UCL REACTION ⚽️ Barca suffers first loss of the season to PSG + FC Bayern-Arsenal preview | ESPN FC

ESPN FC

ESPN FC reacts to PSG's win over Barcelona and previews Bayern vs Arsenal

The panel breaks down PSG's win over Barcelona, crediting PSG's pressing and sacrifice while pointing to Barcelona's defensive flaws against top opposition. They also discuss Liverpool's comeback, Erik ten Hag's interview controversy, and whether Arsenal's pragmatic approach can work against Bayern Munich.

Today on ESPN FC, the panel discuss… 0:00 PSG vs. Barcelona 22:49 Liverpool vs. Villarreal 26:10 Erik ten Hag’s comments 35:08 FC Bayern vs. Arsenal preview 40:53 Extra Time ✔️ Subscribe to ESPN Unlimited: https://plus.espn.com/ ESPN ESPNFC

Transcript

We will welcome in Frank Labuff and Jurgen Klinsman as well. But Craig, this encounter really did live up to the hype today. >> Yeah, it was an unbelievable game when we talked about M PSG putting a marker down last week against Man City. This is another marker, a bigger marker. It's at a stage of the competition. It doesn't really matter for these two teams because they're both going to go deep, but still it was, you know, two, I think, two of the best teams in Europe. uh and and quite a cut above one or two of the others. Uh going head-to-head uh wasn't the strongest Barcelona team. I'm presuming the the Rodri, unless I've missed something, the Rodri was left out for young Mark Bernal because there's a big game at the weekend. Uh Rafinia got some game time to try and sharpen them up, but we didn't expect him to play the whole game. Uh because he's been out injured. That was the case. But in a in a game of you attack, we attack, PSG were better. You know, Barcelona were better in the second half as they as they controlled possession early on in the second half. Got a bit more control of the game. We saw some brilliance from all the brilliant players on the field. But Ferin Torres could have had a hat-tick and they could have I've actually forgot the bulk of the stuff that happened in this game because there was so much that went on. Uh there was so much to admire about how both teams went about it. But again, just those little defensive deficiencies for Barcelona that maybe, just maybe, they get away with in La Liga, you're not going to get away with against the best team in Europe. But, you know, just a brilliant football match. >> And when we try to project potentially both of these teams being the knockout stage and of course running against each other in the advanced stages of this competition and you think about what is this matchup going to look like, I'm only going to focus on the first 60 minutes because for the first 60 minutes, both teams were trying to win the game. After the 60th minute, what you saw from Hans Flick is he's making substitutions that he would not make if he were not thinking about Eláico if he were not thinking about other things and this game was not a priority. Rafina would not have come off the field. Pedri not coming off the field because to Craig's point in that moment of the game actually Barcelona had taken the ball away from PSG. They were possessing the ball. They were controlling the game and it felt like they were the ones that were going to go on create opportunities and go score goals. But the first 45 minutes, much like the first 45 minutes against Manchester City last week, PSG, their pressure is relentless. Now, Barcelona were able to break through some of that pressure and that's when you find Fermine Lopez and go a one v one situation and Safonov comes up with the save, but for the most part, they were able to disrupt the possession of Barcelona. That's where the first goal comes from. and your commitment to press the ball that high up the field, understanding that Barcelona has the quality to break through that pressure and yet you have people running all over the field to trying to get to that ball and control the pace of the game and how you're going to play the game and dictate Barcelona. Tell Barcelona, "No, no, you're going to speed it up because we're forcing you to speed it up." That tells you a lot about PSG. I thought PSG again had an impressive 45 minutes. Didn't quite come out in the second half with the same sort of intensity and urgency. It's difficult to do. Barcelona were better with the ball and then after 60 minutes, Hansiflick made a whole bunch of changes and the game I thought then really went in the direction of PSG because of the qualities that they still had on the field. >> What did you take from it, Jurgen? >> Well, there's so much to talk about in that game as as uh you guys already explained. I think, you know, uh would be interesting to hear Frank's opinion on on on the first goal, um from from Dway where both center backs basically didn't try to block the shot. I mean, for me, from a coach's perspective would drive me absolutely bananas, you know, when they give away, you know, three four yards to the way in that moment to to place the ball really well. And and I think it's it's kind of a key moment because then when you saw then the situation with uh Famine Lopez and the chance that he had and Po kind of threw himself into the rebound and sacrificed his head for it. I I I think that that kind of writes a little bit the story of of that match. You know, Paris was was kind of doing this little tiny tiny bit more of sacrifice than than Barcelona at the end of the day. I mean clearly obviously you have players that can decide a game in a split second. Yam like he he did then with his goal and and it could go either way but but it shows to me a little bit more of determination and and and toughness from from Pite, you know, also the obviously the the header then from Luca Hernandez was it was determination poor. He said this is my ball. I going to get that ball. I going to head that in. and and that's why I think it was a a deserved Parisa jama win. But there were so many little episode that could character yeah characterize this this um fantastic match and uh very very enjoyable. >> Let's pick up that moment then Frank if we can that Jurgen just mentioned when D scores and the ball goes right through the middle of Kubari and Gerard Martin. What did you think of that? Well, first you have to congratulate Die because what he does is he keeps the ball very close to his feet and he makes small steps and the ball doesn't go away that much. So, it's very hard for the for the center backs to know exactly what he wants to do. If he wants to carry on, maybe take them on or maybe try to or or he's going to shoot on the right side on the left side. I think it's why when Gario also is is surprised but it's true that normally you have to close up um do his shots going forwards and going towards him but also cover each other so maybe put small legs on on the on the doish pro uh potentially shot so but it's it's hard because you have to make decision very quickly you have to understand each other very quickly don't forget that Kubari even if he's a champion of the world and the Liga champion is only 19 years old, don't forget that. So you you can sometimes not forget about something and it happened to to anybody. So I would say it's more do a skill who struck me than than the mistake that the backs could have made. But don't forget that Laminyama lost a crazy ball just before. And and then what I want to make about that game is, you know, I was I I'm I enjoyed the game. I knew that it would be a fantastic game and that that was a great game of football offensively but you know I was expecting to see more Valia and more Laminal and I see uh I don't want to make any mistake Espart and Hernandez more than the two others and Hernandez should have been the man of the match you know he scored the goal we barely saw Yamin Lamal before he got out if only when he got out that Zamin Lamal scored the goal was able to do so so great game for Hernandez who would never start a game for two years now. So it says a lot about his determination and his performance. But overall what a game even as a former defender sometimes my blood when cold I would say in some in some specific action where it's too much risk for me is um there is no coverage there's no covering sorry there is no paying attention too much of oh if we lose the ball what's going on which is maybe the beauty of it but as a former defender in both side my god it's scary >> if you're a defender in either of these two teams these days, you just have to be on your toes. You have to you have to understand that you're going to be left exposed and you have to deal with it. Uh just a little note to Shave Espat there. Brilliant performance from the young man. You know, I think it's his second Champions League game. Uh playing against one of the best uh wide players in European football. Did a great job. Brilliant job. Uh he's goal a part defensively. Did a great job. First little bump in the road this season for Barcelona. you know, they've been steamrollering everybody by consummate ease by four and five goals every game. Uh, so the first little bump in the road on the week of a classical. So that's, you know, that happens. Brush yourself down, pick yourself up. I think what I would take from Barcelona's perspective is that there's this game on Sunday uh in in in the camp now is that yes, Real Madrid will be a threat. Of course, they'll be a threat. It's a big game but they can't they do not and they cannot play with the intensity of Paris Sanjaman. They do not close down like Parisan Jaman. They do not break forward or pass the ball like Parisan Jaman. So the the threat will be different. The threat will be be more isolated. It will be more in moments with Mbappy over the top uh or or Diamat whoever playing Adula getting it. The threat at the weekend should be less or more limited than it was today. The threat from this PSG side was from almost everywhere from the middle of the park was from Hakeime, from the fullbacks even though Mendy wasn't playing. Uh it was wide players and and set it was just movement all over the field. That's the kind of that's the plus point I would take from Basa that going into the big game at the weekend with the first defeat of the season. I wouldn't be too despondent about it because they are the marker at the moment PSG and if Barcelona can play like that be a bit but be a little bit more organized and a bit more clinical in the final third it it should be a tough day at the office for Real Madrid. That's projecting it forward a little bit, which our other colleague Dan Thomas doesn't like me doing. >> He wants to keep me in the moment. Don't look ahead. Don't look ahead. Don't look ahead. But just looking ahead because Barcelona are are just going great guns, but unfortunately tonight they just they just met their match and you go away and you learn from it. >> And if you're Hansancy Flick, how do you deal with Namya? Because if you focus on the great moment that he had for the goal, you said, "Lord, this kid, as we have been saying, he's special, amazing, incredible talent." All the things that we say on a weekly basis, but it must be said that up until the goal, it hadn't been a good performance from Lamin. In fact, I'd argue that in the first half, a lot of the attacking play from PSG began with Lamina turning the ball over in a bad area, and it led to the first goal. It was a sloppy turnover, unnecessary turnover, and there were so many instances, especially in the first half, in which he's just carelessly turning the ball over. Now, as a manager, you have to love the fact that the player can resolve an issue for you in the manner in which he did with his goal, but you also have to bring the the attention to the player and say, "Hey, a lot of the issues that we had came from your turnover. You have to clean this up." Especially which by the end of the game, he's wearing the captain's ar. So, it's a different type of I think responsibility when you're given that that chance to wear the captain's armband for Barcelona even if you're 19 years old. And so, what do you focus on if you're Hansy Flick? Do you focus on some of the frailties that you showed today in the game against PSG or do you focus and project forward? Do you focus on the fact that Shabi Espar, who's not a right back, who's actually not an outside back at all, who naturally is a midfield player, gave you the sort of performance that he did? you focus on some of the moments that you have with Pedri on the ball and how he was able to control the pace of the game whenever he actually was able to get on the ball and he was at his best when he was taken off the field which I know they're looking forward to Eláico and so I think as a manager you have to process a lot of information as we're having to process information but he's going to have to present that information to their players and say hey we did a lot of good things today but the things that got into trouble are the details that we must be better consistently. These things that we need to do against high level opposition, we're going to have to do against Real Madrid if we're going to win that match. >> Lamin lost possession 20 times today. That's what's coming through. Hansy Flick did say after the game, we made too many mistakes which is unacceptable at this level. How does he deal with Lamin who's what well his star player Jurgen after this game who's 19 years old but he needs to address these type of situations too. Now, this is the one of the biggest challenges for all the top coaches out there of pre of obviously Champions League teams, you know, is is your style players. How do you deal with your style players? How do you kind of uh yeah, keep them grounded? How do you keep them being the the chiefs in the locker room? How do you have them be the the Yeah, I mean, the communicators, the ones that run the show, the ones that uh carry the responsibilities. And obviously you you deal now with Lamin Yam that age 19 20 years of age exceptional exceptional talent you know many talk already about future Bondor and this and that. Um it is it is very difficult. It is difficult. So, so you try to get access to to obviously to him and the club has access to to his family to to his agent and and you just try to kind of guide him as as closely and as positive as you can but you depend in a certain way uh of his personality. You depend on him uh as as a manager and that makes it that makes it uh difficult difficult. I saw a couple of situations where he got fouled and he wanted right away a yellow card for for the opponent, you know, and that's something that obviously opponents they watch. They watch when I say, you know, give him a couple of times a little bit of stick and here and there he will lose his his cool and and uh so it is a um a very interesting topic to uh to follow. It's for for a manager it's obviously it's fascinating on one hand because you deal with an outstanding individual one of the best players in the world um in these type of teams it's a lot of fun to have this kind of a work but you also always are on the edge now does it turn your way or does it turn the other way and uh so yeah I mean I know Hanzi is a fantastic uh people manager he's he's good with uh with the lads he's a good communicator He's not overdoing it either, but it's something that he depends on. >> I mean, PSG have had I mean, listen listen, there's not a superstar that's ever played this game or any other sport that's not had a a a substandard day at the office. >> Not one. >> Not one. And and it can happen. And I would slow down a little bit in terms of, you know, we're discussing it here as if he's going to need a psychiatrist before Sunday to get him over it. you know, he had a he had a very average start to the season. He had a pretty average World Cup if we've been honest. He had that bad hamstring injury uh at the end of last year, kept him out a couple of months, never quite found his feet even though Spain won the World Cup. Slowly got himself going during the season. Has been brilliant of late. There's no doubt about that. Had a poorer game tonight. Scaled a great goal. Had a poor game in possession. There's no doubt about that. But I wouldn't sort of go overboard on it. It can happen. It can happen. And it's how it's how you rebound from that. Now if you have a if you're the leading light in a team as he is even with Rafiniah and others in in the team if you're the leading light in that side the best way to do it is go out in the next game which just so happens to be the biggest game and put that marker down again. >> I think if there's a worry and trend going forward if there is a trend then that's more of a worry but for Hanzy Fleck this is this is pretty easy. He's the star man and he had a substandard day by by his standards, but it's go out at the weekend again at home in front of your own crowd and and and put the wrongs of the PSG game. Put that right at the weekend and and listen, he as much as anybody is likely to do that. >> Yeah. When you look at PSG, Frank, you think about it. He lost Emle in that game. He lost Kavad Skeleier and they still kept going and got the win against Barcelona. Speaks a lot about the depth that Luis Enrique's got. Yeah, even if I think that when Vash Kellia got injured and Marinos as well, the the skipper, um I I I think that they wonder what's what what was going on with with all these injuries and how they could play and it's when I think Barcelona were better and they kept on doing that. And it's only because they scored that second goal that everything changed. But uh well, I'm not very worried. I'm wor worried about VA. I think it's uh it's a knee injury. I don't know at what uh level or stage it's going to be uh uh injured if we need a surgery or not. I'm not really worried about Dembele and Marinos. I think it's it's a matter of two three weeks before they can come back. I really hope so. But Vara it's a it's a it's a blow. It's a real blow because a fantastic player even if today Shavei Espar showed him that even very young you can you can deal with one of the biggest star in the world right now in football but but no doubt that you need V if you they want to win the Champions League a third time in the row they will need that kind of player so uh for the league one no problem for the Champions League I think they're going to get through uh the the group well those games before before getting serious so I'm not worried only Fvara but um again that was that was a fantastic performance you know that Paris Barcelona didn't concede uh those amount of of of shot on target which is I think more than than 20 by a club since 2003. So he says a lot of the power that Paris Jame had today offensively. Frank, I was sorry, Ali. I was I was just going to ask you briefly. I'm not slagging off League One, not at all because there's some good teams in French football. There's no there's no doubt about that. >> Uh what's the difference? Do PSG when they're playing domestically play at a level slightly below what we've seen in the last two weeks and certainly in the last couple of years in the Champions League. Is it almost like they're waiting for these big moments to put on these kind of performances? Well, in fact, I think um Luis Enrique is is using the uh the rotation system at his maximum. For example, Deo Stle just came the last 30 minutes against Strasburg. They won away from home 3-1. But no, Paris play the same level. Di is flying right now. Nobody nobody can stop him. And he scored a goal against Strasburg. And the level of League One is is is pretty decent. He's pretty good. It will go from, you know, in Premier League, let's say, and I don't want to be rude to to the league one, but maybe maybe 12 or 13 teams of that that Premier League would suffer against some good team in League One. So, it's it's never easy. Physically, they're ready. Tactically, they're ready. They know how to play. And it's never something easy. They have to be good. I wouldn't say not like they win for the first 45 minutes against Man City and today, but they have to be good in order to win. Otherwise, and it's been proven, they they lost and they they're not the first in the Premier League in the in the league one, sorry. It's it's still young. >> Let me let me just mention well, a couple things, but first thing, Ashra Hakeimi has to be by far the best right back in the world. And if you can call him a right back, because whatever position he plays, he is just creating. It's like he's freestyling his position. He's appearing in places on the field that don