A bad week in the Champions League for English clubs: Football Weekly Extra

7 snips

Mar 12, 2026

Guest

Nicky Bandini, incisive writer on European matches. Archie Rhind-Tutt, tactical analyst focused on Champions League. Barry Glendenning, wry long‑time football journalist celebrating his 53rd birthday. They dissect Valverde’s hat-trick and Courtois’ influence. They debate Manchester City’s collapse, PSG’s late surge against Chelsea, Arsenal’s cautious night at Leverkusen and surprising Bodo/Glimt performances.

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INSIGHT

Real Madrid's Champions League Instincts Beat Form

Real Madrid's knockout performance relied on instinctive risk and team trust rather than season form.
Federico Valverde's hat-trick illustrated this: a delicate cushion over Marc Gay and a cheeky third-goal flick that required teammates to trust the attempt.

ADVICE

Prioritise Elite Goalkeeping In Knockout Ties

Value top goalkeepers because they change high-stakes knockout ties with saves and distribution.
Thibaut Courtois' inch-perfect passes and match-saving stops underlined how a keeper can start and finish decisive moves.

INSIGHT

No Away Goals Means Bolder Home First Legs

The removal of the away-goals rule encourages home teams to chase big first-leg scores, creating more open, high-scoring ties.
Several first legs this round saw teams push to build big leads without fear of conceding an away goal.

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