Real v City

[Jel]

What a match this is, 3 stunning goals and 3 others too. Still 10 minutes to go. It could go either way.

[Devils_Advocate]

Once Champions League gets to the last 8 there's no better football competition on this planet. Two brilliant games tonight both set up brilliant for the return leg. Makes Everton v Burnley look like a boring lower league game

[dandeclaret]

Brilliant game..... and watching the referee's performance shows how poor the standard is in the premier league... he's been on top of everything - not fallen for the play acting, or the gamesmanship - just in control, and spot on.

[Rileybobs]

Mainly watched the City game but was flicking between the two. Watched the last 10 of the Arsenal game - what a wally Saka was playing for a penalty there. Just put it in.

[Pickles]

Makes Everton v Burnley look like a boring lower league game

Two different sports!

[Bordeauxclaret]

Saka kicking the keeper looking for a pen, they must spend a hell of a lot time practicing those things.

[PremierLeagueClass]

Brilliant from the referee in the Arsenal game, didn’t fall for Saka’s antics there. They’ve have spent 5 minutes looking at that in the Premier League and ended up giving it.

[Rileybobs]

That’s the kind of decision I would expect a PL ref to give and be backed up by VAR. The officiating, on the whole, is much better in the CL.

[Clovius Boofus]

Cracking game. Hope Foden is OK. Don't want him missing out on the Euros.

[Sproggy]

And Ferdinand and Keown screaming for it. No wonder that rubbish gets given over here.

Minimal VAR interference and strong refereeing. Miles away from the Premier League pantomime.

[wilks_bfc]

Thought the ref in the Arsenal game was excellent

Let the game flow and wasnt falling for the antics of the players

[Jel]

Haven't bothered with the Arsenal game, but this was brilliant. BTW I really don't like Arsenal, they are 2nd in my list of dislike, behind Liverpool, then Leeds and Blackburn 4th

[ksrclaret]

Can only echo the other comments regarding the standard of officiating tonight. I'd actually forgotten that referees can make consistently good decisions, keep up with play, and maintain control of both sides without it spilling over.

Mike Riley and now Howard Webb really have destroyed the refereeing standards in our country.

[claretburns]

Much better officiating tonight compared to Premier League, also shows how VAR can work to help refs without becoming a total farce.

[claretburns]

Mike Riley and now Howard Webb really have destroyed the refereeing standards in our country.

I would also say an issue is young people not becoming referees in local football and progressing through the ranks due to the sheer fact that they don't want to put up with the abuse they receive at grassroots level, thus we have less of a talent pool to choose from.

[Jel]

I would also say an issue is young people not becoming referees in local football and progressing through the ranks due to the sheer fact that they don't want to put up with the abuse they receive at grassroots level, thus we have less of a talent pool to choose from.

Is this just an issue in grassroots football or British society in general?

[Flixtonclaret1]

Dare I admit I was a former Class 1 referee - from a standing start ( Class 3) you could get to Football League Linesperson with 8 consecutive promotions through the referee ranks. Due to personal circumstances (working in SE Asia for adidas) I packed in after 6 seasons - one year short of Mid Cheshire League Refereeing . A lot can happen in 8 years the Referees Association need to start fast tracking - it’s a thankless pathway.

[Woonderbah]

Much better officiating tonight compared to Premier League, also shows how VAR can work to help refs without becoming a total farce.

I had to Google whether VAR was even being used tonight.. just purring away efficiently in the background.. the officiating has been worlds away from what we've seen in the Prem.. hopefully Howard Webb will watch it back and take notes.
And can we please get rid of the 'there was contact' pundits.

[NewClaret]

Brilliant from the referee in the Arsenal game, didn’t fall for Saka’s antics there. They’ve have spent 5 minutes looking at that in the Premier League and ended up giving it.

I thought exactly the same. Watched the City match but caught that at the end and ref got it spot on.

The ref in the City game was also very good in a hard faught and intense match, tackles flying in. No need for VAR because he just got everything right.

The Premier League need to ship these competent refs in and sack off VAR.

[Tricky Trevor]

City were awful in the final third, would not put a ball into the box, so they scored 3 from outside the box.
At HT I was going to post, again, what a plank Haaland is then I hear McManaman raving about him. What do ex-pros know?

[Winstonswhite]

I would also say an issue is young people not becoming referees in local football and progressing through the ranks due to the sheer fact that they don't want to put up with the abuse they receive at grassroots level, thus we have less of a talent pool to choose from.

I’m not so sure that’s still the case. My nephew is 15 and has taken up reffing for the money. You might laugh but they get paid 30 quid a game so he does 3 kids matches on a Sunday. 90 quid for 3 hours work is pretty good going!

[NottsClaret]

Thought the ref in the Arsenal game was excellent

Let the game flow and wasnt falling for the antics of the players

I said this after the Wolves ‘free kick’ in our game. European matches are much more physical contests than in our country. Refs actually need to see a foul, rather than someone falling over.

You can see how bewildered they are when they don’t get rewarded for ‘contact’ after years of being told contact means a foul. Saka kicking their keeper and expecting a penalty was a great example.

[claretonthecoast1882]

Don't have Bt so only seen the highlights on youtube this morning on 1st view I thought how has he not given a pen, when seeing the replay thought what a brilliant piece of refereeing that was.

Hopefully both Bayern & Madrid get the job done in the second leg.

[Clovius Boofus]

I’m not so sure that’s still the case. My nephew is 15 and has taken up reffing for the money. You might laugh but they get paid 30 quid a game so he does 3 kids matches on a Sunday. 90 quid for 3 hours work is pretty good going!

I know someone the same age, and he's the same. He does two or three games on a Sunday. Been playing organised football since he was 6.

[Bordeauxclaret]

Interesting the ref didn’t give Munich a penalty at the other end as he described it as a “kids mistake” apparently.

[Tribesmen]

Some game last night , it really should have been the final

[Boss Hogg]

Stunning goals and a high quality game. Watching that should make any football fan happy.

[CoolClaret]

I said this after the Wolves ‘free kick’ in our game. European matches are much more physical contests than in our country. Refs actually need to see a foul, rather than someone falling over.

You can see how bewildered they are when they don’t get rewarded for ‘contact’ after years of being told contact means a foul. Saka kicking their keeper and expecting a penalty was a great example.

Spot on.

Even worse is the Arsenal fans absolutely bewildered that Saka didn't get one.

Mad though isn't it, go back 15-20 yr + and it was the opposite way around!

[expoultryboy]

As soon as i saw the Saka incident , it reminded me of Pires 20 years ago . Same old Arsenal , always cheating .

[quoonbeatz]

Not sure I'd be parlkraising that ref, nor var, when the decision to not give bayern a penalty for handball is probably one of the worst there's ever been.

[quoonbeatz]

*praising, obvs

[Rileybobs]

Interesting the ref didn’t give Munich a penalty at the other end as he described it as a “kids mistake” apparently.

I've always thought that a player should have to place the ball down with their hand before taking a free kick to remove any ambiguity of when it's been taken. There's more reason to do it now the ball doesn't need to leave the area from goal kicks.

[quoonbeatz]

Interesting the ref didn’t give Munich a penalty at the other end as he described it as a “kids mistake” apparently.

Just read that and what the actual ****. If it's true he should never ref again.

[Herts Clarets]

Having seen some of this game on a stream on my phone whilst out for dinner last night, I observed the following:

Kane was lucky to stay on the pitch after what seemed a deliberate elbow into the face of Gabriel. He looked round for the defender then raised his elbow.
Saka's penalty appeal was a dive, one where the forward sticks his leg out and deliberately makes contact with the opponent, as someone mentioned above, as per Robert Pires v I think Portsmouth 20 years ago
The decision to now award BM a penalty after the handball was scandalous. "Kids mistake" or not, the ball was in play and the Arsenal defender picked the ball up. As clear a penalty as you are ever likely to see.

[Vegas Claret]

Having seen some of this game on a stream on my phone whilst out for dinner last night, I observed the following:

Kane was lucky to stay on the pitch after what seemed a deliberate elbow into the face of Gabriel. He looked round for the defender then raised his elbow.
Saka's penalty appeal was a dive, one where the forward sticks his leg out and deliberately makes contact with the opponent, as someone mentioned above, as per Robert Pires v I think Portsmouth 20 years ago
The decision to now award BM a penalty after the handball was scandalous. "Kids mistake" or not, the ball was in play and the Arsenal defender picked the ball up. As clear a penalty as you are ever likely to see.

Saka should have got booked for booting the keeper

[ElectroClaret]

Just read that and what the actual ****. If it's true he should never ref again.

Yes, quoted in the press this morning. Terrible reffing.
They (the players) are allegedly professionals, it's either handball or it ain't.

On a lighter note, great win for Millwall over Leicester.
It means the Lions leapfrog over R*vers

[ArmchairDetective]

Brilliant game..... and watching the referee's performance shows how poor the standard is in the premier league... he's been on top of everything - not fallen for the play acting, or the gamesmanship - just in control, and spot on.

The referee contributed to it being a fantastic game. By the second half the players (Bellingham aside) seemed to have realised the ref wasn't giving much for play acting and were making an effort to stay on their feet. A rare sight these days but wonderful to see.