Mbappe’s Scintillating Form Continues, Barca’s Unlikely Match Winner & Antony’s Brace Saves Betis

0:00Coming up on today's show, Kylian Mbappe.

0:04Alan Shearer:Real Madrid grind out another three points against the nine men from Getafe as Kylian Mbappe scores yet again. Barcelona needed an injury time winner from the unlikely source of Ronald Araujo to claim all three points against Girona. Barcelona have stolen it. Thiago Almada scored the only goal of the game as Atletico Madrid made it eight games without defeat in the league. And a certain Anthony scores twice as the Real Betis fight back to earn a point at Villarreal. Stay tuned for all the action.

0:51Hello and welcome to The Rest is Football La Liga with Alex Algeo and me, Gary Lika. We're back after another of those international breaks. I used to quite like international breaks when I did much of the day because it meant I'd get the occasional weekend off.

1:06Alan Shearer:now I hate them like all other football fans but we're back running again Alex but you you've had something quite important over the last few days little little birthday did I see same birthday 21 again no I wish I wish but yes it was my birthday on Friday I went to Madrid during the international break and then celebrated my birthday at the weekend which was no not in Madrid I came back for my birthday. It takes longer to recover these days. It definitely does. Wait till you get to my age. When you get to my age, though, I'll be dead. Don't say that, Gary. Don't say that. Right. Let's start with something.

1:48Alan Shearer:There was a few demonstrations, weren't there? The games during the weekend in La Liga because of this proposed game in Miami, I believe, isn't it between Villarreal and Barcelona. Yep. There was a similar idea muted a couple of seasons ago about possibly the Premier League doing something similar by having a game in America. And the fans don't like it. I understand why, because I mean, there are some people that like to follow their team everywhere and, and that's going to make it very difficult and very expensive for fans. It's hard really to see a positive in this. I can absolutely understand where the fans are coming from in this.

2:34Alan Shearer:I suppose it's not on the scale, but it's Max a little bit of the old Super League thing. How would you have felt as a player had they told you you had to go off to Miami to play a league fixture? Well, I don't think the players will like it. I mean, obviously they probably can't speak up. They might like it if they get a week off after and have a little bit of a holiday over there, I would think. Miami Beach. But, you know, travelling all that way and obviously a different kind of fan-supporting experience because most fans in there would probably be neutral, although I think obviously the majority will support Barcelona.

3:11Alan Shearer:If they do go and tuck someone like Real Madrid, they'd have massive support. So it would be like a home game in some ways, but it is different. We saw it in the summer, didn't we? at the Met life it felt like the Bernabeu and Real Madrid were playing there so much support over there but can completely understand the frustrations of the players and they made it clear I suppose what La Liga are trying to do is grow the interest in La Liga so you can understand perhaps the thinking around it but also is it fair is it fair on the team that has to go there if it's only one game and say it's a you know a home game for a side and then they don't get that advantage of home support.

3:54Alan Shearer:I can see why, I totally get why fans are disgruntled. Yeah. And to not send all the La Liga sides. Fine, maybe have one whole match week out there with all the La Liga teams rather than just the Barcelona players, jet lag, tired in the middle of a, actually probably one of the most crucial times of the season as well, isn't it? That Christmas period. It is. I mean, obviously they don't have the mad Christmas spell like they do in England for the Premier League where there's loads more fixtures, which is a bit bonkers really, but it's tradition. So I get that. But yeah, again, we have to look at players' welfare.

4:34Alan Shearer:Yes, always people say, yeah, but they paid a fortune. They know that. That's not the point. The point is this is generally at the expense of fans. So if you've got tired footballers, you get tired football. And tired football generally produces boring football. And that's the last thing you want. So I think they need to think long and hard about going ahead, what they're going to do with the situation. I completely understand why they want to play La Liga matches out there. So obviously super important, but there's a summer for that. There's pre-season tours, competitions. I know there's a World Cup coming up, so that will make it pretty difficult.

5:10But there are other opportunities to go out there.

5:14Alan Shearer:OK, let's move on to the football. Real Madrid just about managed to win. It was still 0-0 with 15 minutes to go. Then there was a kind of bonkers red card. We'll discuss it in a minute. But first, let's see how it played out. Camavinga nips in and Rodrigo nips away. and releases Kylian Mbappe. It's Kylian Mbappe, Saria makes a save. Well, a first sight of goal for the Frenchman, comfortably onside. At that point, he thought there was only one outcome. It'll be David Alaba with four in the wall.

5:59It's Alaba, it's saved by Saria. Valverde whistles one across the face of goal.

6:11Ooh, there's been an incident off the ball here involving Vinicius Junior and Alan Nyom, who's not been on the field long, won't be on the field long.

6:27Here, Militao. Ardegula. Kylian Mbappe! Kylian Mbappe scores again. and Real Madrid make their one-man advantage count very quickly indeed. And for an 11th game for club and country, Kylian Mbappe is on the score sheet once again.

6:55Took a touch from the keeper, took a touch from the post, but still found its way in.

7:06And it's Oshinyo.

7:12Oh, in goes Alex Sancres, who was a little late there. He has been booked. And the ten is about to become nine. And Alex Sancres has surely just distinguished any chance that Itafe have of getting anything from this game. It is over. It wasn't pretty. But Real Madrid have done enough. And for the second successive season here, They win by a goal to nil.

7:38Alan Shearer:Well, that was hard work, wasn't it? For Real Madrid, Alex. I mean, Mbappe did it again. Another goal, really important goal. He had one or two other chances as well. A couple of good saves, but I suppose the turning point was this crazy red card for Neom. I always thought it sounded when commentators did his name when he used to play for Watford, he used to sound like Neom. when the car goes past and he was that fast in this game that he got sent off in seconds yeah what was it the definition of an impact sub that just impact for Real Madrid not for Getafe but what do you think it was a high arm on Vanessa's junior could have gone either way do we call it an orange that I think so I think a yellow would have sufficed yeah I think I mean it wasn't an out and out he didn't try and do him it's just his arms come up yes he struck him but But I don't think there was any real, you know, grievous intent to harm anybody on that one.

8:37Alan Shearer:I think, yeah, it's an important decision. Imagine doing that. I mean, there's nobody that's going to come on and deliberately try and elbow someone in the head in 30 seconds. No. Well, it would in my day. Someone like Vinny Jones. Get away with it. Maybe he'd done that. But he would probably be the only exception I can think of. So it made a difference because that's a big three points for Real Madrid. Yeah. Kylian Mbappe scoring almost immediately after that red card. Ardegula setting him up. What connection that is, by the way, Ardegula and Kylian Mbappe, people comparing it to Mesut Ozil and Cristiano Ronaldo.

9:13But a word for Ardegula, who's been absolutely brilliant this season. He signed for Real Madrid July 2023, had to be patient the last couple of seasons, but it really feels like this is going to be his breakout season, isn't it? Ardegula and Kylian Mbappe he's so good isn't he he's so we did the Kylian Mbappe special and you compared him to Ronaldo Nazario but that 180 because it is back to goal didn't he when he when he received the ball from Ardegula and one touch 180 degree turn it's exactly what our nine would have done back in the day wasn't it but that brilliant brilliant from Kylian Mbappe saved the day for Real Madrid

9:49Alan Shearer:yeah absolutely superb um he's absolutely smashing it at the moment along with I suppose in Europe up at the minute you go Harland and Harry Kane. Those three are just the numbers that they're doing, that they're delivering. Quite incredible. Yeah. At the moment. 11 games in a row in all competitions for club and country. A pretty good run. It's not bad, is it? What was the longest run you went on, Gary? Scoring. About 35 yards was the longest run I ever made. I don't, do you know what? I've no idea. Was it not like that back in the day? I've no idea. As in it wasn't everywhere. No, it was different nowadays.

10:24Alan Shearer:It's all over social media. I had these conversations with Alan Shearer. One in two was really good back in our time. But now the big dogs are scoring a goal a game. And you can see why. Obviously, a lot of law changes that help forwards, way more penalties. They're all on penalties. Can't just boot people up in the air anymore. The pitches are way better. Teams building out from the back, which always creates a few opportunities for you. So all sorts of different reasons why defenders, teams, I think now you've got footballers at the back rather than just out and out. Defenders makes a big difference as well.

11:02Alan Shearer:But it's great to see. And Mbappe is, we mentioned it in our special on Kylian Mbappe. And if you haven't heard it, it's up there on our feed. Please do so. The way he's converted himself into a top class centre forward in much the similar way that Cristiano did. deserves to be applauded. And he's proving a match winner and he looks very, very happy with life. You mentioned Arda Goulair there, creating that and that little connection that those two players had. And it's interesting to see what I think happened with Jude. Obviously, Goulair didn't start in the fixture over the weekend, but he came on and made the difference.

11:40Alan Shearer:Bellingham played, what, 80 odd minutes, 86 minutes, which he's coming back from injury. It'd be interesting to see how he fits them both in because Goulet's kind of more of a natural 10. I think Bellingham's best position personally anyway is playing as an eight because he's got great legs in terms of his athleticism. He can get up and down. He's hugely intelligent. He can defend and he can attack. And I think you get all his strengths in that position. I know that he played at 10 mostly last season, nearly all season and for England as well. But I honestly think that for me, that's his position.

12:14Alan Shearer:I think he's better running directly at players than perhaps with his back to goal. He might disagree. I don't know. Yeah. But back to Arda Gula starting matches, he surely has to be starting week in, week out. But as you say, Xabi's got to find a way to play him and Jude together. But it wasn't straightforward for Real Madrid, by the way. Getafe went down to nine men. Vinicius Junior getting San Crist sent off. and then in the 96th minute with Atafe down to nine men Thibaut Courtois stepped up a brilliant save to deny Abu Kamara but I think that's a sign of a really good goalkeeper isn't it? He hadn't had a lot to do during the game but in big moments like that when it matters he stepped up That would have been a bit a bit of red-faced Madridistas if that had gone in wouldn't they?

13:07I think the game ended sort of on a sour note anyway after that you know had they gone on and scored a couple more but I think the fact that they knew they almost conceded and weren't convincing they've got Juve in the Champions League and then obviously massive game at the Bernabeu the Clasico at the weekend but they go into it I would think fairly confidently because they've had you know they've had a good run of results they're not I don't think they're playing brilliantly at the moment they're not free flying but they've been difficult to beat at score at the bat I think that's four clean sheets now isn't it this season

13:41Alan Shearer:which is probably a shift on things from last season. Javi Alonso's tightened them up a little bit in that sense. They've got Juve, but Juve, they got beaten by Como actually at the weekend, 2-0. Cesc Fabricas, shout out to him. He's so good. I mean, they're up to, I think, fifth place now in Serie A. I know that's different to La Liga, but he is Spanish. So I think we're allowed to talk about Cesc. Yes, we're allowed to talk about Cesc. I always thought they had the mind of a potentially really top manager or coach from working with him on television so often. And it seems to me that he's proven that to be the case.

14:20It wasn't easy either for Barcelona, was it? Shall we have a little look at their highlights?

14:25Alan Shearer:A last-ditch winner from a central defender turned striker, Ronald Araujo. Laminya Mao. Pedri. He's taken the seat route round and found the corner. Pedri was crabbing his way sideways for a moment, but threaded a path to goal.

14:52Porto's corner, heading up and away. Kept alive, Witzel! Oh, what about that? Axel Witzel with an acrobatic equaliser. Barcelona not in front for long and that is a fine way to draw level

15:17Marcus Rashford off the crossbar and down and now both teams have hit the frame of the goal in a relatively short space of time Malz corner Here come four, Kubassi, it's in, but it won't count. Quickly disallowed. The referee made a very sharp decision there. The time is ticking away here, and Hansi Flick has been sent off. And his frustration just mounting in these final minutes as Barcelona search for a winner. Barcelona come again. Rajo is still forward. Barcelona have stolen it. And their hero is the most unlikely one. Ronaldo Rajo still forward and grabs the winning goal. Well, Alex, I mean, Madrid left it fairly late, but Barcelona left it even later.

16:26Yep, yep. relying on a makeshift striker in Ronald Arrajo to come on and make the difference. Apparently, Hansi Flick said to him before he went on, like, are you sure? Can you go on and play there? And he said, yeah, absolutely. But maybe sometimes that's what it takes, isn't it?

16:41Alan Shearer:Well, it's funny, you know, because I go back to when I was there and, you know, people talk about, you know, total football and then they'll say, oh, I've heard it talked about many teams where they've stuck a centre-half up front at the end because they're trailing or they need a goal. And people said, oh, he's supposed to be all about total football and stuff. I remember Johan Cruyff when he was the coach, you know, the great Johan Cruyff, who was an incredible coach. When we were playing at Barcelona back then, if we were trailing or even level with five, 10 minutes to go, he used to stick Alex Sanko, who was the center half, big guy, used to stick him up front and hoof the ball into the box.

17:21Alan Shearer:Did it work? Or the total football you like. Even the greats will revert to that because why not? And it occasionally works, although it wasn't a headed goal like you'd perhaps expect. It was actually a striker's goal because he just nipped in front of the defender at the near post and got enough contact on it to send it into the far corner. Massive difference between drawing at home and winning at home. But I think they are missing a little bit the camp now as well. they need to get back there at some point. Yeah, hopefully soon. But they are missing key players as well in what they've been. No Rafinha, no Ferran, no Lewandowski, no Dani Olmo.

18:00So it was 17-year-old Tony Fernandes who made his La Liga debut against Girona, playing a striker with Jamal and Marcus Rashford on the flanks. Rashford played well, I thought. He didn't get a goal, but it came so close, didn't he? You actually put it into the group chat, that chance he had. The finest margins. Unbelievable that that didn't go in.

18:23Alan Shearer:Brilliant free kick, wasn't it? Brilliant free kick. I mean, it really was just a fraction off being perfect. So a bit unlucky there. He also had a good effort in the second half, which was fabulously saved by the Girona goalkeeper. So I think Marcus is, you know, still, I mean, people said, didn't they, when he went there, well, is he going to get a game? And we always said, well, there'd be the odd injury. I mean, they've had more injuries than we would have thought. But he is playing week in, week out at the moment. He's a go-to for a pansy flick, it seems. And he's performing. Yeah, he is performing.

18:55As is Pedri, who scored the first goal. Do you think he should be scoring more goals?

19:01Alan Shearer:Well, I think everyone wants to score more goals, but he's got such an all-round game and he covers so much ground. He's so brilliant on the ball. He did give it away once that led to an opportunity to Girona. So he is human. but he's finished I mean you can see that there are more goals in there but he's not a natural goal scorer doesn't get into the box very often but around the edge of the box he's dangerous I mean the way he cut in and cut in he knew exactly what he was doing and where he wanted to put that ball and it was perfectly executed so he's an incredibly talented player but the high line again calls Barcelona I mean I know it's one of the reasons that they can play the way they do but I mean there are two instances where where Girona went through one-on-ones.

19:48Alan Shearer:Chesney did well on one of them and hit the post on the other. But it was once they're playing so high, they're actually on the halfway line and the striker was in his own half. And you just think... You imagine if they drew someone like Manchester City in the Champions League and Erling Haaland playing up against that, they will be in deep doo-doo. They couldn't play like that, surely. Surely they wouldn't play like that against a Manchester City side with Erling Haaland in it. Might be 8-9-0. Well, it wouldn't because they'll score goals at the same time. It might be 8-7. This is very true. Something like that.

20:29Alan Shearer:That's his way. That's his philosophy. That's what he believes in. And one thing you can say, it's highly entertaining. Yeah, it is highly entertaining. But let's see what they do at the Bernabeu at the weekend. because Mbappe will be licking his lips as well, won't he? Big Champions League games as well at a time where they've got injuries. So that could take its toll on Barcelona at the moment. Lewandowski's going to be out for a while, isn't he? It's Laminj Mal, it's important that he came, started the game, got some minutes, played pretty well. So he'll surely be back from the starting line-up, I would think, in the Clásico.