Former Netherlands midfielder Wesley Sneijder says he wanted to call off last night’s Champions League semi-final between Arsenal and Atletico Madrid after 35 minutes because it was “incredibly boring”.
Arsenal squeezed through to the final in Budapest thanks to Bukayo Saka’s close-range goal that gave his side a 1-0 win on the night and a 2-1 aggregate triumph.They will now face either Bayern Munich or Paris Saint-Germain in the final with that tie delicately poised at 5-4 to the defending champions after a scintillating first leg in the French capital last week.
The free-flowing nature of the PSG-Bayern game was in stark contrast to the cagey encounter last night that featured just four shots on target, leaving Sneijder, who also played for Ajax, Real Madrid and Inter Milan in a glittering career, unimpressed.
In his role as a pundit on Ziggo Sport, he said: “I wanted to call UEFA after 35 minutes to cancel the match, that the players should leave the field and UEFA announce the final would be played by Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain.
“Frankly, it was incredibly boring. It was nothing like a semi-final. There was a lack of intensity, creativity and quality. At this level, one expects drama and first-class football, but this was far from that.”
Whoever gets through tonight will be the favourites to claim the title, according to Sneijder.
“I find it hard to imagine that Arsenal could put PSG or Bayern in trouble,” he added. “From what we saw, it would be an easy victory for one or the other.”
Arsenal were lucky – Sneijder
Sneijder also felt Arsenal were lucky to escape two penalty calls that failed to go Atletico’s way – the first for a challenge from Gabriel on Giuliano Simeone and the second when Riccardo Calafiori brought down Antoine Griezmann.
He added: ”Arsenal should be very grateful. There was a clear contact with Giuliano Simeone that was a penalty, and another for Antoine Griezmann when the referee didn’t whistle either. For me, they were indisputable.”
Carragher says Atletico were to blame for dour game, not Arsenal
Jamie Carragher, working for CBS, felt the blame for a largely forgettable contest should be directed towards the visitors.
The former Liverpool and England defender said: “Atlético Madrid and [Diego] Simeone played a huge role in this. It was a disappointing performance by an experienced coach. They sat, kicked, tried the dark arts, but they offered nothing. No ideas, no threats, no real fight when Arsenal pressed. Zero spark in attack. Griezmann seemed isolated, the midfield was passednby… it was flat.
“This is exactly why they always remain third behind Real Madrid and Barcelona after so many years. Simeone has done an incredible job at specific moments, he has turned Atletico into a real club, but in the big moments, against serious teams with intensity and movement, they fall short. Too negative, too dependent on the same old script from 10 years ago.”
