers and you're all in a good mood and the game's going on, it's a great atmosphere. Yeah, it's fantastic.

15:43Alan Shearer:And one important thing, your team winning.

15:45Gary Lineker:Yeah, that helps. To be honest, I went to the Super Bowl in Vegas. Did you? Oh, my. The experience, the hospitality, the energy from the ground was just... I've also been to World Cup final. because I'm a football man I would always say world cup final but in terms of energy half time show you've got Usher yeah yeah popping a lock oh it was fantastic yeah

16:13Alan Shearer:well there's no shortage of shows in Vegas I think you'd be a bit of Adele wouldn't you Al you'd be like Adele oh yeah she's always on in Vegas isn't she yeah yeah

16:22Gary Lineker:she's got a residency hasn't she yeah

16:24Alan Shearer:I'm more of a Cirque du Soleil man I think

16:30whoa Oh!