FOOTBALL DAILY: Mourinho's Champions League thriller, Keane on Ferencvaros ambitions, Kenny on the climate, and Ferguson's rotten injury luck continues
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What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
Football on Off the Ball. Spurs see themselves as this big club, but are they a big club really? This whole narrative around Frank and it's got so toxic and so nasty as well. It's just a really bad reflection on Tottenham Hotspur fans in general. Join in the obsession. Subscribe now at offtheball.com forward slash join. Off the Ball's Football Daily. Hello and welcome to Thursday's Football Daily. I'm Phil Egan. Coming up today we look back on a momentous final night of Champions League action with five Premier League clubs straight into the last 16. Jose Mourinho has another night to remember in Europe's Premier competition thanks to his goalkeeper-turned-striker. Celtic prepare for a crucial night in the Europa League against Utrecht.
And we hear from Stephen Kenny ahead of the new League of Ireland season. But first to the action in Europe last night, the main drama was at the Estadio de Luz, where Benfica scored a 98th-minute goal against Real Madrid, thanks to their Ukrainian goalkeeper, Antony Trubin. The goal sealed their place in the knockout phase of the Champions League. Benfica were 3-2 up but needed a fourth goal to get the last playoff place and goal difference ahead of Marseille. Real had two players sent off. Raul Asensio and Rodrigo were both shown red cards late on. Benfica were awarded a free kick. Trubin was sent up for it, scored a header to spark wild celebrations in the ground. Benfica boss Jose Mourinho told TNT Sports he's never seen anything like that before in all his years in football.
Everything is deja vu, but this one is the first time. We knew that he could do it. We knew that he could do it. We were losing in Porto a couple of weeks ago, and in the last minute he went there and he almost scored. So we know that the big guy is capable of this. The quality of the service, of course, is the most important thing. You have to put the ball there. It's an amazing goal for the guy.
What were the key moments from the final night of Champions League action?
There was confusion in the ground as to what Benfica needed to do to guarantee their place in the knockout stages. Mourinho admitted he didn't realise his side needed a fourth goal until after he'd made his final substitutions.
When I make the changes, the last changes, Ivanovic and Antonio Silva, I was told it's enough, so let's close the door. When I make the changes a few seconds later, they tell me we need one more goal, but I cannot make more changes, so... that was the lucky point to get a free kick that allowed us to go there with the big guy.
It was a damaging result for Real Madrid, who dropped out of the top eight and will now play a two-legged playoff round next month. Bodo Glimt continued to be the story of this season's Champions League. The Norwegian side had beat Pep Guardiola's Manchester City last week, followed that up with a 2-1 win away to Atletico Madrid, the clincher spot in the playoff round this to face either Real Madrid or Inter for a place in the last 16. Liverpool boss Arne Slott was delighted his side have avoided a play-off tie. They hammered Carabao 6-0 at Anfield to go straight into the last 16. You want to finish top eight, so we're happy that we are going straight away to the last 16. Two seasons in a row now, being at the last 16 and this season, as we were last season, we were very hungry for more.
We will definitely be hungry for more this season as well. The only downside of last night for Liverpool was another defensive injury. Jeremy Frimpong was forced off early in the match with a muscle injury. And with Conor Bradley out for the rest of the season, Slott was asked if they need more defensive players in the final days of the transfer window. Are there players available that we think can help us? And if they are, can we afford them? I just said that we don't have a squad where we have four right-backs and 12 midfielders and three or four number nines. That's not how it works over here. So we have to do the smart things for the near future, but also for the longer future.
How did Benfica secure their place in the knockout phase?
Newcastle are facing a playoff tie against either Monaco or Carabag.
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Chapters
6 chapters
1
What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
0:00–1:51
2
What were the key moments from the final night of Champions League action?
1:51–3:41
3
How did Benfica secure their place in the knockout phase?
3:41–6:15
4
What did Jose Mourinho say about his goalkeeper's dramatic goal?
6:15–10:43
5
How did Bodo/Glimt continue their impressive Champions League run?
10:43–13:59
6
How did Liverpool manage to avoid a playoff tie?
13:59–14:14
Speakers
7 identifiedMore from OTB Football
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