Gab & Juls Show: No Mbappe, No Problem for Real Madrid
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What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
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I'm Gab, he's Jules, grey skies over West London, but it doesn't matter because we're here to brighten things up. I thought this was an incredible two days of Champions League ties that we've seen so much going on. Drama with Tottenham Hotspur, Bayern Munich looking impressive, Liverpool losing it. I don't want to point out crisis or anything, but as I will mention several times in the show, Bodo glimped on their own, getting more points than all six Premier League teams put together. But let's start in the never-ending battle. Pep Guardiola against Real Madrid. Valverde hat-trick, a whitewash Jules.
Yeah, completely. I mean, to be honest, I didn't see this one coming at all.
Nobody did.
Nobody did, really. I'm not even sure if Arbeloa or Pep Guardiola. And we know Real Madrid, this is their competition. They're capable of doing great things. They've done it year after year. I get that. Still, I didn't think City could be one that bad. That Valverde could... put up such an incredible performance, even if I think there was massive help from how bad defensively City were from Donnarumma to Gehi, to Diaz, to Kusanov, to O'Reilly, all of that. But I guess, you know, you exploited those mistakes. So good for you if you're Real Madrid and Valverde. But it was just a no-show from City, a no-show from Haaland. And really, maybe the best we've seen Real Madrid under Arbelo.
Yeah, I'm in two minds because obviously you're tempted to point out the negatives in City and there's a lot. And I think Pep Guardiola bears a ton of responsibility for the way he set this up. And by the way, let me also remind everybody that Manchester City, like Chelsea, like Arsenal, they all put out shadow sides at the weekend, right?
What were the highlights of Real Madrid's 3-0 victory over Manchester City?
So this idea that they're tired of intensity in the Premier League doesn't really wash through this game. I thought Real Madrid outpaced them for intensity and Okay, in terms of praising Arbelov for this game, I can praise Real Madrid because it's not just riding Valverde. Remember, they also missed a penalty through Vinicius. Donnarumma made at least two very good saves. They hit the woodwork as well. But we need to remind ourselves No Bellingham, no Kylian Mbappe, no Carreras. I mean, Camavinga, Hefe coming off the bench. Like a lot of guys out. And no Rodrigo, obviously. And I think this really, and I think to go out there and show this sort of response, I think speaks volumes.
Yeah, I agree. I mean, to be fair to Arbeloa, all the choices that he made, all the decisions that he took with Brahim Diaz, for example, who I thought was outstanding. And leaving out Gonzalo. Yeah, leaving out Gonzalo. But even just to take away a number nine, proper number nine like Gonzalo, to play another of those... kind of wide player, number 10, if you want, like Brahim. So arguably playing with no number nines at all against a team like City, I think was a big call and it paid off. I thought Brahim was amazing, not just in the way he assisted the Valverde third goal, but in everything, especially without the ball, because that's where they had to be good. You could hit people in transition, but it's how well organized you'll be when you don't have the ball.
And they also knew they would not have the ball for much of the time, and they didn't. But they made the most of it when they had it, and to be fair, they defended well when they didn't have it. I will say this about Real Madrid.
I think this is a platform, maybe psychologically, to turn things around and whatever. I don't think it's a platform tactically or technically, because...
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Chapters
5 chapters
1
What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
0:00–2:30
2
What were the highlights of Real Madrid's 3-0 victory over Manchester City?
2:30–5:09
3
How did Fede Valverde's hat trick impact the match?
5:09–8:40
4
What went wrong for Manchester City in their defeat?
8:40–18:29
5
How did Pep Guardiola's tactics influence the game?
18:29–1:01:02
Speakers
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