The well-known former Ukrainian goalkeeper Andrey Tlumak shared his impressions of the first quarter-final matches of the Champions League and made predictions for the return matches of this stage of the tournament.
Andrey Tlumak— I will not be original when I say that the most unexpected result was the match in London («Arsenal» — «Real» −3:0, — ed.). No, I foresaw that Arsenal could defeat Real, but to do so by such a score...
— As a former goalkeeper, can you clarify whether there was any fault of Real’s keeper Thibaut Courtois in the two first conceded goals?
— You know, it’s not entirely correct for me to assess the actions of one of the best goalkeepers in the world, although, in my opinion, Courtois made some mistakes, both in the formation of the “wall” and in the choice of position. However, it should be noted that the execution of the free kick by the "Gunners" Declan Rice was superb.
— In your opinion, did Courtois underestimate Rice, since he was aware that the Brit had not scored from free kicks before?
— No, here it was simply a coincidence when all the puzzles came together in Rice’s favor. I am convinced that those two goals of his will contend for the title of the best in the current Champions League.
— Will those three “clean sheet” goals by Arsenal in London be enough to progress to the next round?
— Considering that Arsenal’s defense is not its weak point, I rate its chances at 70 to 30. The main thing is that in Madrid, the English do not engage in building any buses at their own end. Because then problems may arise; Real has players who can score.
— Another large score was recorded in Barcelona, where the “blue-granate” crushed Borussia — 4:0.
— This was foreseeable. Because the defenders of Barcelona meet their opponents very high, trying to quickly take the ball back with their midfield players and organize a counterattack. However, since many of the defenders of the “citizens” are young and lack stability, they do not always succeed in avoiding mistakes. Nevertheless, I am convinced that in Dortmund, Barcelona will score and will not miss their chance. Moreover, it is possible that there could be another thumping, because the Spaniards are very inventive and quick in the finishing stage of their attack. It seems that almost everyone in the composition of the “citizens” is geared towards scoring.
— In turn, the matches involving PSG and Bayern, who also like to attack, were not as goal-laden.
— The French and the Germans were considered favorites but were wasteful. While the Parisians were able to squeeze past Aston Villa — 3:1 due to more diverse actions, Inter, with its ability to endure in difficult moments, snatched victory in Munich at the very end — 2:1. In the return matches, I rate PSG’s chances of advancing as 60 to 40, and in Milan, Bayern may turn the tables and there might not be any avoiding extra time. Although the Munich team really misses the creative Jamal Musiala, who has been out for a long time due to injury.
Andrey Pisarенко
