Manchester City v Real Madrid Review – UCL FINAL Man City v Inter. PLUS Matchweek 36 Premier League Preview

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Hello and welcome to the Squeaky Bum Time Podcast, but exclusively on the Chopped Sports Channel of the Premier Streaming Network. We are recording this on Thursday, may 18th. I am your host, laurent Fourteens. In this episode, we reached the penultimate weekend of the Premier League and go through fixtures And we say hello to some new friends and say goodbye to old friends. But this episode is going to be all about Manchester City defeating Real Madrid in an incredible performance. But before we start, please like, share, subscribe. Like, share, subscribe. Like, share, subscribe. It means everything to us and we need you so much. Thank you, and let's get to it.

Well, it has happened Manchester City have defeated the great and powerful Real Madrid, and that is what we're going to start the show with. How did I feel? How did it go? How did it happen? It was incredible. I was afraid, i was nervous, but City put on a performance for the ages. Frankly, and I don't think we'll I'll be able to sort of really understand it until I examine it a bit more and watch it for the second or third time. As I do with so many of these games, i do watch them over and over again. I think what we, what we saw, was a Guardiola side that has been honed and crafted and put together and lives with a confidence that it has not had in the past. I think the players had slowly been taking things on and and feeling where they were and the right players had come into the right spots And the defensive nature of Diaz and Stones and a Kanji and Walker really shown through. We had it's now year three with Rodri and City were just incomplete, absolute and total control. There was no fear, everything was easy. It was a walk in a park and over the two legs, city defeat Real Madrid Five one on aggregate. And it was not even close. It was not even close. I want to go through City first before we get into, before we get into what happened with Real Madrid and what it means for them.

So City came back with the same lineup Grealish Holland, silva with Gundogan and Kevin De Bruyne in those holding eight roles, with Rodri and Stones in the midfield and then the backline of it, kanji, diaz and Walker with Edison in goal, and it was all about control. Even within the first few minutes, stone steps into the midfield, there's a little bit of a press from Real Madrid, a little bit of attempting to put pressure under, put City under pressure, but it really never came to anything, and it really especially in the first half. I think on the 1015 minute mark. I think there was a stat on the CBS broadcast that City had made 150 passes to Real Madrid's 15. This was not a close performance. This was not anything resembling anything that Real Madrid had ever done.

The first 20 minutes were all city first Kyle. First Kyle Walker had a shot from deep that didn't look close. Rodri had an amazing chance on seven minutes. John Stones took a pot shot from deep because, because of the influence of Holland and the lack of mobility of Modric and Cruz, Anything coming in this in before in front of the defense was open. So city could take deep shots, long shots. Any kind of space in the midfield, especially in front of the 18 yard box, was available.

And then the first big volley save by Corta on 21. And gets in a really great position. It's de Bruyne to a congee, crosses it in headed down, it hits court while right, sort of in his mid drift, and that's the first big save that court walk comes up with and he's going to show up in this game many, many times. In fact, i got that wrong. He made the first save on 13. This was the second save on 21. The second save on 21 was incredible. This was the back of the hand flick when he's going across the other way. The first was saved from drag realish And that hit court while and city were in business.

Even in those moments, once that that first, that second Holland save happened, real Madrid were at sea. They really couldn't deal with what city was bringing and they were gone. They were lost, their heads were gone And Enzo fell there. They just seem to just follow, going to go around as though he was the most important thing that was happening. Then Bernardo Silva, who had been attacking And when I'm a vengar the whole game. I think Pep realized that that was the side to attack and something they didn't exploit in the first game. He cuts in on goal, fires at top, bins dummies to the far post, shot and fires it in the top, and city were up a goal. I let out a big scream no-transcript.

At that point City had already deserved three goals, especially the two Hollands. So on 23, first 20 minutes, just a complete and total dominance. Then again on 37, another attack Ilkay Gundogan shot is blocked, it's cleared. But then there's Bernardo Silva, calm as you like, cool, right in the middle of the box, heads it past the Real Madrid Madred Defender. City are up two nil going into halftime and Real at that point needed halftime. They were cooked, they were finished. This was a complete and total masterclass.

That the second half, i'd say there was a little bit more from Real Madrid, from Real Madrid, but a goal by Akonji. And then in the 94th minute, after the dogs have been called off, alvarez and Foden just go. Hey, we're still really good. We may not have started this game, but we will connect. And they had a beautiful goal to get their thing through. What a performance.

I just can't really explain what it was like to see City just completely annihilate the most dangerous team in Europe, not so much on their play, real, but on their stature. So we'll go on the Real side. They just didn't have the legs or the wherewithal or the tactical nows or anything. There was nothing. I think a lot of what had been happening with Real was they were living on their legend and backing it up. to be fair, right, they got through games. They had the two Nell at Anfield and they scored five in the second half. But City are not Liverpool. This is different. We have the best midfield in the world, the best coach in the world. We have the pain of Real Madrid. No one else has that.

And so where Real Madrid may have been feeling confident in their heroes of Benzema and Venetius and Rodrigo and Modric and Cruz and Fede, valverde and Militão and all those names, calvajal, guys with four and five Champions Leagues I mean incredible players that are all-time greats They believed their own hype, they smelled their own shit and thought that they could just show up and hang in there And it almost worked. Courtois was amazing. He made those two saves early And I'm sure Real Madrid at that point felt like, oh, we've got this, we've got the magic, we'll find a way. And there was a moment Cruz took a shot that hit the bar in the first half. I believe that was really scary And had it gone in it might have been a different scene. But Cruz's shot didn't end up going in and there really wasn't any momentum. There was a couple of moments there for Venetius. He ran in on goal and Kyle Walker, stride for stride the touch goes long. I mean he's running at full speed, clears it out. Kyle Walker was immense, but for Real Madrid and if you know what a club Real Madrid is like this is a complete crisis. When they get blown out, these become seismic European events that the world has to pay attention to And for them, they will be looking internally and going what happened? what happened? what happened? Do they? does Ancelotti come back? What happens to this transition of Cruz and and Modric? Modric's 38 years old and they looked it.

I think one of the things you take away from this game, as I watched it the second and third time is the midfielders for Real Madrid just couldn't get close to the city players And as they tried to move forward and tried to run, they just were always a step or two behind and they couldn't get their passing going. And when they went long, city had two players there. They had a strong, big central defense. This is one of the things that's different about this city side. It's big. Diaz is a big sucker. Walker is an athletic player. John Stones in the midfield is over six foot. Rodgeri is six foot if you really think about it. Rodgeri played center back for Spain. That means that city are playing five center backs, but two of those center backs Rodgeri and Stones can, are so good on the ball that they could be midfielders, and you can see it in the passing and the connectivity And then, of course, going forward.

You know Holland, occupied space, had a really good game. He pressed a lot, he led it, even though he didn't score a goal. He created space and fear. You know there were always two center backs, they were always collapsing into him. So all the runs, all the stuff while he was off the ball wasn't able to help them And you know it's never a good game where you lose four-nil and Cortejois, your best player.

I think, fundamentally, real Madrid were naive. They tried to play four, three, three against cities midfield four. Like what are you doing? There was always gonna be an extra man with de Bruyne, gundogan, rodgeri and Stones just in there all the time, and when they needed to make up numbers they were able to just play around Valverde and Cros and Modrus. There was never anything there. Rodgeri, rodrigo, for them, never came back in, venetius Jr was always staying high and Benzema never came deep either. So they were really just defending with their seven against cities, eight in attack. So they were just overrun and outplayed. It was shocking, frankly, and it was never close, and city, with their methodical new way.

This is a watershed moment, i think, for Champions League football. This is reminiscent of 2011 Barcelona against United, where you knew you were seeing something different. You knew you had seen a pinnacle of a team, where, i think, that's what's happening right now with city. There is a peak that's happening right now that we haven't seen before. It's something different than what we have seen over the last eight years of Pep. It's something else. There's a lack of naivety, there's a strength, there's a creativity, there's a pragmatism. All the pieces that you wanna see from your side are there now, and it's just an amazing feeling, too, to understand that your team is now two steps away from immortality. That's really where it is.

For Manchester City right now, there's the game Sunday against Chelsea and there is the FA Cup final and this Champions League final. Win the game in the Premier League, win any of the next two games or three games, and they're Premier League champions, and then win an FA Cup against Manchester United and your FA Cup champions, and then the season's penultimate final boss level is going to be Inter Milan, who defeated AC Milan in a game I didn't even watch. I was more interested in watching Luton Town versus Sunderland and watching that game. I just don't enjoy Italian football as much as I'd like to. Sorry, angela, i just it's not fun for me, so I don't really watch it as much as I'd like to. Just amazing feelings to see, to have that happen. I don't know how to even put it anymore.

Just a great great day, a great great moment, and I have a had a take, and it's this I just want to search for why city have elevated themselves to this next level of somewhat of a revenge tour, somewhat of a how do we get? how do we get to this place? And I thought I am a big NBA fan and I follow it pretty closely via podcast. I don't watch it as much, but I follow it via podcast, and one of the things that popped into my hand was the 2014 San Antonio Spurs. San Antonio Spurs had a two 15 22 decade dominance under Tim Duncan. They had one championships with Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker and they had this emergent team when Kawai Leonard was on a team and the three other, the three amigos, were getting older, and they took LeBron's Miami team, after they had lost to Dallas, to the brink. They were up three with two minutes to go And they were up three with two minutes to go. And you know we have the famous LeBron goes nuts at home and we have the Ray Allen shot. You know, the rebound by the rebound goes to Ray Allen and he takes the three and makes the shot so and they win and then they go on to game seven.

But the following season, that's the 13 season the following season, the Spurs come out on a mission and in the finals they whoop Miami in a level of basketball that has not been seen since, as much as we like to say, the Warriors were the 2014 Spurs were pure basketball, the Superstar Leading team. It was older guys in their 30s, they had a young Kawai, but they whooped the ball around And you know, with European style, share the ball style, and they they broke the spirit of the, the Beatles and ended up ending the Beatles. After that, lebron left and then goes to Miami. But that loss the season before is what drove them And I can see in city that the Ray Allen Madrid semi final loss being up to and losing from the 90th minute on and then losing an extra time drove this city team to be like we internalize it. We hurt Murdoch. Silva said that. They hurt. Pep said they hurt Roger. He literally said this is a revenge game. They all internalized that loss the previous season and said never again. We're going to get back to this place and we're going to beat this real team and take them out. And they did. And so now they have this very focused mission of we're winning this Champions League. We've defeated the team that put the most pain on us that we could possibly have And now we're going to face enter in Istanbul and we're going to complete the mission. This is it. This is the time This city side has reinvented itself to become something else, something that's bigger, something that's historical.

Now I have heard the media and the press, of course, start bringing up and I'm going to bring it up. You know all the FFP, all the money. Oh, it doesn't invoke passion. They didn't have to do it the hard way. If you like football, there's something about football that excellence and skill and technical nature of the game is rewarded and city are playing at a pure level right now.

I think it was Robbie musto on the two Robby's podcast. He's watching the real game. I listened to his show. He said this game lifted me up, the way that city played, the purity of the play, the levels that it is. Now you can get more dramatic games, for sure You can see. You can watch Peterborough versus Sheffield Wednesday. A five, five that goes through on penalties for the, for the league one. It's more exciting, it's not as good, but it's definitely more dramatic. But city lifted themselves up, took themselves to a level that we haven't seen yet and it's got to culminate on the treble so that Manchester City can be considered the greatest team of all time. I don't know why I'm sweating, but I am.

So who is city's opponent? City's opponent will be into Milan. They defeated AC Milan on a goal by the author of Martinez. This team is not in the class of Real Madrid also has an old midfield of Chagan Aglu. They're still in the game. They still run Jekko out there who's, at 35, still a decent striker. But this is not a team in the class of city or Real Madrid or Bayern Munich nowhere near anyone that, or even Leipzig city that, to beat some good teams, city will be favored already five to one favorites in this game. It should be a coronation and we'd expect it. We'd expect it to be something along the lines of a coronation City have a lot of work to do.

It's exciting, it was a great moment and I'm over the moon hoping that city get it done And we have a moment to really celebrate what has been, what city is. Which is this amazing team that I don't want to be whatever Like our narrative is not credited right. City is evil. We're the bad guys, and I get it. We can be the bad guys. It makes for an easy narrative, but you know, not being lovable doesn't mean we're not fantastic. You know we don't have air disasters or fans getting crushed or anything like that. We're just a regular team from a working class neighborhood who got bought by a chic. It's not our fault, it happened. But yeah, amazing, amazing moments. Let's just get into the Premier League, because that's where we are, that's where we've got to go, and I'm just going to go through the schedule like normal, just straight, starting with a game that happened today Newcastle Four Brighton one.

This was a new castle that was rampant. This was the new castle we've seen at home all season at at St James's Park, and I think that, frankly, the great and powerful Brighton just couldn't muster another performance against another good team to push them over the line And as much as all their underlying numbers, and I talk about XG and all that stuff happened all the time. Brighton just didn't have it. In this one Newcastle take 22 shots. They get an own goal on an amazing cross. Trippier was amazing in this game. Every single time he got on a ball and made a cross It went someplace dangerous. He caused the own goal And right on the head on 45, the worst goal you can give up just before halftime. And then late in the second half, callum Wilson and Grimarez both going on goal on breaks is as Brighton is breaking in. So Callum Wilson on 89, then Grimarez on Bruno on 91, and then there was another break that they missed And I did pull him back. So Brighton's left to fight another day, but they can't feel good about where they are.

But this for Newcastle does put them in the driver's seat for the top four. They're probably nailed on now. They've got the points, they've got the, they've got the players and they can start celebrating European nights in St James's Park again. Big, big win for them. They are on 69 with a game, with two games to play, while Liverpool are on 65 points. So it's going to be tough for them to drop out. They'll probably get there. Just reward and Brighton start to slip these extra games in hand. They're, they have a, they had a hand and a chance at Europa, but it looks like, oh no, i think, sixth place. I think they will get Europa League playoffs for their sixth place spot. I don't think Tottenham will catch them, but they do have to get a win to solidify where they are. That's today's game. That just happened. Then we'll go into Saturday. Let's just go by the buy of the clock. We start with probably the least meaningful game of the weekend.

Spurs and Brentford locked into where they are. Spurs, at this point, want their season to end, so Brentford without striker Ivan Tony, who's we've talked about earlier. His gambling issues have come to the fore. He had over 200 counts of improper gambling. Footballers are not allowed to gamble on football, so he may have been placing bets regardless of whether it's your team or not. He did do that And he gets an eight month ban, starting immediately And start begin training with his team again after four months. So that takes him into September.

Brentford do want to try and resign him, but this is going to put a dent a little bit into Brentford, because they need to keep their players so that they can sell them on for money. So the Spurs at this point are on the beach. You know, ryan Mason is not anything to write home about. I'm sure Spurs want to do better, but at this point do they really want to make the conference league? Do they really want to be in Europa League? Their big worries are who's their coach, who's going to be their coach, and will Harry Kane stay? so those are the narratives for Spurs. But you know, i'm sure they'll want to put on a good performance for the, for the fans at home.

But then the great and powerful Liverpool will host Aston Villa. This is actually a big game. Liverpool, if they want to reach the Champions League, will need to defeat the great and powerful Aston Villa. Aston Villa, i would not say that they have slipped, but they're off the high of the Unai Emery experience. The goals have slowed up just a smidge, or our friend Mr Sly Watkins, he was on that streak. So it's just a little bit of a of a tough sleigh for Villa. It is a little bit weird it should have been a game that Stephen Gerrard would have been a part of a game that Philip Coutinho would have been a part of, but I think the way Unai Emery has put this team together is going to be interesting. I think this these are, at this point of the season, relatively evenly matched teams. Now Anfield is a different beast. As we all know, anfield makes weird things happen, and so having Aston Villa visit Anfield makes this, of course, advantage Liverpool, and we'll see what the Trent Alexander Arnold Arnold experience is like.

The reverse fixture was a win by Liverpool, 3-1. I don't remember that game is on Boxing Day, no recollection of that at all. And then the previous one, last May, was also Liverpool 2-1. So they always were able to beat Stephen Gerrard, but this is the first time they will. Oh no, they beat Unai Emery. This will be the rematch of the earlier season Boxing Day game, and you'd expect a really fraught game, because I think, even though Liverpool are on a seven game winning streak, they have played some weaker opposition Let's be fair And so this will be a test for them. I do like Villa a lot, but this is a bridge too far, the way that Liverpool are playing, the way that they're finally getting themselves together into a method that makes sense for them changing. Finally, whatever Klopp was doing and he wasn't able to sort of get the team into a different place, he finally has put the team together in a new way that will allow them to play in a way that should allow them to take advantage of their best player, which I think, fairly or unfairly, it seems that Trent Alexander-Arnold is their best player at this point. So you know, that's there. Yeah, and this will be a goodbye for some Liverpool friends Bobby Firmino leaving the team and such.

Okay, bollum, crystal Palace, a London derby. That means nothing. The less talked about this, the better. No, not really Looking forward to both these teams next season. Who they keep? who goes? Alisi could move, polina could move. We wonder what happens with Zaha. The good news is Uncle Roy will return. He has signed for next season to come back and play for the great and powerful Crystal Palace. Great little documentary on YouTube by Gary Neville about the team. He's not a documentary overlap where he talks to Roy Hodgson and talks to Parish Steve Parish, the owner of the team. Really interesting to hear their story about management and football and how it is to run a team. So good stuff there. I recommend that it's on YouTube, check it out.

Fullham versus Palace. Then again also in the 3 pm, 10 o'clock, 7 am window here in California, bournemouth at home versus Manchester United. This is about as easy a game as United is gonna get. If they win this game, they will be locked on for the Champions League spot. I'd expect them to win. This is as big a game as United have had in a long time. They need these games. They need to tick them over. They beat Wolves. Now they've got to beat Bournemouth. These are the games that, if you're a good team, you just simply take care of them. No fucking around, no messing around. United, you beat Bournemouth, you're in. I think something like that. They still have a few more games to go. I can't do math, i don't care. They just need to win games. They'll know Villa and Liverpool will be playing at the same time and they'll know where they are.

The biggest game on Saturday there's two relegation battle games on Saturday Wolves hosting Everton. Everton has to get something out of this game. Every single point draws. Scratching claws, wins. A win is gold for Everton If a win will put them into safety. At this point They just want to get away from that line. Everton have been playing well of late, but away from home a little bit tougher than you'd expect.

And then Nottingham Forest host Arsenal. This is probably the best time to meet Arsenal. You possibly could meet them. They're down, they're hurt, their souls are crushed. Nottingham Forest, you have everything to play for. You've got to get this done. A point, nottingham Forest, a point will put you on 35 and about as close to safety and as about as good as you can expect. Come on, you tricky trees. I love Steve Cooper. I think they will get something from this game. I think Forest will get something against Arsenal. Arsenal have not had a good time when they have gone to the city ground. I believe that last season or two seasons ago, Nottingham Forest did put Arsenal out of the FA Cup in a game at home. They did play to a draw, i believe earlier this year, i'm not sure, i can't remember. I know. Whatever, it doesn't matter. This is a massive, massive game for Forest and they're going to want to pull this one out.

That's Saturday. So Saturday in the morning, early game Tottenham, brentford, liverpool, aston Villa, fulham, crystal Palace, bournemouth, manchester United, with Manchester United having to win. Then our two relegation battlers, wolves versus Everton. Everton have got to get something. This is probably one of their best chances. And then Forest their last home game of the year against Arsenal. They've got to get something out of this.

Then, on Sunday, the great and powerful West Ham host leads. If Big Sam is going to save leads, this is the game to save them. West Ham are in the semifinal, are in the final of the Europa Conference League. They won today against Azed Akmar, so good for them 1-0 in a defensive struggle. Listen, david Moyes is happy. They've got this cup run. They don't care about this game. Come on, lead, let's make it interesting.

Then Brighton versus Southampton. Southampton already relegated Brighton not really caring about what happens here. Not a game I'm going to write home about, although Brighton will want to win this. After losing today against Nottingham Forest In City's final home game of the year, it could be a trophy celebration. They host Frank Lampard and his limp-dicked Chelsea City coming off their biggest win of the year, their biggest win ever, their best performance ever. Don't need to go through it again. But City will want to win this game so that they can rest until the other games. If they don't win this game, then they've got to carry on and continue, they will already be champions if Nottingham Forest beat Arsenal the day before. So it could be rather anticlimactic if Forest do get something or do beat Arsenal. So we're getting near the end of the season. This is how it is.

Then on Monday, the great and powerful Newcastle will host Leicester City, who are, looking very much, the likely weakest of the relegation battlers. What I find with Leicester City is It's a team that we think of as relegation badlers because of who they are and where they were before they won the title. But most of the players on this Lester city side have never experienced relegation. There isn't a fight in them. They finished eighth, fifth, fifth and eighth. Most of this side is not seasoned relegation badlers. They're not used to this. They want to play And so when Lester come out with Telemans and Madison and Vardy and Barnes and and Kistania Is that what they need?

Are those guys going to roll up their sleeves and try and get a dirty draw or something like that? So I think we've all underestimated Lester because they're in a different context now. They're not trying to play and have time and get wins. This is like do or die death mode, and I don't think they have any players that understand death well, football death. And so Lester will go to St James's Park trying to get anything. Newcastle are not fucking around. I just watched them beat the shit out of Brighton, and Lester are like a shit version of Brighton, a much, much shittier version of Brighton. So we'll see what happens there.

This was a difficult episode to do. I want to give some a little bit of Laurent life. These shows aren't always easy to do. They don't always come natural, they don't always feel good, and this one was a struggle and I don't can understand why. I think it's because I eat hot dogs and potato chips. Anyway, I'm not going to bore you with that. I will try and work on some sort of life piece, working into the shows, versus just doing the straight talk of football. I think you guys want to know who I am, okay, so let's wait for the final moment to the show Manchester City on for the treble, on for a chance at immortality, on to be perhaps the greatest English football team of all time. It could happen. Okay, that was the squeaky bum time podcast, with me, laurent Cortegnes. We are the football wing of the chop sports channel, presented exclusively by the premier streaming network. We record on Mondays and Thursdays, so be sure to subscribe wherever you get your podcasts So you never miss an episode. And please like, share, subscribe, it means everything, thank you.