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We asked, nay, pleaded on Tuesday for Big Cup to come back to life after a dull last 16. And how it obliged, although the double-screening leaving us with a very dodgy neck. Six goals inside 32 first-half minutes across the two quarter-finals, leads quickly taken and then quickly overturned, all sides level going into the second leg to keep the tension alive. There was, of course, your bog-standard refereeing controversy during Arsenal 2-2 Bayern Munich, with the Gunners arguing for a late penalty after Bukayo Saka went down, and Bayern denied one themselves earlier after a bizarre incident. Gabriel Magalhães was the culprit, picking up the ball inside his own box from what appeared to be a goal kick from David Raya. Thomas Tuchel was, well, not best pleased by the apparent defence from the referee. “What makes us really angry is the explanation on the field,” fumed Tuchel. “He told our players that it’s a kid’s mistake, and he will not give a penalty like this in a quarter-final. This is a horrible, horrible explanation.”
Re: ‘one of the more dreary and monotonously predictable Big Cups in living memory …’ (Tuesday’s Football Daily) I trust you watched yesterday’s two matches. I hope you enjoyed the experience of eating crow. I personally found it snobby and complacent. Also, because you are a journalist and have a lot of free rein to express your opinions, I think you should think twice about casting aspersions directly on the tournament, and indirectly on the eight teams that have fought their way to this level” – Ricks Carson (and no others).
Standing at the Newcastle away end at Palace (or was it QPR?) watching Joselu kick the ball against his standing leg in front of an open goal, it was hard to think that the man could play football at all. We dismissed him as another pathetic signing from Europe. Lovely to see that he has come good (well, better than good) and seems to be such a lovely chap” – Trevor West.
Can I be the first of 1,056 pedants [1,057? – Football Daily Ed] to suggest that Bayern Munich’s total of six Big Cups being ‘second only to that of Real Madrid and Milan’ [Tuesday’s Football Daily] would more normally be classed as being third to, rather than second?” – Mark Ward (and 1,056 others).
