PSG vs Bayern: A Game For The Ages

14:17Alan Shearer:I suppose as well when you look at it, PSG are pretty much guaranteed to win the French League. I mean, they were trailing for a little while this season, but now I think they're about five points clear. I mean, Bayern Munich have absolutely cruised the league this season. So he's been able to rest certain players. Harry Kane's been left out and rested a little bit. He's had one or two little knocks as well. So I think it's a really interesting point. Yeah. But, you know, I suppose it's perhaps the price you pay a little bit for the competitive nature of our football.

14:54Gary Lineker:Yeah.

14:54Alan Shearer:I want to talk about the two front threes,

14:56Gary Lineker:which is the best of those two.

14:59Alan Shearer:And then I'll come on to all-time club best front threes. I mean, Kravash, Kael, Desiree Dewey and Dembele is pretty. Kravash, Kael, is on the left without doubt. He's unbelievable. You see how hard he works as well to get the ball back. And then he can go both ways. Kravash, Kael, has got to play on the left. And Lise on the right. Alise, I don't think he can say which one's better. I think you've got to mix the two. Alise is the best on the right, isn't he? You've got to say Alise. At the moment, I mean, yeah. I mean, we were talking about how you've let him go from the Premier League. I remember talking to Steve Parrish when he knew he was going to lose Eze and Alise.

15:43Alan Shearer:And he went, Alise is the one. He's a superstar. He said, I don't think people realise yet. He said, but he's so, so special. and he's been proven absolutely right.

15:54Gary Lineker:Do you know what was so refreshing about the front threes last night in terms of not only the running off the ball, but as soon as they got the ball, the first thought was, one, either I'm putting the ball or two, I'm going out the fullback. There was hardly any thought of I'm just going to knock it back. That for me was the big thing last night, is how positive both teams were, passing forward, running forward. the standard of both front threes was just it was magnificent it was great to be there and watch it

16:25Alan Shearer:it was Harry Kane as well he got his goal obviously and also that pass for Diaz I mean what a ball so clever at that his all round game is I mean it's really incredible and he drops so deep a lot of times but well we saw didn't with England when he drops deep we didn't have the players go past but obviously that is not the case with Bayern and they've got loads of players that go. And sometimes there are three or four players in the box, and he's not one of them.

16:51Gary Lineker:Yeah, exactly.

16:52Alan Shearer:But he's such an intelligent footballer, Harry Kane. He really is. Let's take a break here. And when we come back, I'm going to put it alongside one or two of the all-time front threes, and we'll perhaps compare and get a view on that.

17:16Alan Shearer:Welcome back to The Rest is Football with Alan Shearer, Michael Richards and me, Gary Lineker. I did say before the break, we're going to discuss front threes. For starters, there are only five front threes that have ever scored a combined total of 100 goals or more. Really? Yeah, certainly in recent times. Since 2013-14, this is. So Kane, Diaz and Lise have sneaked in there. They've now got 100. Obviously, the PSG guys have not played as much football, so they've not made 100 goals, but they are absolutely fabulous, aren't they? They really are. So then in fourth place, also with 100 goals, was Ronaldo, Benzema and Gareth Bale.

18:05Alan Shearer:That was 2014-15. Top three, any ideas? Messi, Neymar, Suarez. Yep, that's one of them. And the other two? Messi's got to be in it again. Yep. Messi. Neymar, Suarez. Oh, okay. All three. All three. Oh, wow. In 2015-16, 131. Wow. In 2014-15, 122. and in third place, 111 goals in 2016-17. I mean, Messi, Suarez and Neymar. I mean, that's just about... It's impossible to get better than that. But I think these two front threes, along with perhaps certainly that Real Madrid one, would have to be, I would say, the next... I can't think of anything that gets remotely close.

19:03Gary Lineker:Got everything.

19:04Alan Shearer:Yeah.

19:04Gary Lineker:It's just a joy to watch, it really was. I mean, that's why you pay the entrance fee, to go and watch players like that. And they more than put on a show last night for whoever paid for a ticket. It was great value for money. Yeah, I mean, if you look at Real Madrid, they play with two up front now, because it's changed. Yeah, it's different now, yeah. You would like to think Vinicius, Mbappe, and another one could challenge for that in the years. They're still good ages. I mean, Mbappe's been a bit unlucky, hasn't he? He leaves PSG to win the Champions League. He goes to Real Madrid.

19:39Alan Shearer:Could he play the way he plays with Mbappe, Luis Enrique? There's a fascinating couple of clips that I've seen where Luis Enrique is talking about his work ethic and stuff like that. Pressing, you've got to contribute, however good you are. And he doesn't really like running back. And all the players at PSG, they really do, don't they? So it's part of the game. but I mean it's hard to be too critical on Papé I mean what's he got 41 goals in 41 games or something this season in a team that's not been really that good yeah

20:09Gary Lineker:he's different isn't he to what they are but yeah I'm not I think there's no coincidence that they are a brilliant team now and they weren't when he was there for obvious reasons

20:24Alan Shearer:can you remember who was the coach of Messi, Suarez and Neymar Enrique wasn't it Louis Henrique they won the treble at Barcelona yeah what a team that was yeah so yes it's ridiculous but yes it's ridiculous yeah it's ridiculous yeah no the other one I was thinking about Real Madrid was Vinicius Mbappe and Rodrigo remember when Rodrigo was on absolute fire I thought I thought it was going to be those three who was going to leave it he's got a bad injury as well hasn't he so yeah and he's had his injuries and stuff but yeah it's going to be interesting which was the best goal in that game that was nine goals obviously the dodgy penalty decision I like Kravitz Skelly as one yeah it was brilliant I just love how direct he was and he could have went both ways drop a shoulder Diaz's goal

21:14Gary Lineker:the pass and the touch and the finish was brilliant yeah Diaz's goal was good even at Lise's Lise's goal although the keeper he's got in the middle of the goal but the way he just yeah there was some brilliant strikes Imagine being a keeper in that game. Oh, my God. I mean, you should have saved that one. I just felt it would have been rude to even say that just because of... Do you know what? They were just having... It was great to see because it looked as if they were just playing in a park with school football or something. It was like they were just having so much fun. It was great.

21:49Alan Shearer:It was joyous. That's what it was. Absolutely joyous. Arsenal. I mean, it's a decent result away from home. I mean, there are different ways to win football matches and different styles to win competitions. I think you've said it, Mike, if there's one team that can perhaps play against and beat either PSG or Bayern, it might be Arsenal with the way they know how to defend. I mean, it's hard to look against either Bayern or PSG at present, but Arsenal have got themselves in a reasonable position. Unfortunately not to win the game, given the decisions that went against them, But they'd have taken that result, I think, before.

22:30Yeah, but I think we've got to look at the bigger picture. We've just been utilising about all these front threes and going back in history, in recent history. When you look at Arsenal's front three, they haven't got the confidence that the other players have. They're all good players. Martínez is a good player. I know Jokeres gets stick. He's a very good player. and Madweke, I know Saka's coming back from injury and he's going to come on in the game. But they need to do more. Arsenal can't now just rely on set pieces. So they've got a set piece against Newcastle with a short corner and Arsenal are very dangerous.

23:09Defensively, I back Arsenal more than anyone left in the competition to sneak a result, get a 1-0. But they need more from the midfield and the attack because everything's too slow. No one's taking as much risk. They need to believe in themselves. Do you remember in October when they played each other, Arsenal against Atletico, and they need to play with that swagger again. Yes, there's a couple of set pieces in that game, but if it was oozing that confidence, if Arsenal get that confidence back, I know it's a little bit different now because at the end of the season, it's pressure. We've been saying that for a while, haven't we?

23:48I know.

23:49Alan Shearer:Do you know what? I think there are some players that they've missed. I think Saka they've missed. Obviously, he's not played that much. And he's kind of injury-led season in many ways. I think Calafiore and Timber have a real energy about them. And I think they've missed that. And I don't see that much energy in the side at the moment, particularly in those four. but you'd see Timber in the box a lot bombing forward, Calafiore bombing forward.

24:21Gary Lineker:Yeah, we did analysis on that early on about how important they were to the way Arsenal play and how clever they were in getting into forward positions. But don't remember, it was just 18 months ago, we were talking about the partnership with Ben White and Saka. Ben White overlapping, Saka getting crosses into the box and all that sort of stuff. I think it's more coming from the manager now. I know there's sort of change of shape in the game, but he's playing with essentially four centre-halves at the back, isn't he? And he doesn't really want them to go. He wants to be a bit more defensive. But I totally agree with Timber because Timber, I think he made a difference.

24:58And in terms of the stats going forward, yes, he was very good defensively, but when he arrived in the box, he just caused chaos and he had a little bit of calmness as well on the ball. So I would agree with that. But I still think Ben White could be utilised in that position and do a good job like he's done before. but they're not playing that way anymore, you know?

25:18Gary Lineker:I thought they did all right. Particularly first half, I thought they were good. They were a better team. They silenced the quiet in the crowd and they were a better team first half. But Atletico came out a lot better in the second half. And yeah, I think it's a decent result for them, but it's a tough one to call because two, I don't know, two stubborn sides, I would say, I would guess. Yeah, similarities. A lot less flair in that game than there certainly was in last night's game. But you've just never known a one-off game, do you? You just never know in terms of style of play and all of that.

25:54Gary Lineker:But it's a tough one to call Arsenal. Who's going to get through? As is the other one, actually. It's a strange one, you know, because I've been watching Atletico for a while now. I know Al, you've been doing the Champions League. But actually, they don't normally play like that. You know, subconsciously, we think Atletico, they're just going to have men behind the ball or whatnot. No, they've not been playing like that. But they've not been playing like that at all. They've been playing out from the back, taking risks. As soon as it gets to the Champions League semi-final, they revert back to what we all expect of them.

26:24Alan Shearer:I thought in the second half, they played more like they've done this season. They needed a goal, though, didn't they? They needed a goal and they pushed for it and they were trying to get the second one. So, yes, that's normally how they've been playing. I tell you, he's still a good player. still a really good player Antoine Griezmann oh my god clever such a clever like footballer isn't he such a good player so is Alvarez by the way oh yeah oh yeah

26:49Gary Lineker:I don't know whether he's going to be injured or not for next week

26:52Alan Shearer:he's been linked with Arsenal hasn't he and Barcelona all the big clubs you'd expect that good player really good player who's going through to the final both games that's how we'll end this

27:05Gary Lineker:PSG and Arsenal Micah Yeah, I think PSG, I'm going player for player. And if they're going to go and play again like they did in the first leg, I think PSG just edge it on individual brilliance. Just edge it just a little bit, just a little bit. I'm giving it even 51-49%. That's how close I think it is. Plus they've got the goal advantage. So I would say PSG. Arsenal at the Emirates. I think it depends what happens against Fulham. if we get a good result against Fulham then I think Arsenal

27:39Alan Shearer:go for them you guys I'm going to go I'm going to go Brexit on the PSG game 52-48 I think Arsenal 65-35 in their favour I think I think they're going to I've got a few Arsenal going to win I know this is mental but I think they might miss out on the league and win the Champions League really could do I mean it would be a bit mad because they've never won that competition. And in a way, I think some of the fans might be a bit disappointed with that, but they shouldn't be. They would be exceptionally special, particularly if they managed to get to the final and beat either of these absolutely fabulous sides.

28:22Alan Shearer:But whoever wins that game has to be a strong favourite in the final for me. So there we have it. We shall see. We're often wrong, though. But we'll find out. Well, we'll find out who's the final next week. It's great that it comes around next week. So can't wait for that. But that's it for this episode. We'll be back with our usual Monday episode, looking at a big weekend of Premier League football. But for now, goodbye from me. Goodbye from me.

28:51Gary Lineker:Goodbye from me.