MADRID DERBY IN CHAMPIONS LEAGUE 😳 'The Derby NOBODY wanted!' - Alex Kirkland | ESPN FC

K Murray Craig Burley and Stevie nickel here in the studio and the draw for the last 16 of the champions league has taken place and it has brought up some Belta ties for us as well we now know who will be facing who the quarterfinal and semi Passa also decided to and that road to the final in Munich is set some standout ties that we're seeing here on our screens right now PSG against Liverpool Bayern Munich against Bayern lusen we will be touching on those ties later in the show but we do want to start

with the Madrid Derby Real Madrid will be taking on athleti in the last 16 at this stage there is no country protection this time around which is why we are seeing a tie like this at this stage of the Season Alex Kirkland joining us now from Madrid to talk more about it Alex what's the reaction been to a derby at this stage well I saw one of the papers here K describe this as the Derby that nobody wanted I think there's an element of Truth in that especially for Atletico Madrid we know that atleti's record

against Real Madrid in the Champions League is not good think about the 2014 final the 2016 final the 2017 semi-final Real Madrid won all of those of course atleti's overall record in all competitions against Madrid is is better than that it also sets up what is an incredibly punishing schedule for Atletico in the space of a month they're going to be playing Real Madrid twice in the Champions League and Barcelona three times between the league and the coopa Del Ray so this will really test their you know really well assembled Squad to the to the

very limit um as far as Real Madrid are concerned I think well I think they'd rather avoid a derby because of course a derby brings a lot of extra noise a lot of extra tension we know this is a fixture that can spill over and boil over at times we saw that of course in the league earlier this season the game of the Metropolitan was was suspended at one point because objects were been thrown onto the pitch um and I think I think if they could have avoided it they would have liked to of course

the alternative for Real Madrid was by lusen a very different kind of testing there was there was more sort of narrative there in terms of going up against jabby Alonzo as well who's sort of the favorite to eventually succeed Carlo andelot when the time comes and but in terms of a derby like I say I think both teams would have preferred preferred to avoid it if they could but they haven't and we've got it at this stage how do you think K he feels about it well like he feels about most things he laid back

and gets home with it I was going to say the first legs in Madrid which of course he in Madrid first exit to be on the B Yes again maybe a little Advantage for if they could go in there and there's been a game uh been a derby recently we we saw that one on our on networks uh if they could go in there keep it tight as they they can do sometimes with that second leg back at home at the metropolitano with that atmosphere it's a little feather in their cap to have it to

have it that way but look Alex mentioned it we got the the big game in Germany we got this big game uh in Spain there's no there's no rules and regulations now about keeping the countries apart I'm presuming with all the HOA recently there won't be a Spanish referee so that might help as well because of all the sort of negativity but I it there are some really really good ties and I know this is a huge one but even Club one of club buer and and stop me Club BR Club Bru and Aston Villa

are going to get to the quarterfinals one of those teams you might say oh Aston Villa premier league but you know Club Bru dismantled a very good Atlanta side so there's lots of interesting ties and of course Liverpool PSG but I suppose Madrid being sort of this standout between two sort of juggernauts who are also going for a title in Spain along with Barcelona is super tight there as well and Alex mentioned all these big games ATL have coming up that's going to be a real test of their squad which is it has to be

said one of the best in Europe is it better the devil you know in the Champions League when at least it's a team you know you know them well even if you do know they're going to be tough opposition or would you have rather had a team like by a lusin at this stage for Real Madrid look I don't I don't think either of these two sides would would have wanted each other I think the interesting that Alex started with Atletico didn't want real I would have thought it would have been more the other way

around because if there's one team that it's going to be a different type of game it's Real Madrid Atletico Madrid even even real against Liverpool I think in some ways would be easier for Real Madrid because it comes down to a game of football this tie comes down to it could come down to football it could come down to whether Atletico Madrid just sit in home or away or do we see Atletico Madrid try to have a go at Real Madrid there is there is absolutely no formula that we can guarantee that this game is

going to be about in terms of football so yeah if I'm Atletico Madrid I'm second leg at home I'm I'm optimistic but if you think back to atleti last year I think it was last year Alex can correct me if I'm wrong uh they had a similar scenario where they traveled to enter so they had that kind of advantage of the second game uh being at home which which sortly worked out for them in the end but they were so poor in the first leg in in Milan against inter and they were so negative that

it was a head scratcher how uh inter hadn't got a three or fournil lead so there's a there's a balancing act to have between how you approach these games being over 180 minutes being away from home first and last year in a settle in the first leg they got away with it because they should have been battered anovich toam and I think Martinez a host of others had an off night missed a load of chances so they're going to have to uh shape up in that department particularly with Real Madrid starting to become this attacking

side in the last few weeks that we've kind of expected from the start of the Season they're now looking really really sharp and you know when they're on form this front three with Bellingham behind there's not many defenses they're not going to rip apart what do you think of what Stevie had to say there Alex about athleti facing Real Madrid yeah yeah I think it's fair enough and both the guys have said there about the second leg being in the metropolitano that is massive because you haven't got you know all that talk about the bero

and comebacks and that stuff goes out the window because it's the Bern in the first leg what we seen from the these two teams in their meeting this season it's very tight and there's not much between them two one or draws in the league of course different competition different circum stand is Real Madrid getting better and better as the season goes on Atletico have had a bit of a tough run actually lately in the in the league but overall they're still looking pretty good but yeah I don't think Real Madrid will be relishing this at

all quite like I said I think neither s particularly will be looking forward to to this one um and there look we know there are weaknesses potential weaknesses in this Real Madrid team to to be exploited in terms of the defense in terms of the Midfield as well now some of those questions have been sted to be answered we saw kind of some answers in the the playoff tie against Manchester City orbe it against the very poor Manchester City yeah but Real Madrid won't be looking forward to to this one at all and and yeah

that second leg of the metropolitano is is is absolutely key and like I said there's very little between them the evidence that we've seen so far um suggests that that's the that's the case albe it Real Madrid look like they're clicking at just the right time in the season and especially mbappe with the for looks a different player to the one ear in the season had his hatrick against city of course and he's scoring goals domestically as well so Real Madrid are heading in the right direction but yeah I think it's going to be close

it's going to be very tight exciting they are favorites Real Madrid it's a good draw though isn't it you know you know previously we've sat and and I suppose in some sense I don't want to I know Steve is desperate to get into this new format but I suppose in some sense it was very elongated with the with the 36 teams uh and it wasn't always great uh but it's been something new and something fresh and it's thrown up some maybe some teams in there that wouldn't necessarily be in there like Villa I know it's

the first time back but maybe in the old way of doing it they they might not have scratched through uh you know a four or five Team league whatever it was fourth Team league so you know maybe some fresh teams been in there countries can play against teams from their own country which is why we're seeing these big games so in terms of a draw there ain't much to moan about I mean there's going to be a lot of good games uh when this Champions League comes around when when it's come to the The Knockout

stages though regardless of whether it's this format of the last one when it comes to the knout stages we've always had good games we certainly haven't had but we haven't had the last 16 in Madrid Derby because it wasn't allowed right we haven't had that mouth water in Prospect of this game and the Bayern against Leverkusen we haven't had that but we've still had at the end of the day great football games and and it's just continued it's really all about whether you like the way it's set up in the first stages that's that's all

this is about but I think we had the I think that was more when we got to the quarters I think for around of 16 which this is and also we had Real Madrid Man City in uh cuz city was struggling fighting out and that uh to get into the uh last to get into the last round of 32 which they didn't do or whatever it was so yeah I mean in terms of the last 16 before we even get to the quarters we're already seeing a lot of a lot of really good games who

have you got winning at Craig the tie then the tie yeah oh I've got that tie the Madrid Derby I've got I've got real I've got I got Real Madrid just winning it cuz I Alex touched on it mbappe's form you know bellingham's form playing more Central andelot he talked about leaving one of the front three stroke four out in the bigger games he didn't do that but maybe that was because City are struggling so will he adjust it I don't think he will having looked at how they disposed the Man City and it's hard

to think of a defense and there's some good defenses around particularly Liverpool uh but it's even hard to think about Liverpool how they stop that front four so I've got Real Madrid to go through in this tie you agree Stevie I I don't see how you can go against Real Madrid in this competition quite frankly regardless of how well they're playing now regardless of basically the front four that as Craig said nobody wants to face that that lot but it's real Madrid it's a Champions League you can't bet against them you can't Alex prediction who

goes through yeah like Stevie said you you never bet against Real Madrid in the Champions League I mean at some point this this sort of Jinxed run that atletic have against Real Madrid in the champions league has to come to an end yeah who knows it could be this year but no I think you look at the the way that Real Madrid are growing as a team and key players are getting better you've got some of the questions we've had about the team are starting to be answered we saw how good fed Val was at

right back the other day um the defense is looking a lot more solid um yeah Real Madrid I think but like I say I think it'll be very very tight very tight [Music]