Champions League review: cunning Kane, PSG click into form and a bloodied pundit

Going through

Bayern Munich’s thrilling 4-3 win over Real Madrid on Wednesday, which gave them a 6-4 victory on aggregate and set up a semi-final meeting with PSG, was a stone-cold classic. If either of the semis is as good as Real and Bayern’s quarter-final, this season will have been blessed. Arda Güler showed off his brilliance on Wednesday, first with his presence of mind after Manuel Neuer’s mistake led to the opening goal and again from a free-kick in the 29th minute. Güler’s goals gave Madrid hope, but Harry Kane made another difficult finish look routine before Luis Díaz and Michael Olise’s late goals settled the tie. Bayern’s wing wizards were crucial in defeating the 15-time champions. This game had it all. That includes controversy, with a post-match scuffle set off by Madrid players enraged by Eduardo Camavinga’s dismissal for two quickfire yellow cards. Neuer, the hero of the first leg, had his blushes saved by his Bayern teammates, though one save from Kylian Mbappé was him at his best, combining reflexes with brute strength. Fine margins decided a battle of the giants.

Ousmane Dembélé has not quite hit the heights of last season but may be finding form at the right time. PSG’s leading man reflects a team finally where they wanted to be for so long: they are European champions and have a Ballon D’Or winner at his peak. If Liverpool gave their all at Anfield, it was not nearly good enough; Luis Enrique’s team eventually picked off Arne Slot’s on Tuesday thanks to two late Dembélé goals. Then again, the damage had been done in Paris in the first leg, and much of that damage was to Slot’s credibility as Liverpool manager. There has been ill fortune – Hugo Ekitike’s snapped achilles was the latest blow – though much of Liverpool’s fanbase have made their minds up. “The failure is big,” said Ryan Gravenberch, unhelpfully for his manager. PSG are making manful efforts to keep hold of Enrique, the manager who achieved the club’s dreams. He fully enjoyed his latest return to Anfield, having once stood on the Kop after being passed tickets by Liverpool’s 2005 Champions League winner Luis García.

A summer of change in the elite coaching ranks fast approaches, with vacancies likely at Real Madrid and a host of Premier League clubs. Diego Simeone, linked with Inter in recent months, is likely to confirm he will stay at Atlético Madrid. “There will be Simeone for a while,” declared AS, the Spanish newspaper, last month. One reason for “Cholo” staying is Inter not being able to afford him, though another is the revival of Atléti, who completed the job on Barcelona. Tuesday’s game was another advert for La Liga, but not for the discipline or defending of Barcelona. They had gotten themselves level, with Lamine Yamal skillfully defying physics , only for Eric García to be sent off for a last-man foul on Alexander Sørloth. By then, Ademola Lookman’s goal already had Atléti back in the lead. This is the fourth semi-final for Simeone, three of which have come at Barcelona’s expense. “We’ve faced Messi’s Barça, Lamine Yamal’s Barça, and we’ve done it,” Simeone said. “The players have changed, we’ve started again so many times, and once again we’re among the four best teams in Europe.” Inter may one day tempt him, as may the Argentina job but Simeone’s maverick leadership continues with Atléti for the foreseeable future.

Player of the week

This is another difficult choice considering the quality of the games this week, but perhaps Harry Kane deserves more of a mention. Beyond that well-taken goal, his 50th of the season, he put in another display of supreme footballing intelligence, as a combination of playmaker and finisher. English football misses him, but his time in Germany has made him a yet better player.

They said it

“I’m on fire. That’s it, nothing else. I’m dreaming so much, I’ve done so much to be in this position because I know how this club was. I just see beauty, opportunity and I want to get it done for all the people who have been on this journey with us and because they deserve it, they’ve been unbelievable.” – Mikel Arteta talks self-immolation before Arsenal’s goalless draw with Sporting and a 1-0 aggregate win that delivered no spark whatsoever.

The pundit’s chair

“Barcelona will never win the Champions League with this team. With this defence and a striker like Ferran Torres, with all due respect … If you think about it, the same things have been happening with [Hansi] Flick for two years: the high line gets caught in the back, he doesn’t know how to correct. It’s right to stay high if you’re pressing, but if you don’t manage it, it’s too risky.” – Zvonimir Boban, a 1994 Champions League winner with Milan, didn’t hold back on Barça’s latest departure from a competition they last won in 2015.

Boban’s ire was nothing on Paolo di Canio who, following Sky Italia’s broadcast of Bayern v Madrid, was asked when Italian football will reach such levels. After Di Canio butted the table, his fellow pundit Fabio Capello came to the rescue with a handkerchief to mop up the blood.

Looking ahead

Another blockbuster will surely follow when PSG travel to Bayern in the first leg of their semi-final, a meeting of champions against most obvious challengers. Bayern have taken the last three meetings between the teams in this competition, though PSG won their meeting at last summer’s Club World Cup. Vincent Kompany is banned from Bayern’s bench after protesting against Madrid’s third goal. “Since the beginning of the season we have dreamed of big things,” Kompany said after Wednesday’s game.

A second successive semi-final for Arsenal, and a familiar opponent in Simeone’s Atléti. Few are expecting the aesthetics that are likely to be on display between Bayern and PSG. It may be left to Atlético to supply the pyrotechnics, with Arsenal so stodgy in recent weeks. When they visit the Metropolitano, the Gunners’ Premier League destiny will probably be in the balance. Arsenal’s 4-0 destruction of Atleti in October feels like a long time ago. The two have met in a previous European semi-final. In 2018, Simeone’s team prevailed 2-1 on aggregate in the Europa League, Antoine Griezmann scoring at the Emirates. That proved to be Arsène Wenger’s last stand: his departure had been announced ahead of the first leg.