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Football is going home! Womens Champions League semi final second leg recap - Her Game Our Take
19 Plays2 months ago
Football is going home! Lyon sends Arsenal packing and Barcelona beat Bayern in a gloves off shootout in the second leg of the Womens Champions League semi-finals, join us as we give our two cents about these matches and witness as Charlene sings on air. Have fun!
timestamps:
00:00 Intro
01:09 Barcelona against Bayern
22:09 Lyon against Arsenal
50:25 prediction for the final & outro
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Transcript
Path to the Finals
00:00:00
Speaker
G'day there and welcome back to the Her Game Attack podcast. We've now reached the second leg of the UEFA Women's Champions League semifinals and this week we find out going to be heading to the final.
00:00:12
Speaker
Exciting stuff, don't you think Romy? Yeah, absolutely. The first legs already gave us a lot to talk about, as Barcelona showed once again why they're considered a benchmark in the women's game with a strong performance against Bayern, although the two teams drew 1-1 in the Allianz Arena last week.
00:00:32
Speaker
While the tie between Arsenal and Lyon finished 2-1 in London, which set up a really tense second leg. So everything was on the line for all these four teams. And today we will share how exactly it went and who are the finalists.
00:00:48
Speaker
today's episode, we're going to break down how both second legs played out and we're going to get into our predictions for
Barcelona vs Bayern Recap
00:00:55
Speaker
final. First of all, I'm Charlene and joining me is sports writer and journalist, Rumiana.
00:01:02
Speaker
so let's get into it i suppose yeah so hi again everyone i'm rumiana and let us first talk about the crazy game in barcelona six goals in total barcelona one four two so this game We talked about it last time. I remember very clearly we gave our predictions. I think you Charlie, were very adamant that Barcelona will go through. So congratulations on guessing that. I will be very honest, I had faith in Bayern.
00:01:38
Speaker
I believed in them, but I guess they just weren't strong enough. They weren't strong enough for Barca. So 4-2, as I said, this game ended, which means that the total result of the two legs is 5-3, which I don't think is bad. I think Bayern put in a solid performance, but just Barcelona, as I said earlier, are an absolute benchmark. So they just started right away. 13-minute goal by Parayuelo.
00:02:07
Speaker
ah But actually, Bayern returned one in the 17th. Just four minutes later, Dalman scored for 1-1. So again, it it truly looked like everything is on the line. like In that first half, we had no idea, or at least I had no idea who will go through.
00:02:24
Speaker
But then Barca got one again five minutes later, very intensive. The goals were just coming like every five minutes. Puteas, who is pretty much woman of the match, she put in a very strong performance ah in that game. So Alexia Puteas in the 22nd minute again put Barca in the front.
00:02:45
Speaker
ah And then that second half, it began and then almost right away again, minute, Pajor with another goal. We've got used to it. I feel like in every episode we've recorded so far, Eva Pajor has gotten a goal. So 3-1 for Barca and they just, three minutes later, again Puteas. And I feel like this is where the game was kind of done because Bayern really seemed like out of it. They seemed done. especially in that 58th minute when the score was 4-1.
00:03:19
Speaker
ah Even though what impressed me and I liked that is that they didn't give up. So they came back 71st minute per Neil Harder with 2-4. So the second goal for Bayern. And then Harder actually scored another goal in the added time, which was cancelled by VAR, but that would have been three four for Bayern. Again, not enough to to proceed, but still what impressed me is that like will to fight.
00:03:47
Speaker
Maybe important to point out is that Aitana Bonwati is back for Barca. She got a standing ovation. ah Super cool also that the stadium was like filled to the brim with people. There were many, many people at that game in Barcelona. I'm not sure. I think they played, correct me if I'm wrong, at the Camp Nou, which was, yes, they played at the Camp Nou. It was not full, like the whole stadium, but still the first two levels or how to how to call it. Very many people. So yeah, Aitana is back, the Barcelona star of the team.
00:04:25
Speaker
One of the stars, actually, because this team has a lot of them. So she's back from a lengthy injury. And got a standing ovation. But yeah, so this is how this game played out pretty much. Very intensive, many goals. ah And in my opinion, Bayern tried really hard.
00:04:44
Speaker
But I suppose just no one no one can come pretty close to Barcelona. And I fear I'll have to admit that they probably will grab that trophy, but we'll talk about that predictions later. Why don't you just start us off on how you saw things tactically in that game, Charlie?
Analyzing Barcelona's Strategy
00:05:03
Speaker
Yeah, interesting to note that Klet was obviously out due to her red card in first leg for pulling, think it was Parallelio's hair, and Balziger, so a centre-back, started on her left-back position.
00:05:19
Speaker
which Barcelona was very eager to exploit since it got obvious in quite a few attacks that, you know, she's more used to cover the center and sometimes doesn't know when the right time to move out of position to press like the oppositional winger.
00:05:35
Speaker
or when to defend the center. So she had a few problems with her positional play, particularly in the first 20 to 30 minutes, which Graham Hansen was really happy about at a few occasions. And also on the the other wing was probably the even bigger hazard...
00:05:53
Speaker
which is probably more surprising given that Julia Gwynn by its right back was like fit in everything. However, as much as I like Julia Gwynn, and I do think she's world-class player, no doubt about it, I don't think she's a world-class defender per se.
00:06:10
Speaker
And you could see that last week with the goal when she ran to the outside and left the... that the center, like the half channel, vulnerable, and Pallueo was able to exploit that to make a run and assist for Pallio.
00:06:27
Speaker
And this time around, you were able to see that and on a few occasions that Pallueo got in a 1v1 and or that Bruchts, from the left-back position, came and made the overlapping run.
00:06:43
Speaker
Or one of them would hold up the ball deeper and the other one would overlap on the out and out wing and have quite a ah quite a bit of space then to deliver in the cross.
00:06:56
Speaker
In general, it must be said that Barcelona really weren't efficient with their chances. I think the game could have could have been decided a lot earlier, if I'm being honest. Like Bayern's first two shots both went in and the second one was in minute 70 something.
00:07:13
Speaker
um
00:07:16
Speaker
The hard to go. Was it hard on second one?
00:07:24
Speaker
I think so. ah Yeah, it was the hard to go. I just remembered that that was the second shot on target by an hard. Oh, wow. But to be fair, in the last 20 minutes after that second goal, Bayern were way more aggressive. They pressed like hell.
00:07:44
Speaker
They but basically basically yeah got to a point where like all 10 outfield players were, at least in Barcelona's half, and pressing high, getting aggressive, getting in there. Immediately after they lost the ball, they would do gay good pressing.
00:07:58
Speaker
So, really different. And you could tell that Barcelona was caught off guard by that because, look, I don't watch any games in the Spanish League because I haven't got the time. But I can imagine that that's like an approach a lot of people, a lot of teams choose against Barcelona.
00:08:17
Speaker
And so it definitely caught them by surprise and they couldn't handle all of the
Player Performances and Comebacks
00:08:22
Speaker
pressure. And by like quite a few ball wins up high, they hit the crossbar twice and and they had quite a quite a good amount of chances. But yeah, too too late and against a team like Barcelona, you know, when once you're like three goals behind.
00:08:38
Speaker
it is really, really tough um and close to impossible really to equalize. And yeah, Julia Guine, I also remember one of the goals where she doesn't come out and Palo Evo can cross completely free.
00:08:54
Speaker
I think it was for that was for yeah it was a free one.
00:09:00
Speaker
And Dalleman tries to intercept the cross, who's obviously like the right winger for Barcelona. And Gwyn is way too central, which is probably like a reaction to what she was told after last week's match, that she should cover the center more, since that's the space she gave up for a goal.
00:09:16
Speaker
But here I thought it was a bit too much when it comes to that. In general, Paralué or I would make my case that she's the woman of the match and not Puteas. I get that for like most statistic portals and stuff like that since Puteas has more wall contacts coming from the center and more passes and all of that and obviously scored that amazing bicycle kick.
00:09:40
Speaker
However, I do want to say that Paralueo basically dismantled Bayern's right side. And it was just another pure class game. Like what I said earlier, like she also assisted in the first leg.
00:09:56
Speaker
And let's it talks a lot about Barcelona's depth, that they only have 17 players registered. But still, the player they sub in for Paralueu is Vicky freaking Lopez. And they also sub in Bonmartie.
00:10:12
Speaker
Yeah, that's that's what I was thinking earlier. They subbed in a three-time Ballon d'Or winner of the last three years.
00:10:23
Speaker
And also, I don't know about you, do you think they brought back Bonmartie prematurely? Um, to be fair, I don't think so because i this will sound a little bit funny, but like i follow her on Instagram and she's been posting like throughout her recovery process, you know, so I do remember like all, like the, some months back when she was still like in the cast after the operation and then like removing the cast. and like starting to like slowly exercise and whatnot. So I, even if I wanted it or not, I kind of followed her recovery process. So I don't think so. she I don't think she would like come back prematurely if she didn't like feel it. And I don't think they, as a team, she and Barca as a team would risk it because I think that's a ah huge risk if if someone comes back after injury prematurely in this way. So I don't think so.
00:11:23
Speaker
um but that's That's my opinion. I wanted to ask you about Julia Gwynne, actually, because you talked a little bit about her. Do you think that she plays in the wrong position, like as a whole for for this team, for Bayern? Do you think that perhaps she's not meant to be like a right back or at least SofaScore is showing her a right as a ride back she She just plays a right back, but rather a right wing back. like it's
00:11:55
Speaker
For some buildups, um when Bayern does their usual 3-2, like 3 in the back, and to a middle, one of the fullbacks will push up high, and sometimes it's Gwyn, and sometimes it's the left back, who's usually Franzi Kett.
00:12:09
Speaker
but she more or less plays wing back with the ball. um But the thing is for team like Bayern who dominate every like week in week out every week matt um leak match, I do believe that you do need um some, for like a fullback that is really creative and can do something with the ball.
00:12:32
Speaker
So I get why Bayern would deploy her in that position. However, I do think you've got a point that her best position might be like wingback in a in a system that just usually plays with a back three or back five, respectively.
00:12:50
Speaker
And where she can push up a battalion and have more freedom since it's three centerbacks. And like, this despite what I said earlier, Bayern are playing with a back four. Just in build-up possession, one of the fullbacks will push up a battalion and one of the fullbacks will like be basically the third position.
00:13:08
Speaker
the third center back for buildup so that there's a triangle more formed and you know and um it's basically a thing in football tactics that you want to have as many triangles as possible when you're a possession heavy team since it gives the player on the ball at least two passing outlets.
00:13:27
Speaker
um I do think for like a dominant team, yes, but in this case where Bayern was a team that had to defend more and obviously was the team with less possession.
00:13:40
Speaker
I do think she um like she gets shown her limits more. And i despite like my criticism earlier, I believe that Julia Gwynn is a world-class player.
00:13:51
Speaker
No doubt about it. It's just that defending isn't her strong suit.
00:13:58
Speaker
I see. Yeah, that's that's interesting. I agree with you. i think she's she's a really good player ah and quite versatile. So perhaps maybe in like next season or like in other games, she can be moved around, I suppose.
00:14:15
Speaker
And also, i want to i want to add that to the Bon Mati thing. I just meant as having her making her comeback in a knockout second leg match.
00:14:27
Speaker
And like not in a league match. Because like every player after injury, I believe, needs like some rhythm to like get back to V for myself. And they haven't played in in months. And I mean, she was out like half a year or something.
00:14:39
Speaker
Correct me if I'm wrong. Yeah, she was out for quite a long time. Yeah, but like bring her back in a Champions League knockout match maybe was a bit early because I know it's like the first game after injury.
00:14:51
Speaker
But also it's like the biggest stage you've got in European club football. She had like quite a few hours. To be fair, like you can miss that one chance she had after long pass from think...
00:15:04
Speaker
I think it was Boutejas on the counter when Bayern were pushing up high in the last 15 minutes, where she then just squares it a bit wide against Mamoutović. By the way, great match from her. like It's a bit hard to say that about a goalkeeper who just conceded four, but I do think Mamoutović had a decent match. And I feel a bit sorry for her here, but it was just that Bastogne had such a plethora of chances that You know, it's only logical if you go in when like world-class talents do take these shots. However, also Bomarty like a few errors that are like really uncharacteristic, which is normal after an injury and being like out of the rhythm of playing week in, week out. But she loses the ball at the and that's like standard back pass. And those are the ones you do have to be clean about in a match against a team like Bayern.
00:15:57
Speaker
biden obviously we can bar slown up but still they are still afraid like they didn't go all the way to the champions league semis for nothing yeah i i get what you mean not yeah now i i get your question better and i feel like it makes more sense what you said for her to be uh brought back in the league game but perhaps maybe it's a psychological thing the way i see it and i'm thinking about it right now as in like Maybe she's being brought back now as in like to throw the opposition off or be like, hey, Bayern, like, look, our like star player with three ballon doors is back. So like, you better watch out. kind
00:16:40
Speaker
This type of thing. You know what I mean? It could be that. Good point. um Didn't think about it that way. oh Yeah, that that's the first thing I thought when you just now when you when you spoke.
00:16:51
Speaker
ah Could be that or could be just that she is ready and she they decided for her to make her comeback just in a freaking Champions League semi-final. because they're Barcelona and they can afford it, I guess. For the record, I trust a medical team of a professional football club way more than my expertise, which, just to be clear, is none. I just thought from a footballing standpoint, not from a, she will get another injury again. Yeah, yeah, yeah, of course.
00:17:18
Speaker
Of course, no, I share this opinion. we We trust the doctors. Yeah, I feel like what you said makes a lot of sense. This is what usually happens in men's football, let's say, like when someone is out or like a star is out or whatever from a lengthy injury, they come back usually in a league game, maybe in a cup game, but I guess rarely, but not in a Champions League semifinal.
00:17:43
Speaker
But then again, it's football, like as we've seen, anything could happen. So ah yeah, as you said, she wasn't herself that much like she wasn't she was mistaking passes and whatnot uh think she'll she'll slowly but surely go back to like her usual form this was like yeah she's got like a few league matches to get that uh get back into it for for the final which you know spoiler barcelona obviously reached what i also wanted to say by the way yeah any takes about irena paredes champions league campaign
00:18:25
Speaker
Hmm. she is She is one of the lowest player and the lowest ranked players of of that game from what I'm looking at.
00:18:37
Speaker
ah she I also feel like it doesn't seem like the Irene Paredes that we know, that we usually are used to see, I guess. I don't know like what's up with her, but she's just like kind of...
00:18:53
Speaker
invisible, so to speak. like not Every player is an important player on the pitch. like To not get me wrong, I don't want to like discredit her in any way. But ah yeah, I feel like quite like quite unstable.
00:19:10
Speaker
So not so sure. But she's she is a solid starter in that Barcelona team. I don't know what the deal is there. What do you think? and i it's it's what you say like I was surprised how many mistakes she's made this season.
Barcelona's Dominance and Missed Opportunities
00:19:27
Speaker
Because i do like going into this season, I still thought of her as a world-class center back, if not the best in Earth. which She's still great, but in a match like this, she was...
00:19:42
Speaker
She was really not having a great performance. Like, she's the one who loses the ball at the 1-1. And Barcelona went um that earlier, but I'm just going to scratch it now. Barcelona played with a very lofty, basically 1-4s build-up.
00:20:00
Speaker
Like, it was only Marpley on at the back distributing and then, like... um All other plays were advanced and so when you lose the ball inver in the second level of this buildup, worst case scenario, you've got you've got only one defender at the back and you could see that at the first goal when ha I think Harden-Dalman dismantled, yeah, the defense that at that point was only one defender.
00:20:27
Speaker
And also she really didn't look too good at the up a second goal when she got nutmegged by by hot but Harder. And she really had a howler in that match. not so i didn't And didn't think she had the greatest match the week earlier. Like, Mappi Leon, both as a distributor and as a 1v1 specialist, were impressed way more, in my eyes at least.
00:20:57
Speaker
And I was quite shocked, honestly. Yeah, I do remember us like in the previous weeks or last week, as you said, like us talking or like mentioning something about it that, yeah, I'm not sure. It could be that she's tired from the season. It could be something personal, but yeah, not sure again, like to sum up. where the the drop in performance comes from yeah with Paredes.
00:21:24
Speaker
She's obviously still a great defender, has obviously a lot of experience, and with the ball, she definitely didt ah did have an amazing game yesterday. like When you look at her and her passing stats, they are...
00:21:38
Speaker
they are um they are great um honestly but it's just that against the ball she was shown her limits and I don't know I've never seen that from from her particularly before many things but yeah I just hope she's fine like personally and physically and yeah seasons are long it's we're almost coming to the end of it so Yeah, if if you don't have anything else to add about Barca and Bayern, we can ah slowly move towards the other second leg.
Arsenal vs Lyon Recap
00:22:17
Speaker
Okay, then um let's make the jump to the other match between Arsenal and Leo. and um can you Can you hear that?
00:22:29
Speaker
It's coming home. It's coming home. It's coming. Oh, no. It's coming home. Yes!
00:22:41
Speaker
Oh, Lord. Yeah. Arsenal lost. so and So they're coming home for sure. They went home. um Yeah. I think you are very right. your prediction. you said i think you said you had a gut feeling or something about this one. i thought yeah i said my I said my brain says Arsenal, but I've got a gut feeling that Lyon can do something here. And they freaking did!
00:23:07
Speaker
Yeah. yeah I love how happy you are about it. So yeah, for our listeners, Lyon131 at home.
00:23:17
Speaker
ah So with an aggregate of 4-3 from both legs, Lyon are the other Champions League finalists. so But the game itself, the second leg, um again, it was not that not as many goals as Barca Bayern, but still a crazy game. oh i the champions In the Champions League semi-final.
00:23:40
Speaker
yeah Yeah, so because it started with the like penalty that was awarded, that Lyon were awarded. They had to retake it. ah So the first one was saved.
00:23:56
Speaker
So first the first try of the penalty, Dom Salar actually saves it. But then they, I'm not sure, or maybe I didn't get it. Did you see like why they had to retake it?
00:24:08
Speaker
um Yes, it's this rule that got introduced, I think, in 2021, that when a penalty is taken, the goalkeeper has to have at least one foot on the goal line at the moment where the shooter hits the ball.
00:24:24
Speaker
ah Right, right, right. And so I personally really, really dislike this rule because I think the keepers are a position of disadvantage as is in that moment.
00:24:36
Speaker
And I really dislike that the goalkeeper gets regulated like that. And particularly in but the first two seasons when goalkeepers still got used to it quite a few penalties had to be retaken. And I hated that, but they...
00:24:51
Speaker
yeah they've adapted to it rather well but here Van Domsler obviously that's a mistake yeah unlucky I kind of agree with you to be honest about that rule because like I've played as a goalkeeper and you even though it's like people view it as this like static position it's not because you're like in motion all the time but like when you get uh when you have to like you know when you're in the position when you'll be saving a penalty as well like you can't stand there like a statue you're still in motion so yeah i get what i get where the rule is coming from like they're trying to make it like fairer because if if the goalkeeper doesn't have at least one leg on the line it can be seen as an advantage because she or he or they can like uh like uh how to say like to the front about yeah
00:25:44
Speaker
So it's controversial. I'm i'm not so sure. i get why the rule is there, but also having played as a goalkeeper, i can confirm that you cannot be the like be static all the time. so Yeah. Anyways. A penalty is a punishment virei that rarely um fits the crime.
00:26:09
Speaker
Because usually like you know every small contact or handball violation gets a penalty you rewarded when it happens in the box. However, like most of those chances wouldn't lead to ah to a high level goal chance that a penalty is, according to a paper of... Dr. Ulrich Brandes, it's a 78% chance to score a goal.
00:26:33
Speaker
And I think wo that's a that's a bit harsh for like, you know, buts it's mostly like crosses that get deflected to a hand or something like that. I think it's, and then like limiting the goalkeeper even more.
00:26:50
Speaker
I really, like it's been five years, but I still, I really dislike this rule. Yeah, I love the fact that you just quoted like an academic paper about it. Just like casually. ah Yeah. It's a good paper. A lot of...
00:27:06
Speaker
I don't know, did you I feel like you said, like you quoted, what you quoted just now, is it an academic paper or is it the it's a It's a paper by a math professor who wrote about the probabilities of penalty.
00:27:22
Speaker
Funnily enough, um it's a higher chance to score when it's a penalty shootout, when it's 82%, and when you get a penalty in the match, it's 78%. That's really interesting actually. To be fair, Badatta was taken from men's football.
00:27:39
Speaker
Yeah, so that's, yeah. While similar, we cannot equalize it with... Yeah, exactly. because Yeah, different. So, very quickly... You mentioned that ah Leon scored an early 1-0 that gets blocked by VAR because Engen stands too close to Fran Domsla and despite not being active-active, she stands in her in her way.
Key Moments and Tactical Analysis
00:28:05
Speaker
I think it was that.
00:28:06
Speaker
Because Heaps scored like the 1-0 after... Eight minutes or something? Of a corner? Oh, yeah. Yeah, and it got disallowed, yeah. Yeah, so this was before, very quickly, to come back to the result of the game before we transition to the, like, tactics.
00:28:23
Speaker
As you say, what you just said happens, then the penalty happens, which I already mentioned had to be retaken because of this rule that we just discussed in length, but I feel like it's interesting, so... Nevertheless... it's our show, Suez.
00:28:39
Speaker
yeah Yes, literally. So yeah, penalty gets retaken and it gets scored pretty much 21st minute by Renard. So Lyon are 1-0 up.
00:28:51
Speaker
Around 15 minutes later, so 36, Diani scores a really good goal, assisted by Jule Brandt. who Jule Brand is, I feel like, yet again woman of the match, like last time.
00:29:04
Speaker
ah So wonderful, great performance by her. And what an acrobatic finish from Diani. It's of a corner and she's on the second post. Perfectly loses her defender and other defender, um I don't know if the name's ready, unfortunately,
00:29:21
Speaker
Oh, Russo. And Russo is pulled away by Johannes and Diany runs off Kim Little. And so she's free and then has a relatively free shooting lane.
00:29:32
Speaker
But like from a difficult angle and the ball comes in on a difficult height. But still she she jumps in like an acrobat and finishes that perfectly.
00:29:44
Speaker
yeah Yeah, that was a very like nice performance. Also, like to mention, Rousseau is not a defender at all, so I don't... like She was there to defend, obviously, the corner, but it makes sense... like for there to be a mistake because she's just not a defender. ah But still, it this doesn't discredit the quality of the goal. So Lyon are 2-0 up at the end of the first half and like beginning of second half. So, yeah, again, like could could go anyway. Actually, if if it had ended like this, 2-0 for Lyon, they were through, I feel like. yeah
00:30:26
Speaker
ah But, okay, never mind, because Arsenal did come back into the game quite late, like in the 75th minute, but exactly Alessia Russo in particular, she was the goal scorer. So they did come back into the game.
00:30:43
Speaker
ah it stood like this, it would have gone to extra time. So if it was 2-1 for Lyon, but it didn't because Eulette Brandt, as you mentioned, the the woman of the match, she was the one who actually gifted Lyon the spot in the Champions League final. In the 86th minute, I think that was like Quite like perfect timing because it didn't leave Arsenal much.
00:31:12
Speaker
I mean, the additional time was nine minutes. So they did have like time. But again, it was like quite towards the end. So psychologically, in in any way possible, it it hurt Arsenal a lot. This goal, it was checked by VAR and all this stuff, so but it was good, so it was allowed.
00:31:32
Speaker
ah And, yeah, Lyon are the other finalists with an aggregate of 4-3, which I think the aggregate shows us that the teams were quite level, as in, like, I don't want to...
00:31:47
Speaker
go and say like, oh, this this team was better or this team was better just on the score, like purely based on the score. i mean, I know Lyon won, but still Arsenal is a team. I think we all know that they have a lot of quality in there. So this for me,
00:32:04
Speaker
I know Lyon are like on paper having won and being in the final, the better quote-unquote team, but I can't help like but but think that it was like a little bit lucky because they won with just one goal difference. But why don't you like start us and like tell us all about the tactics and like your opinion if this was like more on the lucky side or if this was more tactical? you know um heart disagree.
00:32:30
Speaker
us over over but up Let's go. Over two legs, I get your point. Because I do believe that Arsenal was the better team last week. But they were a bit better last week. And they were... And Lyon was the much better team yesterday, i feel like.
00:32:47
Speaker
um Do you want to guess what's what the first chance of note is for Arsenal?
00:32:56
Speaker
ah Do you mean what or when? When.
00:33:01
Speaker
Uh, hmm. 59th minute. don't. i don't No way. Arsenal had one shot in first half that was blocked instantly. That was in the 23rd minute, Caitlin Ford.
00:33:14
Speaker
And other than that, they were shockingly uncreative in the last third and shockingly unprecise. um I did bring ah some stats here.
00:33:24
Speaker
It passes in the last third, like, a so in the opposition third, which obviously is the region that counts the most, since that's where you do score the goals. um Leon had 110 pass attempted and 81 of those reached their target, which puts us at a quota of 74%, which is pretty hand, precision with only of balls reaching the target.
00:33:54
Speaker
They were shockingly unprecise in the last third and they thought didn't create an awful lot of chances. I thought that goal from Russo came basically out of nowhere.
00:34:06
Speaker
And that was more individual brilliance by two amazing players than anything else. Because Hollenberg that got subbed in assistedly and Russo perfectly runs between two defenders. um I think it's Heaps and I unfortunately can't remember the other one.
00:34:24
Speaker
and just somehow pushes it in. World-class finish from Rousseau. But you when you look at the key pass statistic, Lyon had 10 total and Arsenal only five.
00:34:39
Speaker
And three of those came from, ah four of those five came from players that were subbed in, which was from the 60th minute onwards. Two of those was by Holmberg, who I think by far was Arsenal's.
00:34:53
Speaker
best player since she had at quite a few balls that went through in the last third and if anyone was able to create a chance it was her in this match but I thought it was quite shocking like particularly the first 60 minutes how little Arsenal did and I think the reason for that is the build up because it was like a 3-3-4 which is uncharacteristically to have three people in the midfield like that and also like the last few weeks Arsenal has done it differently against Chelsea for example and also in the first match And they tried to have like three players in the midfield and by that have a numerical advantage there and then ship it out to the wings for m from one of the wide number eight positions, not from the centerer central one, but like, you know, right number eight tries to pass it to the right wing and, you know, like that.
00:35:43
Speaker
But Lyon was pretty good and in anticipating that and at intercepting these passes. Neither Ford or um Smith, who have two wingers for Arsenal, did get much action. In terms of what they created, neither of them has a key pass to their name or like a like a pass that into a dangerous area. if When you look at the passing map, which are available at Southwark School, there's only one pass of Ford, which is where the person that receives it...
00:36:15
Speaker
is at least at the edge of the box. And other than that, like the passes are either failed or not into the box. Meanwhile, when you look at Diani, Diani alone has three of those key passes. Hugh LeBrand had another. And just the precision in the final third particularly was so much better on Lyon's side than Arsenal's, in my opinion.
00:36:38
Speaker
And also, how ah do you feel about the third goal scored by Lyon?
00:36:46
Speaker
I think Jule Brandt is an exceptional player. i i will come clean and say that I was like supporting Arsenal, as in like I was rooting for them. But like I can't be too mad about it because what I see in Jule Brandt as like player quality...
00:37:03
Speaker
ah and what she's done in both this leg and the previous leg, because we discussed her last time as well. like i cannot be too mad about it, you know what I mean? yeah And it's a good goal, and like I will not come on here and and say that, oh, she didn't deserve it or whatever. no like Yeah, I think she's an exceptional player, and the um it's quite possible that she she will be...
00:37:31
Speaker
very useful and like very important for Leon in the final for sure. she's such a technically gifted player and like what I said last week, she's like quite a hazard and like someone who can create something out of nothing basically and she was she didn't have for the most outstanding game on the ball for the most part here But she had really good movement off ball. She is the player who won the most duels. In fact, I think 9 out of 14.
00:37:59
Speaker
Which is ah pretty good statistics. Like, shows her work rate. That's improved majorly since her Wolfsburg days. And, like, the way she um gets the ball and uses two contacts there to square it perfectly and into the long end of the goal.
00:38:18
Speaker
Remarkable stuff. However, can recommend but to anyone, of pausing causing the replay of the goal. At the moment when Dumont Nye plays the pass there, you've got seven Arsenal defenders on the line at around the edge or like one or two meters behind.
00:38:40
Speaker
Seven plus two people who try to put Dumont Nye under pressure there. None of them are energetic enough fa to really put her under serious pressure because she's got like over a meter to herself to chip it in which lovely delivery the way she saw that and for precision with which she um delivered it Jule Brand. Remarkable stuff.
00:39:04
Speaker
Honestly, amazing pass. I've watched that girl 15 times yesterday. I'm not kidding. But I think what you're saying like ties up together really well. no one's not. Like, bleak.
00:39:18
Speaker
and And how bleak Arsenal were. Because like they were bleak. like that did this You do not do this. like i I was truly shocked, to be fair. And in in general, like this this situation that you just spoke about, yes, absolutely. But in general as well, like taking, for example, like Olivia Smith, who last game was like one of the best players for Arsenal on the pitch.
00:39:44
Speaker
This game... So bad. like so And like also, but I know we've said how like we don't regard player ratings like on soft score as highly. But again, she's one of the like lowest rated Arsenal players in this game now, like in the second leg. She and like again, Blaxtinia. Where was Blaxtinia? I don't want to sound like I'm pointing a finger, but like yeah. In the defense, they didn't get much to work with because, like I said, the distributing was a disaster was a disaster. But I do agree with you that in the few instances where they did get the ball, they also didn't do an awful lot with it.
00:40:27
Speaker
um I think they were just lacking service, like I said. Like, here, I've got my statistic. Caldente, who was one of the pivot players for Arsenal in the center. Caldente and Littles' distribution, particularly in the oppositional half, was really lacklustre in this match.
00:40:43
Speaker
Caldente had a passing percentage of 58% in the oppositional half. 58%. That's horrible.
00:40:53
Speaker
And also, Little had a 64% passing rate in the oppositional half. So a bit better, but not great. I think both Caldente and Little... You know, it's ah tough to put like on individual players and I don't want to do that here.
00:41:07
Speaker
However, you do need to move from your pivot players in terms of distribution than something 60% in
Player Highlights and Critiques
00:41:17
Speaker
precision. And like I said, Caldente 58% in the oppositional half.
00:41:21
Speaker
i I mean, like, you're giving your strikes nothing to work with. That's what I said. Like, I think it's that one is actually a tactical error. And it's obviously so much easier to talk about that stuff after the fact hindsight is twenty twenty I'm not saying I'm smarter than René Zeglas. Like, I do not... Just that no one ah interprets it that way. But I don't get why they... Shebae didn't change anything in the second half when they saw that the...
00:41:47
Speaker
space between the pivot player and the wingers was too great to make a decent pass because Lyon would intercept it or just straight up block the passing lane in the first place and therefore even stopping the Arsenal players from attempting that pass.
00:42:03
Speaker
ah Yeah, i have ah I have a bold take as well, oh like about chloe about Chloe Kelly. And we know she's not a starter in that team for one or another reason.
00:42:17
Speaker
But I just, I don't know, like, first of all, why it wasn't she brought in earlier? I think she, I guess, because it was like a fitness issue. I think she came back from a minor muscle injury, but I'm not 100% certain.
00:42:33
Speaker
Could be, yeah. Okay, that the makes makes a lot of sense. um So, yeah, let's say about... Let's like exclude this game, the current game from the narrative, but just in general, because she came to Arsenal from Man City, I think, and I feel like... I don't know what her expectations were, but I personally thought that she would go there and be like in the starting lineup. Maybe not every time, but I...
00:43:03
Speaker
I'm not like extremely and closely familiar with what coach Renee Sledger's philosophy is. And like what, like, you know, but I feel like if Chloe Kelly like had started more games, cause like we saw, and we've talked about, I think in our first and or second episode,
00:43:22
Speaker
how like crucial she was for england to get to to win the euro last last two last season or and also in the campaign earlier i think she she scored one the goals against chelsea yeah so every single time i just ask myself why this woman is not or was not in the starting lineup uh more like more often uh but yeah again as you said i'm not i'm not the coach so And this is, again, not to discredit in any way Blaxstinius, who is like the forward, or Smith, or Russo, I'm excluding from this because Russo is a world-class talent. And the fact that she came, I think she came second for the Ballon d'Or. speaks for itself. Hopefully, by the way, this match ends any Alessia Russo Ballon d'Or articles because I think it was only two and I did the mistake of going to some Arsenal forums.
00:44:25
Speaker
Oh my god, man. if First of all, it's baffling to me to feel like the Ballon d'Ors decided when the most important matches of the season aren't even played yet.
00:44:35
Speaker
But also, yeah Arsenal With this match, and we'll talk we'll maybe do an after-season episode where we talk about that.
00:44:47
Speaker
I think the season is a disappointment for Arsenal because they won't win the league. And with um with this game, they also can now um wave the Champions League goodbye. I believe they have a disappointing season for their matches. Oh yeah, for sure. Whilst Druso is obviously world-class.
00:45:05
Speaker
she's part of that squad at the end of the day.
00:45:10
Speaker
no, I get what you mean. yeah And with ah Kelly earlier, she's by the way also the person who loses Jule Brand, but to Kelly's credit, she's the only out of seven Arsenal defenders in that moment who's on the left side anyway.
00:45:27
Speaker
so Sorry, it was just really baffling to me that Jule Brand was allowed two touches there. Yeah.
00:45:35
Speaker
Yeah. i've I don't want to like get into the debate of Alessia Russo Ballandor.
Narratives and Season Reflections
00:45:42
Speaker
I'm just thinking of English football media just in general.
00:45:46
Speaker
Yeah. I think there was a lot of... I'll give them that because also but English women also do tend to win something. But she's like the arrogance of English sports media, man.
00:46:01
Speaker
Ugh. It was very polarizing when Aitana won. I think, in was it in February? or when No, the ceremony was in December or November.
00:46:13
Speaker
Like some months ago. um I think, first of all, the Ballon d'Or is given like yearly or how to... see like I guess like by a calendar year and not for season. I think they changed it just now. But I'm not sure.
00:46:30
Speaker
Could be. Yeah, I'm not sure as well. But yeah, so... um it was a lot I also was like really deep into it, like deep into the debate, because a lot of people were actually unhappy that Aitana won the 2025 one, so the one couple of months ago.
00:46:47
Speaker
And they were like, oh my god, like Alessia Russo was robbed and whatnot. They are all like good players. At the end of the day, like i and and they like played in different styles, you know? Yeah. so i Yeah, that's what I mean by I don't want to get into that debate because like I remember how polarizing and exhausting it was. when like People should just like enjoy football and the footballers yeah and like not pit them against each other that much. I mean, I know they're competitors and they're rivals and whatnot. Like in a team sport, individual accolades aren't too important. I know I just got upset about exactly that. but
00:47:33
Speaker
However, I'm just like a bit tired of like English sports media. and I'm just tired of like a certain portion of English sports fans and how they think like everyone who hasn't got like a player with a certain passport can be world class.
00:47:53
Speaker
It just annoys the living hell out of me. They are going to be so upset when Poteas wins it this year. no legit no yeah they are russo is still a world-class play a world-class player and i definitely would have seen a case for her in the last season to win the ballon door yes i'm just happy but that the that the english teams are out by now because both english sports press could be quite unbearable if they would have gone through confirm And also with the amount of resources and how they're distributed among like football in general, but also obviously the pinnacle.
00:48:34
Speaker
I'm just like the English game is leaps and bounds away from everyone else, but like four or five other teams. And if we're completely honest, Lyon is one of those teams that, you know, are still close enough to challenge.
00:48:48
Speaker
So like, you know, a plucky underdog one here. But still, it's just it's basically like a super league light when it's because of the English market is by far the most lucrative in the men's and women's game.
00:49:03
Speaker
And they completely dominate the hegemony. I just think that's not great for the sport. Yeah, but but they are being challenged. For example, Barcelona is is that example, that they are being challenged and now Lyon who took out Arsenal of the Champions League. byron I feel like if Bayern and Arsenal had met, that would have been also a very interesting tie.
00:49:28
Speaker
So I think they are slowly but surely being challenged. And i even I, for me, right now, given the season that Arsenal had, and as you said, I think it was a failure of a season for them. That's how they classify it. Because they didn't even reach the final. I mean, they could have reached the final of the Champions League and lost it, and it still would have been something. But they didn't even reach it. Yeah. And i like one must one must say that like obviously it's incredibly hard to um repeat like a Champions League win and also that um yeah and also that you know one knockout one single match shouldn't decide how one feels about the entire season but that's knockout football for you.
00:50:08
Speaker
I don't know. Yeah, so that's that on that. I think Arsenal will bounce back. They have, as we established now, really like world-class players.
00:50:24
Speaker
G'day! Charlene and Post here. So well, we didn't get to the bridging part since our recording unfortunately crashed. However, it's rather similar what Rumi, Jana and I both
Final Predictions for the Championship
00:50:35
Speaker
predicted. Both of us think that Barcelona will persevere.
00:50:40
Speaker
i think ah Rumi thinks it will be more tall and close than I do. We both think that LIA will be able to give Barcelona a good run for the money though and also that if they want to cook up something it must be over the fast wings since of the defensive vulnerability of Barcelona on the flanks. So it will be a case of Diani and Brandt that do have to provide number of good deep runs and...
00:51:09
Speaker
Leon with Dumonai and Lydia Johannes do have players that are capable of delivering deep passes. So if they do want to hurt Barcelona, that will be the way that we think it could happen.
00:51:22
Speaker
And yeah, thank you so much for tuning in. We appreciate it. Feel free to leave us a comment or share your takes for a final or your takes on the game that just happened.
00:51:36
Speaker
Yeah. um We hope you have a nice day and see in the next one. Good on ya. Bye bye.