For the neutral football fan, the first leg of the semifinal between Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich was among the best games of all time. Period.
Of course, there is more to come in the return leg in Munich, and everything suggests that this would be just as good, if not better, thanks in no small part to the 5-4 scoreline, which leaves the door open to just about every result. Bayern Munich and PSG are undoubtedly the two best teams left in the competition, and the quality of players, the coaching
philosophy, and the exciting, attacking brand of football always meant we were in for end-to-end thrillers.
The first leg was a MOVIE.
Compare that to the total contrast that was the Atletico Madrid vs Arsenal game, which featured two goals, both penalties. Like nobody saw that coming. And here’s what’s crazier: Atletico Madrid, arguably one of the most defense-oriented teams in the competition’s history, had MORE possession (51%), MORE shots (14), AND MORE shots on target (5) than Arsenal.
You would be excused for wanting to skip the game.
After the game, Arsenal coach Mikel Arteta was asked if Premier League teams were capable of producing such an exciting game as PSG vs Bayern (@Hayters TV , as captured by @iMiaSanMia). Arteta admitted that “there is something that when I look at that game, Bayern v PSG is probably the best game I have ever witnessed on the quality of two teams, and especially the individual quality that the players deliver. I’ve never seen something like this.”
However, he quickly pointed out that “when I look at the amount of minutes and the freshness of those players, then I’m not surprised. To deliver those moments of quality, you have to be very fresh and the difference in the leagues and the way they’re competing is night and day”, attributing the difference in quality between Arsenal and PSG, Bayern Munich to differences in their domestic leagues.
He continued, “And you just have to see a lot of stats that have been recently around it. So we are competing in two different worlds, so you cannot compare one part of that without giving any context to the other. I don’t think it’s fair.”
Hmmmmmm.
BFW Analysis
While it might be true that there indeed exists a difference in average league strength between the Premier League and the Bundesliga, it certainly isn’t enough to explain why Arsenal, a club that has played energetic, passing football (the Wenger era comes to mind), is now resorting to creating dead-ball situations, defending in low blocks, and playing against possession.
Manchester City won the Champions League in dominant fashion just a few seasons ago. And that team played some really good football. The net spend of Premier League clubs over the past decade FAR exceeds that of the Bundesliga (over 10 times the net spend of the Bundesliga). With all that spending, a squad size that is big enough to field two top-notch starting XIs on any given day, and the license to bring in your philosophy and style of play, this is the best you’re able to conjure?
Funny that.
If you are looking for more Bayern Munich and German national team coverage, check out the latest episodes of Bavarian Podcast Works, which you can get on Acast, Spotify, Apple, or any leading podcast distributor…
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