Arsenal 1-5 Bayern Munich
We'll get there. Don't worry. Beginning chronologically then, with the second leg of Arsenal's clash with Bayern Munich. The predictable narrative was that Arsenal would win comfortably against a Bayern side that couldn't really be bothered, safe in the knowledge that there was no way Arsenal would qualify. That didn't happen. What happened instead was a brutal come down to earth for Arsenal. If the first leg was a stark reminder of how far they've fallen in terms of European competition, then this game proved that it was no fluke.
Truthfully, it's hard to draw meaningful conclusions from this game itself. But what it did do, unlike the other major cup tie this week, was reinforce the conclusions that were made after the previous 5-1. Arsenal's midfield is lightweight, their defence is paper thin and held together by Koscielny, they're sorely lack in spine and the manager's tactics are absolutely colossally poor.
The most shocking thing about this game was how predictable it was. When Koscielny bundled over Lewandowski from behind and the referee rightfully gave a red card, what happened next was not just pitiful, but inevitable. Sometimes, football produces magnificent shocks, where sheer force of will and narrative overcome the logical conclusion. But not in this game. This game was a unanimous victory for logic, as a full pelt Bayern Munich side absolutely obliterated a ten man Arsenal who offered absolutely nothing in terms of resistance. Tactically, they continued to be open as anything, refusing to bring on a central defender and with a defensive line that would have an under-10s manager screaming in frustration, as Bayern ran in behind, and onside, on about six separate occasions in the second half.
For Wenger to come out and blame the referee at full time was an embarrassment. Other than Lewandowski being clearly offside for the penalty, the officials got just about everything either right, or debatably wrong. Arsenal feel they should have had a penalty in the first half and that was at worst debatable. And yes they were unfortunate with Bayern's penalty but that's not excuse. The tie was dead at 5-1 anyway, and it simply doesn't justify what happened afterwards. It was as if the moment the referee sent Koscielny off, Wenger decided he'd had enough. He didn't care, the players didn't care, and the rest of the game was just going through the motions, conceding four goals without care or cause because he'd already decided it was the ref's fault. It was a shambles and a disgrace and the fans deserved better.
Where do Arsenal go from here? Well I answered this question a few weeks ago after the first leg defeat. Nothing much has changed. Two fresh smarting defeats in less than a week against Liverpool and Arsenal's situation has only been reinforced. They're not even close to Europe's elite, they're really struggling for top four football and whilst they still have a chance in the FA Cup, that's more through luck of the draw than any good work on their part. They are in serious, serious trouble. And I'm starting to agree with the fans. I think it's time for Wenger to go.
Barcelona 6-1 PSG
Holy moses. This was something else wasn't it? I mean wow. A few weeks ago Barca's season looked dead. They were nowhere near Madrid in the league and that humiliating 4-0 defeat to PSG seemed to signal the end of an era, a feeling only compounded when their manager Luis Enrique announced that he was stepping down at the end of the season.
But now? Now they're top of La Liga, and in better form than their biggest rivals, they're into the last eight of the Champions League in impossible fashion, and they are arguably favourites to complete the treble. And so much credit for that has to go to Enrique, whose switch to what is essentially a 3-3-4 has worked wonders, and reignited Barca's season. Since losing to PSG, they've played five, won five, beating Leganes 2-1 before seeing off Athletico Madrid with a late Messi winner. That game with Athletico seems to have been the turning point, as since then they have won 6-1, 5-0 and 6-1, that last 6-1 the all important win over PSG.
But as much as this was a colossal victory for Barcelona, it has to be said that this was arguably the worst performance PSG have put in all season, and may well be their worst performance in the Champions League in recent years. Defensively they were absolutely all over the place, failing to clear the ball hilariously for the first; putting badly through their own net for the second; falling over to give away a penalty; and the offside line for the sixth goal was nothing short of shambolic.
Moreover, at 3-1, once Cavani had fired PSG surely out of sight, they missed multiple, painful chances to put the game to bed. Cavani himself could and maybe should have had a hat-trick, but Angel Di Maria's awful miss when in on goal was the kicker, before two late goals from Neymar and Sergi Roberto's 95th minute winner sent Barca into raptures.
This game was many things, both a showcase of how incredible Barcelona still are with Messi, Neymar, Suarez and Iniesta all performing somewhere near their best, if only in moments. It was a showcase in how to mentally implode as PSG absolutely and completely bottled it. And above all else, it was a showstopping, jaw-dropping, truly incredible game of football as Barcelona scored 3 goals with 3 minutes plus stoppages to go to somehow, inexplicably, make it through.
This is one that will be talked about for years to come. It's one of the best games, and comebacks, of all time.
The Hard and Fast Section
- England destroyed West Indies. Easy as you like.
- Man City dropped points to Stoke amongst the carnage.
- Aubameyang is one hell of a striker.
- Wales v Ireland tonight. It's on.
- FA Cup and EPL this weekend. Predictions tomorrow.
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