GOAL US writers discuss the Champions League semis, whether Yamal and Raphinha can carry Barca, and Pulisic's mixed campaign
You couldn't have asked for a better duo of first leg ties in the Champions League semifinals. Arsenal and PSG delivered a game full of quality that simmered ahead of what should be a more expansive return fixture.
Barcelona and Inter, meanwhile, was total chaos, brilliant soccer back-to-front, with no room to breathe and no team able to take much from it other than "Lamine Yamal is good." But Raphinha isn't bad either, and Barca showed they can stay alive with the mercurial Ferran Torres up front.
And it all sets up everything nicely this week. Arsenal will have to go for it, which is pretty much the antithesis of the way manager Mikel Arteta views this game. Inter and Barca might not know what the hell to do other than remind the world that yes, "Lamine Yamal is still good."
Outside of UCL, the Serie A season is grinding to a close. Napoli will probably win it, with Inter losing momentum late and Atalanta booked for third. But what about that final Champions League spot? Juve really should have wrapped it up on three or four separate occasions, but a draw with Bologna over the weekend left them ever-so-slightly vulnerable ahead of the last few fixtures.
It now becomes a question of holding on. Oh, and then there's Milan, who have the Coppa Italia final to look forward to, but their league form has been generally woeful. Even with a 2-1 win over Genoa on Monday, Milan sit in ninth in the standings.
GOAL US writers look at the Champions League semis and the final weeks of Serie A in the latest edition of… The Rondo.
AFPWho wins the second leg between Barcelona and Inter?
Tom Hindle: Lamine Yamal notwithstanding, Inter might just do this thing. Barca threw everything they have at them, and still came away with a draw (albeit chaoticly.) The Spanish side have zero fit full backs, Robert Lewandowski on one leg, and that terrifyingly-high defensive line has to show some signs of vulnerability at some point, right? Inter. Narrowly.
Jacob Schneider: Barca seem like a team of destiny with Yamal and Raphinha. There's not much more to say. Inter are brilliant, and the first leg was genuinely the best UCL game of the year – but there's a certain feeling around Barca right now, and it's hard to not picture them making their way to the final.
Ryan Tolmich: All we can hope for is a second leg that's half as good as the first. That first game was one of the best spectacles we've seen this late in the competition, so credit to both teams for going for it. Inter really had Barca on the ropes, though, and their inability to put them away might just come back to bite them. Raphinha and Yamal are too dynamic, Pedri is too good and Barca are favorites to go out and score more goals in the second leg.
Alex Labidou: Barca should have enough to push Inter aside, even though Nerazzurri showed they aren't the massive underdogs everyone was expecting them to be. Barcelona will be the final in Munich.
AdvertisementAFPCan Arsenal complete a comeback against PSG?
TH: Did somebody say "remontada?" Honestly, why not? Arsenal sort of just deserve it at this point. They played pretty well in the first leg without midfield lynchpin Thomas Partey holding it down, and on their day are a really difficult matchup for anyone. If they score an early goal, this gets really interesting. PSG aren't going to set up to defend, and it could quite easily become a frantic shootout – something neither coach will want. Arsenal play in the UCL final and lose heroically. Yum.
JS: Probably not. PSG are really impressive at the moment, and their midfield is just incredibly hard to break down. With the form Ousmane Dembele is in, it's hard to see Arsenal mounting a comeback – especially in France.
RT: Can they? Sure. PSG certainly have their flaws. The French side is incredible going forward, but they rely on Gianluigi Donnarumma's heroics a bit too much. On the other side and, if he isn't on his A-game, the ball could certainly find the back of the net. PSG, though, are certainly favored to hold on – or even tack on a few more goals. Their attack is too talented to be kept quiet, which means Arsenal will likely need to get multiple goals if they want to reach the final.
AL: The Gunners have enough talent to pull off a rally in Paris, but will they? PSG appear to be a team of destiny right now and they'll find a way to contain Mikel Arteta's side at the Parc des Princes.
Getty Images SportDoes Juventus qualify for the UCL next season?
TH: Probably, but it's hard to say they really deserve it. Napoli, Inter and Atalanta have been Serie A's three best teams by some distance this season, while everyone else is just varying degrees of mediocre. Sixpoints from their last three games would do it, and with Lazio, Udinese and Venezia on the slate, you'd back them to get the job done. A Roma return to the Champions League, though, would be far more poetic and better for the #content.
JS: If they win out, yes. The big match will be against Lazio. If they can secure three points there, the odds are in their favor. Then, it's Udinese and Venezia to close out.
RT: Agreed. if Juve can get a result against Lazio, they should be fine. This past weekend will feel like a missed opportunity, though, as a win over Bologna would have done wonders for their hopes. It won't be one point gained, but rather two points lost, and that's the way they'll feel the rest of the way. Lazio is a must-win, as are easier matchups against Udinese and Venezia. There's no more room for error and, if they can survive this weekend, they'll have smoother sailing.
AL: It will be close. Roma are determined, but Juventus should get things done. Outside of what should be a tough fixture against Lazio, the Old Lady have two very winnable games against 12th-placed Udinese and relegation-threatened Venezia. Roma's road to the UCL is much tougher, facing third-place Atalanta, a Milan side that is still chasing any form of European qualification and a feisty mid-table team in Torino. None of those scream "easy win." Advantage, Juventus.
Getty Images SportHow much blame falls on Pulisic for Milan's misery?
TH: He's not to blame, but there is a nagging feeling that Pulisic can always offer that little bit more. He has probably pieced together about 75% of a great season, a couple of knocks and barren spells slowing him down. There's also the largely unspoken issue here: if Pulisic is indeed good, why does he not have a guaranteed position? And why is he moved around so much to accommodate for others? Maybe some things just don't need reading into, but no singular club manager has ever trusted him to be the main man. Something is up.
JS: When you are a star, there are expectations. Factor in that he is American, and there's even more expectation. Based on the first half of the campaign, fans may have expected a bit more this spring. But in reality, a lot of their star attackers have let them down.
RT: Literally none. Pulisic and Tijani Reijnders are the only two players in the team that can hold their heads high this season. It's certainly worth wondering how much worse it would be without Pulisic, who carried Milan to one trophy in January and could still lead the club to one more before the season comes to a close.
AL: None. Soccer isn't the same as basketball, where stat padding can directly impact a team's performance if things aren't efficient. Yes, Pulisic hasn't met the highs he did at the start of the season, but one could argue that the instability around Milan – hiring two managers this season – is at fault. Milan opened the season wanting him to play as No. 10 under Paulo Fonseca and then shifted him to a more direct winger role under Sergio Conceicao. Had Milan stuck with Stefano Pioli or didn't cut bait with Fonseca so quickly, Pulisic would have had an even stronger campaign. Milan's woe is entirely based on poor management decisions.
