PSG put four past Barca as Rio inspires Liverpool comeback

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2:06The Athletic FC.

2:13Tony Football Show, Extra Wednesday Edition. Today, Parisians run riot, but no one protesting as PSG and Barca serve up another Champions League classic. Yellow submarines on Merseyside and a fab four goals for Liverpool too as they down Villarreal with a thumbs up for Macca. We'll discuss those games, plus City beating AEK, Spurs winning a match, and other strange tales of the week so far in this Totally Football Show.

2:48Wednesday 21st of October. Hey, thanks for joining us on this Extra Totally Football Show, rounding up Tuesday's action, a little bit of Monday as well. Who do we have on board? Colin Miller's here. Hello, James. All right there, Colin. Also, Duncan Alexander. Hi. To you too, Duncan.

3:05Julien Laurens: And Julian, Julian Laurence. Hello, Jimbo. Hey, nice shirt, Julian. It could only be a PSG shirt today, you know. So a time where the team was good, but not as good as it is today, obviously. Okay. What vintage is that then? Late 90s, early 2000s. Yeah. The Nicolas Tanelka return. Oui. Okay. After all those years. Before they banned Opal Fruits. Yeah. That's right, Duncan. Duncan's eyes still bloodshot after second screening against all medical advice, both the game at the Parc des Princes and the one at Anfield. So that's what, 13 goals? I mean, many, many goals. Many, many goals. You know, you were doing the same thing, I think, Colin.

3:46Yeah, I was. I think this Champions League, it's a bit like a breakfast buffet, you know, at the hotels, right? Oh, yeah. It's sort of like you get that initial feast, you get that hit of food, but at what point does it become empty calories? Boy, that's a question, isn't it? That's a question. We were talking about pancakes before, and here you are with the breakfast buffet. You know, you've got a little bit of continental. You've got some hot food. You know, we should move on. But I would ask, what meal do you prefer having a buffet at? Breakfast, lunch or dinner? I think it's breakfast. Is it?

4:21Yeah.

4:22Julien Laurens: I agree. Really? I'd say dinner. No. Yeah. I think, yeah. I have to say, greatest buffet I ever had was a breakfast buffet at a hotel in Manila, which is not there anymore. It's a hotel in Manila. And their breakfast was rated the greatest hotel breakfast in Asia. It was extraordinary. I think with the dinner option, depending on where you are, it can be anything, right? But breakfast tends to be... You can't eat too much at dinner with a breakfast. You can really go for it. Not if you're on camera. Anyway, you know what? There were loads of games played and there was a smorgasbord of goals type thing.

4:5740 goals across the nine, we're calling it? Nine matches? Nine matches. Six goals in Paris as PSG brought Barcelona's winning streak to an abrupt end. 4-2 that finish. six goals in Manchester where Man City beat AEK Athens 5-1 Phil Foden claiming a hat-trick against the Greeks seven goals on Merseyside Liverpool surviving a bit of a scare there against Villarreal they went two goals down eventually winning 4-3 it's only the second time they've come back from two goals down to win a European Cup match curiously the other time was against Villarreal as well so you'd think they'd have learned it's not a very dangerous lead so it kind of makes sense 4-3 was the score in Naples too.

5:39Napoli beating Boroglint to claim their first win of this campaign. Scott McTominay with a brace, although Politano's opener was the pick of the bunch. Elsewhere, Roma also got off the mark with a 4-0 win over Slovan Bratislava. Dortmund beat Azebizani champions Sabah away in Baku 2-1. It was 1-0 for PSV away in Porto. And Stuttgart Atletico finished 1-1. Actually, it was a draw two for Fernabashi and Slavia Praha, 2-2 in one of the early games. Also, on Monday night, the last winless team in England's top seven divisions finally picked up a victory. It was Tottenham Hotspur beating Coventry 3-1 in the Premier League and leaping out of the bottom three in the process.

6:26We'll touch on that game a little bit later, but let's begin with events en Paris. This is the Totally Football Show with James Richardson, part of the Athletic FC Podcast Network. We duels Paris Saint-Germain 4, Barcelona 2, a game which PSG ran away with in the last 15 minutes or so. A game which features 40 shots, 10 Ballon d 'Or nominees, and no less than four 19-year-old La Mazzia graduates.

6:58Julien Laurens: Yeah, which was impressive. Very impressive. Very impressive. Well, this is the second week in a row that PSG have taken on one of the European giants and beaten them 4-2. This one was a bit more even than the affair at the Etihad. Yes, certainly. I mean, the Etihad, as we said, was a game of two halves. City came back strong in the second half. This game was, I still thought PSG were the better team. And I think Hansi Flick and Anthony Gordon, I think there was a few in Barcelona who agreed to that too. and they deserve their win. But at 2-2, it's really, I think, in the balance. And it's Lucas Hernandez the most unlikely of heroes.

7:36Julien Laurens: Why is he playing? That's the question. That's exactly why. Everybody back home in the days previewing the game when I, you know, he can't play. He has to be Zaire Emery. I thought it would be Zaire Emery who then came on to replace Lucas Hernandez who had cramps who could not continue and then make some mistakes and gift Lamine a goal for Barca to come back at 2-2 when PSG were in control. So this was the thing because Nuno Mendes who'd done such a great job at the World Cup against Lumin Yamal and the spectre of having Lucas Dean up against him it was too terrifying for Luis Enrique to contemplate.

8:11Julien Laurens: Lucas Dean who's been disappointing since he moved to Paris in the summer to be fair. But Lucas Hernandez He's probably tired from his riot squad activities. He discussed that he looks like a hardcore Sorry, I'm getting off the beaten track. No, but the last time Lucas Hernandez started in the Champions League was 18 months ago and at his age with a very limited amount of game time that he's had for the club in the last I don't know year or so you just didn't think it was a good idea against Lamine L 'Equipe gave him 9 out of 10 9 out of 10 which is incredible for a defender who okay scored a goal and a great goal like him on and sure but 9 out of 10 it's just it's more you've given him a bit more because it was just so unexpected how good he was and how I think average he made Lamin look because from Lamin point of view it's a terrible game Right Okay and then Lamin Yeah but the goal okay the goal he's that good of course he can score a goal but he lost the ball 20 times 12 in the first half only there's only one Sean Tiger which is the goal it's a great goal but there's just there's not enough from a player like him and that's probably because of Lucas Hernandez which I never thought I would say that this morning Okay who else got really high scores from Liky?

9:25Julien Laurens: Desiree Dway again with that stellar performance and he can be so so so so good he's so gifted he works hard and the way he took his goal again he said okay it's a high recovery from PSG it's a poor pass from Lamine but Joanne Heves does well the run I think for nothing from Fabian Ruiz helps Dway but then in such a small space small area for Dway to be able to find And just the half a yard that would enable him from shooting like he did is just fantastic. He's only 21 years old, but he's so, so good. And in a season of so many deflected goals, it was lovely to see that didn't get a deflection.

10:03Like almost impossible for it not to, but it didn't. Remarkable. Remarkable. That was the opening goal. Then Barcelona came back. Then Hernandez put the hosts ahead again. And then Jamal again equalized with that brilliant goal. What was behind the dominance of the last 15 minutes, do you think?

10:24Julien Laurens: So I don't think this PSG team can go 90 minutes at that intensity that we saw in the first half at City and even in the first half at the Paris des Princes on Tuesday. I think they're still a bit short of that kind of energy. So they had that deep in the second half where they struggled a little bit more to just keep the ball and press as efficiently as they did in the first half. But then, as it can happen often when you've got a time where you're just not on top of things, then that energy just comes back a bit. The changes, I think, work because Akliush had a lot of energy and Zaire Emery, to be fair, apart from the mistake on the Lamin goal, also, I thought, brought a lot.

11:02Julien Laurens: And then you've got the likes of Joe Neves and Fabian Ruiz, who I don't know how they do it. But there's a moment where Joe Neves, right at the end, I think Pedri has the ball almost on the edge of the box of PhD and Joe Neves had run 60 yards to go and just pinch the ball off him. and it's just him and Fabian Ruiz have been I think exceptional in the game yesterday all the way to the end Fabian with the goal and I think Fabian is so underrated for the player that he is I don't know what you think Colin but I just think he's a wonderful wonderful player smart player and that any team would need Fabian in the 11 and Fabian Ruiz holds the world record for international appearances without ever losing a match 52 games for Spain he's never lost but that that midfield trio you're right Jules Neves, Vettinia and Fabian Ruiz are, I mean, I know PSG are a world-class team, but I think they are, they're the players who I think aren't valued just to the same extent that they actually, what they give to the team.

11:58And when you're playing Barcelona, a team who, you know, the way in which they play and the way in which they love the ball and they love sort of having possession so high up the pitch, that just didn't really translate into this match at all. And I think then that has the knock-on effect for a player like Lamin-Yamal and even Rafinha as well, players who have had such a high level this season, but just weren't quite at it. last night. I mean, Barcelona were competitive in this match. I think, you know, they had quite a lot of chances themselves, but the game really did get away from them in that final 20, 25 minutes.

12:28And PSG had more shots on target. There was 15 from PSG than Bayern Munich did against Barcelona when they beat them 8-2. Really? Yeah. Sorry, say that again. So whenever Barcelona lost 8-2 to Bayern Munich in 2020, it was COVID time, there was 13 shots on target from Bayern. There was 15 last night from PSG. Just in that period? No, no, in the entire match but it does sort of speak to the to the level of maybe not dominance but certainly the chances that were created we're talking about Munich remember the game last season the 5-4 when everyone was like well the greatest game

13:01Julien Laurens: do you remember that game nearly every shot went in and PSG was scoring like low XG shots like last night there were 12 up to define big chances and 10 of them were missed so I think it was a good game but it could have been I think if a few more of those had gone in it would have been deemed a classic. I don't know. I feel that at this point of the season and the comments from Barcelona afterwards that Hansi Fitt didn't seem unduly bothered. Rodri left out the starting line-up. Jules, you made the point. Was he suited for this match anyway? Possibly not, given that they conceded three when he was on the field.

13:32Well, I heard PSG were left baffled because Barca, you know, resting players for a league game. PSG were like, sorry, what? But what a league game. They have the Clasico coming up this weekend. But yes, Hansi Fitt at the end didn't seem unduly worried. He would have preferred to win, etc. I don't know. That game in the knockouts was a little bit more jeopardy and a little bit more significance. But this was fantastic. The bad news, though, were the injuries. Paris Saint-Germain coming out of this very badly not. So Dembele.

14:05Julien Laurens: Dembele early on, yeah. With a look like a hamstring. Who else? Dani Olmo for Barcelona. But most seriously of all. Ravaskalia, yeah. Ravaskalia. and he's picked up an ACL injury. The fear that that's the case, yeah. Okay. We will know more today because the scans are today but you could tell even before doing the proper x-ray scans and everything if the knee is bad and he could not put his foot on the floor when he came out but even a few hours after that so it's not looking good at all. Wow, okay. We said that about just finishing Barcelona we said that and it's not important because they will still finish top eight and they will still qualify but the day before the game in the press conferences both Pedro and Ansiflik also said this is a good game for us to see where we are what kind of level we are and what's the answer then and I think it's the first time they really faced a top team let's be honest because they were great so far in the league and in Europe playing Feyenoord or Galatasaray or maybe Sevilla would you say or Atletic Club maybe when you look at the table the Liga table at the minute the only team they played were in the top half at the minute were Betis and that was the weekend game and that was heavily conditioned by the red card.

15:16They conceded two in that game, it could have been more. Barcelona's defending is this issue, right? They're such a great team, they're such an exciting team to watch but they've now conceded at least one goal in 18 Champions League games in a row. Last night isn't one that you can really take loads from in the sense that the players had to come in and change. They had quite a few defensive injuries, Rodri didn't start. But Barcelona, when they don't have the play in front of them, I always worry about them, I always worry about them and it's been this case in Europe for over a decade since they got to the final and when you look at the players they've had and the talent that they've had in that team in that time it does sort of speak to the fact that they struggle against world-class opponents who have the ability to play in their half rather than just sort of sitting back and sucking up pressure.

16:01We can remember the classic that Joe Allen has appeared in the European final more recently than Barcelona.

16:06Julien Laurens: But also I think Gerard Martin and Paul Kubosi showed again last night and they're young players and they will be very good players and I think Pao Kubarsi already is. But yesterday, I think they were very lightweight against a team that has so much movement and even without Dembele. And I think if Dembele played more, they would have suffered a bit more. But it looked bad and I think they would struggle against top teams. Makes you remember Arsenal in the Champions League final trying to defend and getting criticised for it. That's right. Cowardly. Cowardly trying to win a match, yeah. Well, this game went to PSG.

16:45There may be further encounters with Barcelona down the line in this European campaign. We shall see. Meanwhile, over at Anfield, competing for everyone's attention, were Liverpool, who had the plucky idea of going 2-0 down to Villarreal. Virgil van Dijk contributing in enormous fashion to the opening goal from the visitors, Colin. Yeah, that's right. And I think it was only four or five minutes into the match. it was Mika Todzi picked up on it. It was a nice finish, but it was a really poor error from Virgil van Dijk. And not his first run of the game, neither. No, no. Liverpool were really bad for about 30, 35 minutes of this match.

17:23Like really, really bad. Villarreal went 2-0 up. And it was a really interesting sort of tactical issue that was going on. Obviously, when you're watching quite a few matches at once, sometimes it's hard to pick up on little trends in the game. But in this one, it was so obvious because there was so much space that Villarreal had to play through. and I think what was happening was Liverpool had Araujo playing at right back and he was getting dragged into the midfield because he was tracking the runners but Villarreal's movement meant that he was getting dragged out of position. Rio Ingramoa who was fantastic in this match by the way he was the one really bright spark for Liverpool got two assists but it's not really in his game to track runners back so there was just massive space on that side of the pitch.

18:02So for Villarreal's second goal it was the left back Cardona just ran the full length of the pitch to score there was nobody tracking him nobody marking him and there was it was like Vier Real players were queuing up to score that goal there was so much time and space and Liverpool fought back because there was a corner Alexis McAllister header 2-1 and then a really bad error from Cardona for the second goal just before half time where he just essentially there's a cross coming in from Ingram Moore and it was really well placed but he's just completely misjudged and he's like trying to just shepherd it out of play and then Rojo just sort of steals in the back just thank you very much and heads in and from that point on you always expected Liverpool then to go on and win And Iriola made a tactical switch at half-time.

18:39Lorien Furtz comes on. He does get a goal as well in this match. But he replaces Araujo. Is it McAllister, I think, or one of the three midfielders? Gravenberg. Yes, goes to right back. So they switch up the personnel a little bit and the balance of the team. And they run out four three winners. And again, loads of goals. But yeah, I think there's quite a lot to learn about both teams. I think for Liverpool, I think they're a bit of a Jekyll and Hyde team, right? Even within games like this one. it's like oh they can be really good you can see the patterns of play and then you see well actually there's really big holes in the squad

19:12Julien Laurens: I mean the field is still the problem isn't it really I think Iñoni might be a good player coming up Gravenberg okay McAllister has a 10 it's probably more suited for that but they yeah they get overrun in midfield I think they lose that battle a lot and then they left exposed and Virgil is still 35 years old and you know Jacquet can't do everything on his own indeed not Rio quite the opposite in age terms is only 18 years and 52 days, described as a coming-of-age performance by the Athletic. From the right winger, that seems to be where he's headed under Idaiola, handed a start off to changing the game against Brentford, contributes two assists here.

19:51He is Liverpool's youngest goal scorer ever, the youngest Liverpool player to start a competitive match, youngest player to appear in Europe for Liverpool, and now the youngest Liverpool player to get a Champions League assist. The future very much belongs to him. I mean he's such a good player he's just so talented and he's it's not just it's not just his talent but it's the excitement that he brings to the team and sometimes when I'm watching Liverpool it is a little bit dull it can be a little bit predictable certainly under Arnie Stott last season I think it was but he just he just makes things happen right and I think defenders it's the last sort of player you want you don't know what side he's going to go I think he was quite comfortable playing on the left wing and always being played on the right so he's very you know he's comfortable in doing that.

20:34He can drift in. He goes wide and you just don't know which way he's going. But also with Liverpool, Jules mentioned Trey Newelly playing and obviously Kumas starting up front in quite a few games now too. These might not be the finished articles but Liverpool's squad shortcomings, I think it's nice to see these guys being given a chance at this level. Also I think it's good that Erelis come from a couple like Bournemouth and played much of his career at a sort of journeyman level because I think he judges players on what they do rather than who they are. And that's been pretty obvious. I think he's also very adept at changing during games.

21:09He was pretty honest after the match and the interview and he said, yeah, we knew the first 35 minutes was terrible, but he fixed it. And I think the issue for Liverpool last year was that Slott wasn't able to really fix anything during games. So, yeah, I think there's positive signs for sure.

21:24Julien Laurens: Good. It was funny because, obviously, Ira Ola and Inigo Perez on the VNR, they are best friends. Yes, but they couldn't talk. This is the nice thing, they can start talking again now. Yeah, because Inigo Perez used to be Raul's assistant and Rayo Vallecano would have come with him to Bournemouth if he had had the work permit, didn't get the work permit on time. So we placed him and then he's the new up-and-coming coach of Villarreal. Although struggling a little bit of Villarreal really in the league. Yeah, I was going to say, it's actually really interesting in the context of the Champions League of Inigo Perez because Villarreal last year finished third in La Liga, right?

21:58They were massive XG over performers, but they finished third. It was a great season, but it was under Marcelino and in the Champions League they were terrible they finished second from bottom in that 36 league table which is atrocious but Villarreal essentially being like we don't want this style of football anymore because we think this is the limit we want to take this on a little bit we want to take a risk and it might get worse before it gets better but Marcelino was very much like this low block conservative approach to football whereas Inigo Perez is like he wants his team to be the protagonist to be front footed they've only won two of their nine league games this season which shows you the kind of flip side of that.

22:33But in games like this, I mean, they certainly showed what they can do with that approach. And it shows how long it takes for teams to change and adapt, right? I mean, we're hurtling towards the point that Bournemouth became good under Iriola nine games in. So, I mean, obviously that was nine league games. But yeah, I think both teams have got good signs from last night. Well, they'll need it because Liverpool are facing this weekend in the league possibly the most dangerous footballing entity on the continent. That's right. The Seagulls out of Brighton. Woof. Paris Saint Sussex. Indeed so. Indeed so.

23:13Yeah. Liverpool Brighton. Touched on that game a little bit more in Thursday's Totally Football Show. But hey, there was another still Premier League side. Although, you know, in action yesterday, Man City, who were taking on AEK Athens, yesterday, though, saw a flurry of rumours. that mid-afternoon we were going to get the punishment announced for Man City, which everyone went a little bit into, I would call it wall footing or whatever you want to, getting ready for big news. And I imagine that news must have reached the players as well. Beyond everything else, it's remarkable how unperturbed City, as players, as a football team, seem by the potential imminent apocalypse.

23:59Maybe so. Maybe so. Anyway, 5-1 was it that they beat? 5-1. Erling Haaland on the bench having limped heavily at the weekend. Antoine Semenya is going to be out for two months with a knee injury. Will he ever play for City again? Etc. And so on. Cherki with a lovely goal. But Phil Foden.

24:23Julien Laurens: You can talk about Foden because you're English people. But Cherki was the magic. Okay. Cherki with the magic alright can we talk about Foden now yeah no talk about Foden first and then I'll walk Liverpool about the magic of Cherki ok alright then so Phil Foden we could discuss what's the better finish Cherki's goal or Foden's second surely which one was the second the second one was only put right in the top corner we didn't really need to we could just stroke to high I'm going to I'm going to put it at the precise point in the top corner so Cherki's one the difference is is the little back hill that he the touch yeah where he controls the ball where he flicks it behind his foot his other foot and the guy the guy slides tackle in the hot dog stance ends up in Stallybridge the difference is Foyden doesn't want to put it Foyden doesn't want to put it there and doesn't need to because he doesn't need to whereas for Cherokee well yeah if you see if you see the goal again he doesn't need to put it there the counter argument is I'd say Jadon Wareham scored a very similar goal for Wickham against Cambridge last night you mean it yeah but did he have to play that he went to shape his right foot and then let the defender go and then did it with left.

25:30Okay, yeah. Okay. Still, Shirky. Shirky did it. I feel, could be just me, there's something special about that guy. And one thing that I'm warming to, because initially I struggled with it, is the fact that he seems to treat the game with contempt. Yeah. There's something of the... Cantona, yes.

25:49Julien Laurens: Yes. Yeah, absolutely. But that was really much when he was younger and burst onto the scene, put against him of like, you know, there's a bit too much shabouting. Pep last season was a little bit cross at times of like, come on. Well, the more of him juggling the ball in the Carabao Cup final, which is obviously the worst thing you can do in football. Yeah, but yesterday there's a few touches. If you do it and split at the same time, 100 year, bam. But he touched the ball 108 times, which is the most of... 108. Yeah, in this game. So more usually... Not 114, 108. 108, yeah. So it's a little bit less than some of the charges.

26:25Julien Laurens: But I just think it was... And, you know, Eker, just not a very good team, let's be honest here. But it was good. It was good to see that. And Flo Samba with his first start. Okay. Christopher Samba's son, obviously. Yeah, which links everything together, I thought, because obviously QPR survived famously on the day that they lost 3-2 to City in 2012, Aguero, etc. The following season, they were back in a relegation battle. Who did they buy in January to try and save themselves? Christopher Samba. Didn't work. Sold him mysteriously back for the exact same transfer fee back to Russia. but now his son's playing for City that's his son I didn't realise it's his son Paris Bonne-Brette Christopher Samba it has to be said his son Floyd has played youth football for England Germany and France yeah yeah he's got the three nationalities and he scored in the League Cup two goals when he played in the League Cup in the Panasonic Wars and that was that was his debut and his brother is also at the academy I don't think he's as good as Floyd just on Phil Fulton like he's scored nine Champions League seasons in a row nine seasons in a row like that That to me is incredible because Phil Foden, I still think of him as such a young man.

27:28I know he's not anymore. Yeah, nine seasons in a row. Yeah, it's crazy. And he hadn't scored since December until Saturday. He does seem to go in little bursts. He got six goals in five games the last time he was in that little patch. He's just such a confidence player. He's got a surprisingly high amount of hat-tricks as well. Do you know what I mean? Yeah, which is quite long. Interesting. Was there anything different about the way he was used yesterday? Well, I think... Which is a confidence thing. Yeah, with a hard thing and then like that. Yeah, Samba started up top, but then obviously Foden ended the game as a false nine.

28:02Yeah. Arguably, the best season under Guardiola in terms of the way they played was with Foden often as a false nine the season before Haaland came, so... Of course, false numbers are saying they know all about it, man. Well, yeah. Anyway, let's move on from that and touch on some of the other games taking place on Tuesday night next.

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30:45This is the Totally Football Show, part of the Athletic FC podcast network. The Athletic is the only place you can read articles by Daniel Taylor, Amy Lawrence, Phil Hay, James Pearce, Olly Kaye and the very best football writers around. Hey, if you're up for some top reading, check out the lovely interview by Laurie Whitwell with Eric Ten Haag, who's back at FC Twente in the Netherlands, but took time out to talk to Laurie about, you know, the bunker years at Old Trafford. He said some really interesting things, not least about Cristiano Ronaldo, hard-working, always-training Cristiano Ronaldo, who according to Eric says he ran neither in possession nor out of possession.

31:31The reason was he didn't prepare himself. And he also suggests that he encouraged other players to not train properly too. This is very much against canon with Ronaldo. Well, it does sort of fit into, you know, the people that kind of maybe put training videos on Instagram all the time, maybe aren't doing it as much as they say they are. The real people are out there, you know, to quote Lance Armstrong, busting their ass seven hours a day. Exactly. But, yeah, it's a great interview. It is a good interview. Check it out. Check it out. Nice work from Laurie. Well, Ronaldo, of course, did famously run away from the Portuguese national team in the last international break.

32:09And the news is that Portugal have come down heavily on him. They have fined him for that£215. But he's also been suspended for 30 days. Yeah. Although that's been backdated. so he's actually back available now so yeah how quickly does he earn 215 pounds

32:29Julien Laurens: 5 seconds it's comfortably under a minute I think it's under a minute yeah it's ridiculous yeah wow well I mean find a minute's wages that's pretty good yeah excellent also pretty good Italian size yeah finally last week they lost all of their matches which is as of Wednesday morning, it's two for two. We had Roma beating, all right, Slovan Bratislava 4-0, and it could have been more if Rodrigo Moura hadn't been, if he'd done Moura with those chances. But the biggest story was the game that I was kind of across was Napoli taking on Bodo Glimt. I thought Bodo would. Bodo had beaten Borussia Dortmund the previous midweek, taking on a Napoli side who were abject at the weekend, losing to bottom of the table, Venezia.

33:20and Bodo made a real game of it here. Ended up 4-3. Napoli took the lead with that brilliant Politano goal with the Spinazzola cross, taken first time by Politano. But then Bodo equalised twice. The difference? Perhaps a certain Scotsman by the name of Muttomane, who's now safely back from his heart surgery and contributed a brace. Hoof. Yeah. And Max Allegri under a lot of pressure on the Napoli bench. picking up a vital win. Was Napoli trying to avoid missing out on the playoffs altogether as happened to them last season in the Champions League. Bet nobody else saw that game, did you? I've seen the goals from it.

34:01I mean, Scott McTominay, he adds that little element of chaos that maybe a Max Allegri side needs. Maybe they're a little too predictable in attack sometimes. Kevin De Bruyne was on it as well. He was the most criticised for Sunday's performance against Venezia.

34:18Julien Laurens: Against Venezia, didn't he? He missed a penalty. He also did miss a penalty, which it was saved. That can happen. Yeah, yeah, it can happen. You know. But on this game, and particularly with Scott McTominay back, I think he feels more comfortable because the two of them were linking up in a way that he... Those runs for McTominay stretch out of defence, right? Makes the opposition step back and gives him a little more time on the ball. You saw McTominay give him the ball and then burst straight past confident that Kevin was going to pass on the ball and the ball arrives. Whereas when he's not there, Kevin's usually passing the ball and then going, where is everyone?

34:46Yeah, he does that quite a lot on Napoli, didn't he? Yeah. I mean, I don't want to be a Bodo and or Glimpse apologist, but they did, statistically, they got more than one XG, more than Napoli. Well, 91 % pass completion, over 600 passes. Good Lord. That kind of shows that, you know, the consistency of doing well in the Champions League really elevates a team. Like, can you imagine them going back for a league game now? They are just, you know, class apart.

35:10Julien Laurens: They are. Them and Viking are level... Well, that's the thing. They're not a class apart. Well, I was including Viking as the, you know, as a fellow. Retrofit them into your sentence. you're right okay you know what I meant this weekend is obviously Napoli-Roma yes which the two teams that we mentioned both won yesterday where if Allegri loses that like on the back of a bad start of the season the ninth in the table the pressure would come back because yesterday they got away with it I think I agree with that you think they got away with it a little bit yeah I thought Budo was really good at some point you could see at some point you could see a draw easily and then a draw yeah yeah for a lot of the game you could but when they were 4-2 up yeah yeah the Giovanni own goal, goal, own goal and the mistake from Bodo, the defender there, helped them massively but I just, they're really not playing well on the end.

35:58We'll see what happens at the weekend. As you say, the debut del Soli with Roma. Dortmund, who Bodo beat last week, won 2-1 away in Baku. Another brace for Serhu Gracie. That's four goals in the Champions League this season. 21 in 23 starts in this competition for Dortmund. those are insane numbers and again I know he's

36:21Julien Laurens: old now and he's 30 is he that old yeah yeah but because he was a late bloomer you know when he was in France he was not that great really until he went to Stuttgart and had that one incredible season that led to the move to Dortmund he was still very much like a a good striker but nothing special but the form that he's showing and I think he's still a bit underrated and the goals the first one is he reacts really well to the rebound the second one is He's a wonderful, like, in-service left foot volley. It's just, he's a really, really good player that I think he's still underrated. Do you know, I saw so many goals last night, 40 of them, that I can't remember.

36:57That was the early kick-off as well.

36:59Julien Laurens: So maybe that's why then you saw a lot of goals after that because they were the early kick-offs. That's true. I did watch this game. Can I have a quick word for Sabah? Please do. I interviewed Valdas D 'Ambroskas, the manager, you know, who wants to be a millionaire, etc., contestant. Wants to be a millionaire. What's it actually called in his home country? I'm not sure. It is a different title. It's the same format, but it's not like the same brand. It's struck it lucky.

37:30It does have a catchy name that I can't remember. Not that catchy. No, well, obviously not. But Saba have had 11 different nationalities playing in each of their three Champions League. In fact, they've had more because of the substitutions. so Dan Brasquez came up obviously he went to England did all his coaching stuff but the first managerial job he had was at a club called London Tigers who play in Greenford and Ealing in London and he when he was talking to me he said that was actually such a formative experience for me because they're such a diverse team in such a diverse part of London that he had 11 essentially 11 different backgrounds or 11 different you know various different religions and cultures that he had to manage and get them sort of unified in one team and that's essentially what he's now doing so many years on with Saba and he's managed all across Eastern Europe.

38:18But Saba have actually been quite good, right? I mean, like when you think, when you look at the budget that they have, they were only formed nine years ago, right? They don't spend loads of money, but they beat Slavia Prague 2-0 and they had Dortmund on the ropes at the end of each half here. They really did. They played some really nice stuff. I think you can see the difference between the two sets of players in that Saba's are obviously a lower set of players, but the main thing I think is decision making. And just that, you know, that little sort of split second that they have on the ball and those decisions that they make.

38:47But I think in terms of the coaching and in terms of how they're drilled as a side, there's really not a lot of difference. But I mean, the Champions League's just great for throwing up those sorts of stories and those sorts of clubs. And I keep saying it, but Eastern Europe really doesn't have enough of them at the minute. And it's nice to see. Arguably the new format, although we criticised it implicitly before, is better for throwing up stories like this. Yeah, I think so. And you had Carabaig last year, obviously another Azerbaijan club. They play on the weekend. so yeah it's um yeah yeah sorry I was going to pick up I was going to say they probably they're on three points yes probably need two wins and they can get another two yeah I reckon there should be three to the playoffs it should be fun wouldn't that be extraordinary wouldn't that be extraordinary other results included Stuttgart drawing 1-1 with Atletico Madrid which saw a first goal of the season for Atletico Madrid from Julian Alvarez after his want-away summer and all the fallout from that.

39:48Great goal as well. It was a good goal, wasn't it? He has a new agent as well. Yeah, he has. Maybe a PR. I'm sorry. Forgive me. Shift the blame. But yeah, I mean, if he starts scoring goals again, that will genuinely change the perception. Absolutely. It was Jamie Leveling who put Stuttgart in front, but pretty much Charlie points out, it was Alvarez who was afterwards equalising I think that was the message from producer Shirley

40:17Julien Laurens: and the red card obviously from Casper Schullmann changed Jamie Michael Wynn is no longer with us I don't know if he'd have been featuring but I take your point to meet Jamie Levelling there was a red card at the end yeah for Schullmann who changed the dynamic but Struggart who started really well this game and probably could have been two up at some point just could not take advantage and for this Atletico side and the Simeone certainly recently don't keep clean sheets anymore they don't defend as well to still manage to keep that at 1-1 for pretty much the whole second half the whole 45 minutes was like reminiscent of how good they have been before defensively and how good they can still be organized and drilled if they want to Excellent PSV handed Porto their third defeat in three with a 1-0 win on Tuesday evening and it was 2-2 between Fenerbahce and Slavia Praha?

41:14Fenerbahce haven't won a Champions League match after the qualification stage since 2008 when they were in the quarterfinals against Chelsea. And they only went out by the odd goal in that. But there are some good goals in this one. Yeah, I mean, to go 2-0 up inside 11 minutes and not see that out. Yeah, it's crazy. Sorry, 2-0 up. 2-0 up, yeah.

41:34Julien Laurens: And then Matteo Ganduzzi, if you haven't seen the mistake he makes on the first Slavia goal, it's incredible because I don't even know. Sometimes there's probably not a pass there, but you think you can make it as a pro because you're that good and you try it and it doesn't work. But then you're Michael Ganduzzi. But then if you're Ganduzzi in this game, the pass, there's not even one of his teammates there and then he passes the ball directly to the opponent and you think, what did you see or what did you think the guy was? It's really weird. Probably hair in his eyes. Probably hair in his eyes, yeah, or sweat and hair, a bit of combination.

42:08Julien Laurens: Hideous. Hideous. Well, that's the first half of Matchday 3 of the Champions League. Now, also this week, Monday night in the Premier League, Spurs beat Coventry. That's next.

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45:22You're listening to The Totally Football Show with James Richardson. So now we do four times a week. Keep up to date with us on Insta and enjoy us in glorious Technicolor on YouTube at The Totally Show. Monday night at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Spurs, who were the last winless team in England's top seven divisions, finally got a victory. It came against Coventry City. 3-1 the final score. Spurs, who had such a frustrating start to this season, suddenly with all sorts of good news stories happening, this victory, James Madison back, and scoring the opener, Dejan Kulusevski returning as well.

46:00A frustrating start to the season for Spurs, but all of a sudden, things coming together here? Yeah, I mean, those are two great stories, especially Kulusevski. I mean, 75 weeks he spent on the sidelines with his knee injury kept coming back. I think there was multiple surgeries and multiple setbacks, so really, really nice for him to get a run out. And I think for Tottenham, just to have a good news story or a day in which they get a win and have these nice players coming back in. And you're right, James, because they have such a big, deep squad. You forget how many players they have unavailable.

46:34Because their starting 11 still looks quite good on paper and they've got players on the bench, but just such strength and depth. And James Madison was actually great in this game against his former club. I think he angered some of the Coventry fans by kissing the Tottenham badge.

46:49Julien Laurens: He had to apologise. Did he? But they were booing him all game. Yeah, that's true as well. It's not like he left there. I mean, I know he went to Norwich. I think it's because, is it the Leicester City link? Is that right? Because Coventry and Leicester are a bit of a rivalry? Yeah, they think they're rivals, yeah. But yeah, I mean, it's, muted celebrations should be banned, so I thought it was good what he did. It's the first time a Premier League team has called three girls from outside the box since May 2023. And one of them was from Ben Davis, which I don't think anyone saw coming. Indeed not.

47:20Particularly not the Coventry keeper. The celebration, understandable, because it had been so long. This was Maddison's first start and he gets the first goal with a pretty brilliant strike. We then saw Omar Marmouche scoring his first goal for Spurs as the good news stories came thick and fast. Yeah, I would... I mean, Carl Rushworth didn't have a Spurs game for Coventry. I think he should have seen if that one was shot. And the bendy of this one was quite bad. He was unsighted for me. I mean, I picked him up in the pre-season pod, so I've got to back him. got back my boy but yeah it wasn't the greatest Russell he needs your backing as well just quickly on Tottenham please take as long as you like Colin so from the from the game against Manchester United Savio started that game was injured for this game Bergvall started that game injured Udoghi started that game injured in this match Andy Robertson starts gets injured Tosin starts his first game of the season gets injured this is such a recurring theme I mean it's for Tottenham as a club this long predates Deserby and Posta Cogli days which is a big issue too but that's just unsustainable to be having two or three players dropping out of every single match and I don't know if it's the training methods I don't know what it is going on I don't know if it's the pitch Considering it's on different managers as well it's, you know That's quite, go on Duncan The pitch thing is interesting because it has been linked and the, what did we go to in Los Angeles and then SoFi I think is known because it has a similar grasp to Astro switch around pitch but it's known for quite a lot of injuries is that right so I mean it's kind of one of those things that's sort of unprovable and it could just be correlation rather than causation but you know it is I think it's there

49:06Julien Laurens: they've checked medical staff as well twice already I think since Ange was there so they're clearly trying to address this whole situation because you're right at least they only play in the league now but if they had Europe as well on top of the league and all those injuries and even with the deep squad it'd be even more of a struggle. It's been rebuilt. Was it rebuilt on something, I wonder? Makes you think, doesn't it? So I don't know if it's the grass itself or the fact that there's the concrete underneath because under the pitch, obviously, you've got not just the car park, but also the go-karting.

49:40Julien Laurens: There's a lot going on in that stadium and maybe that's part of the problem. Crikey. It's Chelsea for Spurs this weekend. That's the Saturday T-Tide game at Stamford Bridge. What a belter that looks set to be. Spurs, anyway, off the bottom of the table. They are above Coventry, out of the relegation zone. 20th place side now are Sunderland. Wow. Wow, indeed. Well, we overperformed the Rex G hugely last season. Sunderland? Yeah. Makes you think. Makes you think. Very good. That's, I think, where we'll leave it for today. Charles, many thanks for being with us. Thank you very much. Duncan, great to see you.

50:23Colin, lovely stuff from you as well. Many thanks to guest producer Jesse and also producer Jake. And you too for sticking it out with us all the way through. We're back with another one tomorrow, so don't miss that Thursday's show. For now though, from all of us here, it's goodbye.

50:45You've been listening to The Totally Football Show, part of the Athletic FC podcast network. For more great podcasts just like this one including the Athletic FC and our dedicated club podcasts search for The Athletic on Apple, Spotify and all the usual places. We're also at the Totally Football Show on Insta and at the Totally Show on YouTube. The Totally Football Show is an Athletic Media Company production.

51:13The Athletic FC

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