Sevilla gave up a late equalizer to lowly Xerez (who are actually looking alive lately, but way way way too late) today and by so doing sealed the fate of Manolo Jimenez. The Andalucians fired their coach following the third disapointing performance in seven days. Completely understandable, it just underscores how much of a rollercoaster coaching at the highest level can be. Rewind ten days and Manolo Jimenez is on the brink of taking Sevilla to a European quarter final for only the second time in the club's history. He has a 1-1 result in the bank with the crucial away goal from the first leg in Moscow and he has Luis Fabiano available for the second leg. The Russians come in and shock the world with a 2-1 win. Then they get spanked by Espanyol at the weekend and are fortunate to only lose 2-0. And now they give away two points to the worst team in the Spanish top flight, at home. When it pains it roars.
AS is reporting that the club have made contact with Luis Aragones. I could see how that makes sense. With Sevilla only a point back of Mallorca for the last Champion's League spot and only 3 points ahead of Bilbao and Deportivo (although they are on the slide too) time is of the essence and whoever is next should be on the sidelines this weekend.
Earlier today I had actually been speaking about Aragones with a friend, but for the Real Madrid job. Another name that popped into my mind is that of Laurent Blanc. With a very good chance of being at the helm of one of the last four clubs standing in Europe, as well as a realistic shot at a second consecutive French title, I think he might have the "it" factor that Madridistas crave so much. Add to that Zidane's role as a special aide to Florentino and the move looks very possible. Time will tell.
Speaking of the not-yet-vacant Real Madrid job: A guy who I think will not be the one is The Special One. In my opinion Mourinho will not be at the Bernabeu next year for 4 reasons:
1. I am an Inter fan and like him just where he is.
2. Jorge Valdano, Florentino's other right hand man and a Real Madrid icon, has a well known and long feud with Mourinho. I am not sure about Valdano but Mourinho does not seem to be the kind of guy to put something like that aside for the glory and prestige of the white shirt.
3. Mourinho is a borderline control freak (and I only say borderline because he wins enough to justify his actions) and Real Madrid is a club where many, many people want to put their stamp on the team.
4. Everyone knows he wants to work in England again. The Liverpool job is likely to come open over the summer and it is rumored Mourinho has always wanted to go there. It is also not inconceivable that Alex Ferguson retires within the next two years, opening up a second job in the Prem's top 4. Both of these suit Mourinho more than Real Madrid.
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Saturday, March 20, 2010
The Next Round is Set
UEFA drew the match-ups for the quarter final round of the Champions League yesterday. Like with any tournament, much to speculate and debate over. I wish these games were coming up sooner, but I am excited all the same. For the first time in a long time it feels like Inter got a workable draw. And there is some intrigue, two finals rematches. And, in a not-that-awesome-way, I kind of foresee a Manchester United vs Barcelona rematch in the final at the Bernabeu. Here are some initial thoughts on the quarters, although my opinions will like change as kick-offs approach:
Manchester United vs Bayern Munich
It is hard for me not to see United progress to the semifinals from these two. On their day Bayern are a good team and probably deserve to be among the last eight standing but United's efficiency and pedigree in recent years make them a big favorite. The fragility of Robben and to a lesser extent Ribery, players that will be key to unlocking the United defense, is a big hindrance for Bayern. As of now I can see a draw in Bavaria and a United win at Old Trafford. As a replay of the classic 1999 Champions League final at the Nou Camp prepare to be assaulted by a never ending parade of stories about that magical night.
Lyon vs Bordeaux
The French Quarter. Yes I came up with that myself. No I do not see it getting old no matter how many times I use it in the coming weeks. Am I shocked that after half a decade with a French team in the last four of Europe this pairing assures a Ligue 1 team will go at least as fair as the semifinals? I dunno, ask Platini, he probably knows better. Snark aside these two teams are hardworking and well disciplined. They may lack the name recognition of some Serie A, La Liga, and Premiership teams that went out in the last round but they are not out of place at this stage of the competition. As far as predicting who will advance, I do not know enough about these sides to really give a good opinion. I will say this: Lyon's epic triumph over Real Madrid was achieved in large part by using Madrid against itself. Setting up in a tight and coordinated formation and allowing the "we are Real Madrid we can do anything" exuberance result in turn-overs and unimaginative forays forward that were easily picked off. I know it has become the ultimate cliche in sports but Lyon really were masterful in allowing the Real Madrid players and officials arrogant public statements become an albatross around the Merengues necks in the second leg. If it is true that Lisandro Lopez told Sergio Ramos "if you are going to score 5 on us you better get going, the game is almost over," in the final minutes at the Bernabeu that is some of the best on pitch dialogue in a long time.
That said I see Bordeaux just a little (not sarcastic) better suited to take the initiative themselves. And they are not the kind of hubris laden side that will permit itself to be judo'd out so easily by Lyon. So I would probably take them as of now.
These sides know each other extremely well and that may add a wild card factor too.
Barcelona vs Arsenal
There may not be two more similar teams among Europe's elite than Barcelona and Arsenal. Clearly Barcelona are the deluxe version but the supreme level of skill and quickness with which both squads play the ball around the pitch will make this a delightful two legs of football for a neutral. The last time they met in this competition was on the eve of the previous World Cup and Barcelona won the title in that final. I am nearly certain they will win this one as well. I can not stress how similar these teams are and that Barcelona are just better at it than Arsenal. What I think we will see is an illustration of exactly why. And two things come to mind: 1, Barcelona pressure like madmen the second they lose the ball and more often than not are able to make their opponent hurry and unload the ball which results in an easy recovery. Arsenal by contrast seem to go stretches without the ball when up against elite competition. 2, Barcelona's impressive sense for when to make the kill pass that puts a man through on goal. At that highest of high levels it is sometimes tempting to think the final pass is just one more touch, but guys like Xavi, Iniesta, and Messi have an innate sense of when, where, and how that Nasri, Eboue, and others sometimes lack.
Internazionale vs CSKA Moscow
I will readily admit that I am shocked to see the Russians still in the tournament, and given their upset win in Andalucia I can not discount them. Still, Inter are a superior and deeper team who progressed out of the last round in more impressive fashion and should advance to the semis. When they travel to Moscow I expect a very cautious, very Italian performance likely ending in a nil draw. At the San Siro I am nearly certain of an Inter victory. The CSKA backline did a good job handling Sevilla's sometimes dangerous attack but as a unit they look somewhat slow. Milito and Eto'o will count on support from the midfield and the marauding Maicon down the right flank to pull holes in the CSKA defense. Not as straight forward as the Serie A champion against a Russian club would have sounded 5 or 8 years ago, but I do see Inter in the next round.
Manchester United vs Bayern Munich
It is hard for me not to see United progress to the semifinals from these two. On their day Bayern are a good team and probably deserve to be among the last eight standing but United's efficiency and pedigree in recent years make them a big favorite. The fragility of Robben and to a lesser extent Ribery, players that will be key to unlocking the United defense, is a big hindrance for Bayern. As of now I can see a draw in Bavaria and a United win at Old Trafford. As a replay of the classic 1999 Champions League final at the Nou Camp prepare to be assaulted by a never ending parade of stories about that magical night.
Lyon vs Bordeaux
The French Quarter. Yes I came up with that myself. No I do not see it getting old no matter how many times I use it in the coming weeks. Am I shocked that after half a decade with a French team in the last four of Europe this pairing assures a Ligue 1 team will go at least as fair as the semifinals? I dunno, ask Platini, he probably knows better. Snark aside these two teams are hardworking and well disciplined. They may lack the name recognition of some Serie A, La Liga, and Premiership teams that went out in the last round but they are not out of place at this stage of the competition. As far as predicting who will advance, I do not know enough about these sides to really give a good opinion. I will say this: Lyon's epic triumph over Real Madrid was achieved in large part by using Madrid against itself. Setting up in a tight and coordinated formation and allowing the "we are Real Madrid we can do anything" exuberance result in turn-overs and unimaginative forays forward that were easily picked off. I know it has become the ultimate cliche in sports but Lyon really were masterful in allowing the Real Madrid players and officials arrogant public statements become an albatross around the Merengues necks in the second leg. If it is true that Lisandro Lopez told Sergio Ramos "if you are going to score 5 on us you better get going, the game is almost over," in the final minutes at the Bernabeu that is some of the best on pitch dialogue in a long time.
That said I see Bordeaux just a little (not sarcastic) better suited to take the initiative themselves. And they are not the kind of hubris laden side that will permit itself to be judo'd out so easily by Lyon. So I would probably take them as of now.
These sides know each other extremely well and that may add a wild card factor too.
Barcelona vs Arsenal
There may not be two more similar teams among Europe's elite than Barcelona and Arsenal. Clearly Barcelona are the deluxe version but the supreme level of skill and quickness with which both squads play the ball around the pitch will make this a delightful two legs of football for a neutral. The last time they met in this competition was on the eve of the previous World Cup and Barcelona won the title in that final. I am nearly certain they will win this one as well. I can not stress how similar these teams are and that Barcelona are just better at it than Arsenal. What I think we will see is an illustration of exactly why. And two things come to mind: 1, Barcelona pressure like madmen the second they lose the ball and more often than not are able to make their opponent hurry and unload the ball which results in an easy recovery. Arsenal by contrast seem to go stretches without the ball when up against elite competition. 2, Barcelona's impressive sense for when to make the kill pass that puts a man through on goal. At that highest of high levels it is sometimes tempting to think the final pass is just one more touch, but guys like Xavi, Iniesta, and Messi have an innate sense of when, where, and how that Nasri, Eboue, and others sometimes lack.
Internazionale vs CSKA Moscow
I will readily admit that I am shocked to see the Russians still in the tournament, and given their upset win in Andalucia I can not discount them. Still, Inter are a superior and deeper team who progressed out of the last round in more impressive fashion and should advance to the semis. When they travel to Moscow I expect a very cautious, very Italian performance likely ending in a nil draw. At the San Siro I am nearly certain of an Inter victory. The CSKA backline did a good job handling Sevilla's sometimes dangerous attack but as a unit they look somewhat slow. Milito and Eto'o will count on support from the midfield and the marauding Maicon down the right flank to pull holes in the CSKA defense. Not as straight forward as the Serie A champion against a Russian club would have sounded 5 or 8 years ago, but I do see Inter in the next round.
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Now There Are Eight
Very enjoyable set of games we had this week in the Champion's League. Can't wait to see what the matchups are for the quarters. A lot of the teams with elite European pedigree are out and for what feels like the first time in forever we don't have three English teams still alive at this stage of the tournament. Although I don't think there is much to it this is a pretty diverse field heading into the quarters. 2 English, 2 French (!), 1 German, 1 Spanish, 1 Italian, 1 Russian.
Tuesday
As I wrote on Monday night I thought Inter would go through. But I have to admit I envisioned it the result of a draw, likely 1-1, not an outright win at Stamford Bridge. It is easy to get carried away but the truth is that Mourinho's mastery put Inter over the top. There were many possible approaches he could take but starting 3 forwards with a 2-1 lead, on the road, was not near the top of the list. He took a gamble and by using this formation kept the Chelsea fullbacks out of the game and left it to his midfield, anchored by Cambiasso, to hold their own against Chelsea's. And it worked. The first half saw some dangerous chances for Chelsea but Lucio and Walter Samuel cleared some threatening balls. In the second half Chelsea looked frustrated and almost resigned to going out. When the game ended I was surprised to see Inter actually had the advantage in most statistical categories. Posession, shots on goal, goals (obviously), and almost half the fouls committed that Chelsea had. Very impressive performance.
CSKA winning in Andalucia was the shock of the round for me, even bigger than the "Lyonazo" in Madrid last week. They are a team I see as objectively inferior to Sevilla, even now, and they were going on the road having conceded an away goal. Palop made an absolute meal of the second goal and Perotti missed a pretty easy chance with the score 1-1, but even those things Sevilla should have been able to overcome. The CSKA backline are not very quick and with the firepower Sevilla have they should have exploited them. Shocking.
For me there was no question Barcelona would go through. Today's 4-0 thrashing sent a message they intend to defend the title. Doing so without Xavi and with Ibra on the bench speaks to the fundamental core strength of the team. No surprise here.
Bordeaux beat Olympiakos 2-1 to make their first appearance in the quarters since before it was called the Champion's League. This team is airtight in defense and I am almost a little surprised they gave up a goal, but the outcome was never in doubt.
Tuesday
As I wrote on Monday night I thought Inter would go through. But I have to admit I envisioned it the result of a draw, likely 1-1, not an outright win at Stamford Bridge. It is easy to get carried away but the truth is that Mourinho's mastery put Inter over the top. There were many possible approaches he could take but starting 3 forwards with a 2-1 lead, on the road, was not near the top of the list. He took a gamble and by using this formation kept the Chelsea fullbacks out of the game and left it to his midfield, anchored by Cambiasso, to hold their own against Chelsea's. And it worked. The first half saw some dangerous chances for Chelsea but Lucio and Walter Samuel cleared some threatening balls. In the second half Chelsea looked frustrated and almost resigned to going out. When the game ended I was surprised to see Inter actually had the advantage in most statistical categories. Posession, shots on goal, goals (obviously), and almost half the fouls committed that Chelsea had. Very impressive performance.
CSKA winning in Andalucia was the shock of the round for me, even bigger than the "Lyonazo" in Madrid last week. They are a team I see as objectively inferior to Sevilla, even now, and they were going on the road having conceded an away goal. Palop made an absolute meal of the second goal and Perotti missed a pretty easy chance with the score 1-1, but even those things Sevilla should have been able to overcome. The CSKA backline are not very quick and with the firepower Sevilla have they should have exploited them. Shocking.
For me there was no question Barcelona would go through. Today's 4-0 thrashing sent a message they intend to defend the title. Doing so without Xavi and with Ibra on the bench speaks to the fundamental core strength of the team. No surprise here.
Bordeaux beat Olympiakos 2-1 to make their first appearance in the quarters since before it was called the Champion's League. This team is airtight in defense and I am almost a little surprised they gave up a goal, but the outcome was never in doubt.
Monday, March 15, 2010
There Will be Eight
United, Lyon, Arsenal, and Bayern are through and within 48 hours they will know the other four teams in the Champion's League quarter finals. I am pretty excited for these next two days of football. America's disregard for global conventions regarding daylight savings plays to our advantage as on the east coast matches will kick off at 3:45, making it entirely reasonable to catch the second half live without having to make up an excuse for sneaking out of work. Score one for USA. Here are some thoughts on the eve of the games:
TOMORROW (3/16)
Chelsea vs Inter Milan
This is clearly the glamour match up of the round. Inter are heading to the bridge with a 2-1 lead in hand but that means very little. Chelsea rarely lose at Stamford Bridge. Fortunately for Inter, Mourinho loses there even less often than Chelsea. Ancelotti's is a steady hand and with a one goal deficit and the away goal in hand I don't think Chelsea will be guilty of exposing themselves due to eagerness in chasing the first goal. They will go forward of course but it does not feel like one of those second leg games where if the home side don't score in the first twenty minutes or so the game is over. I still think Inter go through, and I see it being a score draw tomorrow.
Sevilla vs CSKA Moscow
Sevilla's composition will be markedly different tomorrow than in the first leg. Replacing Alvaro Negredo will be Luis Fabiano who didn't play in Moscow due to injury. Reports have him as the lone man up top as Sevilla will come out in a 4-4-1-1. With a 1-1 result in their pocket Sevilla have the luxury of making their opponents chase the game on hostile ground. CSKA Moscow have looked a cut below to me and although they are at this stage of the competition for a reason I do not see them going into Andalucia and blowing Sevilla away. They will probably score but I don't expect tomorrow's match, or the aggregate score, to be close. Sevilla 3-1 or something like that.
WEDNESDAY ( 3/17)
Barcelona vs Stuttgart
Barcelona may have been nudged off their perch in La Liga but yesterday's demolition of Valencia (who sit in a CL spot as of now, not exactly bottom feeders) indicates they have not lost form. The 1-1 they got in Germany is useful but it will be irrelevant in the second leg. I see them winning this game outright, with ease. I know I had a similar prediction a couple weeks back and they were unable to pull it off but this feels like one of the games Guardiola's team is made for. 2-0 at the Nou Camp.
Bordeaux vs Olympiakos
Being between two perhaps not as well known teams this match up has not gotten a lot of attention. In my opinion Bordeaux is a clear step above Olympiakos and while I thought they would ride out the away leg with a draw they were able to get the win on foreign soil. It is difficult to think of a realistic scenario in which Olympiakos turn it around in France. Bordeaux won a group that included Bayern Munich and Juventus and to date have the stingiest defense in the Champion's League. I do not see Olympiaklos finding the key that unlocks it on Wednesday. 2-0 will put Bordeaux into the quarter finals.
TOMORROW (3/16)
Chelsea vs Inter Milan
This is clearly the glamour match up of the round. Inter are heading to the bridge with a 2-1 lead in hand but that means very little. Chelsea rarely lose at Stamford Bridge. Fortunately for Inter, Mourinho loses there even less often than Chelsea. Ancelotti's is a steady hand and with a one goal deficit and the away goal in hand I don't think Chelsea will be guilty of exposing themselves due to eagerness in chasing the first goal. They will go forward of course but it does not feel like one of those second leg games where if the home side don't score in the first twenty minutes or so the game is over. I still think Inter go through, and I see it being a score draw tomorrow.
Sevilla vs CSKA Moscow
Sevilla's composition will be markedly different tomorrow than in the first leg. Replacing Alvaro Negredo will be Luis Fabiano who didn't play in Moscow due to injury. Reports have him as the lone man up top as Sevilla will come out in a 4-4-1-1. With a 1-1 result in their pocket Sevilla have the luxury of making their opponents chase the game on hostile ground. CSKA Moscow have looked a cut below to me and although they are at this stage of the competition for a reason I do not see them going into Andalucia and blowing Sevilla away. They will probably score but I don't expect tomorrow's match, or the aggregate score, to be close. Sevilla 3-1 or something like that.
WEDNESDAY ( 3/17)
Barcelona vs Stuttgart
Barcelona may have been nudged off their perch in La Liga but yesterday's demolition of Valencia (who sit in a CL spot as of now, not exactly bottom feeders) indicates they have not lost form. The 1-1 they got in Germany is useful but it will be irrelevant in the second leg. I see them winning this game outright, with ease. I know I had a similar prediction a couple weeks back and they were unable to pull it off but this feels like one of the games Guardiola's team is made for. 2-0 at the Nou Camp.
Bordeaux vs Olympiakos
Being between two perhaps not as well known teams this match up has not gotten a lot of attention. In my opinion Bordeaux is a clear step above Olympiakos and while I thought they would ride out the away leg with a draw they were able to get the win on foreign soil. It is difficult to think of a realistic scenario in which Olympiakos turn it around in France. Bordeaux won a group that included Bayern Munich and Juventus and to date have the stingiest defense in the Champion's League. I do not see Olympiaklos finding the key that unlocks it on Wednesday. 2-0 will put Bordeaux into the quarter finals.
Sunday, March 14, 2010
GONE-zalo Higuain?
Today's events may have changed things a bit but in the wake of the humiliating elimination from the Champion's League one of the big scapegoats was looking to be Gonzalo Higuain. Obviously the manager was first in line and Kaka was coming in for his share of blame but Higuain's effort off the post after he had the keeper beat, along with a few other plays where he could have done better, had most of Madridom shouting that if only they had someone else in that position they would be looking forward to finding out who their quarter-final opponent would be. Then news of a dust up between him and the The Greasy One, who appears to be untouchable in the Merengue universe, surfaced and other players had to come out and insist everyone was cool and there was nothing to it. And on top of that there is the issue of his contract. Higuain and his agent told Real Madrid they want 4 million euros a season and the club responded with complete silence. There are still months to go until the end of the season but you would think a club would jump at a chance to lock up a guy like him at such a modest salary. Taken together all these things suggest that maybe Gonzalo Higuain is on his way out of Madrid.
I am not suggesting he is a better player than Cristiano Ronaldo, but I do think a lot of people (particularly Real supporters) don't grasp just how valuable he is. He started last season somewhere between starter and sub and wound up leading the club in goals. With the army of superstars the club signed over the summer he had to start over again and prove he should start. And now, in the middle of March, he is the team leader in league goals. After today's hat trick Higuain's La Liga total is 19, 4 ahead of The Greasy One. It is worth noting that Higuain has achieved this while playing less minutes thus far this season than his teammate. And all of his goals have come from open play while two of the TGO's have been from the penalty spot. So in reality Higuain has scored six more goals than the most expensive player in the history of professional sports, and yet Madrid is not sure he is worth four million euros a year.
Again, the apparent difficult moment for Higuain at the club may just be the passing by product of a tense week. But it may not. If the sixth consecutive CL debacle for Real Madrid results in Higuain at another club it will be the gift that keeps on giving. They will lose a key under appreciated piece, and I will finally be able to pull for a player I like without the mental asterisk that comes with seeing him in a Madrid shirt.
I am not suggesting he is a better player than Cristiano Ronaldo, but I do think a lot of people (particularly Real supporters) don't grasp just how valuable he is. He started last season somewhere between starter and sub and wound up leading the club in goals. With the army of superstars the club signed over the summer he had to start over again and prove he should start. And now, in the middle of March, he is the team leader in league goals. After today's hat trick Higuain's La Liga total is 19, 4 ahead of The Greasy One. It is worth noting that Higuain has achieved this while playing less minutes thus far this season than his teammate. And all of his goals have come from open play while two of the TGO's have been from the penalty spot. So in reality Higuain has scored six more goals than the most expensive player in the history of professional sports, and yet Madrid is not sure he is worth four million euros a year.
Again, the apparent difficult moment for Higuain at the club may just be the passing by product of a tense week. But it may not. If the sixth consecutive CL debacle for Real Madrid results in Higuain at another club it will be the gift that keeps on giving. They will lose a key under appreciated piece, and I will finally be able to pull for a player I like without the mental asterisk that comes with seeing him in a Madrid shirt.
Man City Leave it Late
Just watched Manchester City claw out a draw in the dying moments on their visit to Sunderland. Very interesting match I thought. Looked like a totally different game on either side of the break. Sunderland deserved the lead they took into the locker room after dominating a bland looking Man City team. The Citizen defense was terribly shaky and it would not have been unjust for the margin to be more than a goal. But from the opening moments of the second half City were reenergized and refocused. The first ten minutes had two legitimate opportunities that were harder to miss than convert, but that is what happened. The equalizer finally came in stoppage time when Adam Johnson who came on as a substitute curled a beautiful shot from the corner of the penalty area to the upper corner on the opposite side of goal. The ball dropped in just below the crossbar and just above the Sunderland defender's jumping attempted header. Wonderful goal.
Here are some other thoughts about the game:
Craig Gordon was fantastic. Probably not entirely fair that he didn't walk away with the clean sheet. At least 4 eye opening saves.
Craig Bellamy had what was probably one of the most frustrating games of all time. Two or three fouls called against him in situations of consequence where he clearly did nothing wrong. Two very good shots thwarted by the spectacular Gordon. He worked and worked but it wasn't his day.
Roque Santa Cruz is terrible. He was by far the worst player for Manchester City today. I could barely believe Mancini left him on when he burned his last change. Bad in every aspect of the game. More and more it appears his 20 goal season with Blackburn Rovers was the exception. I know he isn't too old but I think his time at the top level is just about over.
Adam Johnson was awesome. He only played about 15 minutes or so but he was excellent every time he touched the ball. And the goal was incredible.
Here are some other thoughts about the game:
Craig Gordon was fantastic. Probably not entirely fair that he didn't walk away with the clean sheet. At least 4 eye opening saves.
Craig Bellamy had what was probably one of the most frustrating games of all time. Two or three fouls called against him in situations of consequence where he clearly did nothing wrong. Two very good shots thwarted by the spectacular Gordon. He worked and worked but it wasn't his day.
Roque Santa Cruz is terrible. He was by far the worst player for Manchester City today. I could barely believe Mancini left him on when he burned his last change. Bad in every aspect of the game. More and more it appears his 20 goal season with Blackburn Rovers was the exception. I know he isn't too old but I think his time at the top level is just about over.
Adam Johnson was awesome. He only played about 15 minutes or so but he was excellent every time he touched the ball. And the goal was incredible.
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
The Round So Far
Pretty entertaining set of matches we had this week. I got some right some wrong. Here are some thoughts on how it shook out:
Arsenal 5-0 Porto
I picked Porto to advance from this matchup and could not have been more wrong. It was not even close. No Cesc was not a problem for Arsenal. Bendtner's hat trick was fantastic for Arsenal but the fact that it came less than a week after he squandered 3 legitimate scoring opportunities shows he has the mindset to be a world class striker. Absolute gulf in class here.
Fiorentina 3-2 Bayern Munich
Fiorentina put up more of a fight than I thought, in fact they won the game but were done in on away goals. I didn't see the whole game but what I did catch I thought Bayern played a little below their potential. They now have some extra time to get ready for their next opponent. Their back line should be back to health by the time the quarter final round begins and the always fragile Ribery and Robben may be in better shape.
Manchester United 4-0 AC Milan
There was never a doubt in my mind United were moving on, but I didn't think it would be such a blow out. The fact that the second place team in Serie A lost 7-2 on aggregate I think says a lot about the balance of power in Europe these days. It really is Spain and England then everybody else.
Real Madrid 1-1 Lyon
On Monday night I accurately predicted the score of this game. Genius, genius, genius. When The Greasy One put Madrid up in the opening minutes I thought they were probably heading to the quarters, but the game settled into the pattern I expected in the second half. Madrid have themselves to blame as they squandered at least 3 clear opportunities. Lyon did a good job of containing Madrid. Not terribly exciting to watch and a bit cynical at times, but they had a plan and stuck to it. As a result they are among the 8 teams left standing and Real Madrid are out of Europe in the first knock out round for the sixth time in a row. All of the doomsdaying you would expect is in full swing in the Spanish press and this game is sure to be the reference point for an avalanche of changes going forward. I am going to enjoy this for now and will probably write a longer post about it in the days to come.
Thoughts:
All in all 4 pretty cool games. Each one interesting in its own way. This might be a snobbish thing to say but I think of the 4 teams who made their way into the next round this week only Manchester United has a strong chance of being Champions of Europe this year. For me the other real contenders are playing next week. Still, any one of the other three teams is capable of ending a campaign for one of the heavies. Look forward to the reshuffling.
Real Madrid, Liverpool, and AC Milan are the three most accomplished clubs in European competition and none of them are still alive. Probably doesn't mean anything in itself, but I find it interesting.
Arsenal 5-0 Porto
I picked Porto to advance from this matchup and could not have been more wrong. It was not even close. No Cesc was not a problem for Arsenal. Bendtner's hat trick was fantastic for Arsenal but the fact that it came less than a week after he squandered 3 legitimate scoring opportunities shows he has the mindset to be a world class striker. Absolute gulf in class here.
Fiorentina 3-2 Bayern Munich
Fiorentina put up more of a fight than I thought, in fact they won the game but were done in on away goals. I didn't see the whole game but what I did catch I thought Bayern played a little below their potential. They now have some extra time to get ready for their next opponent. Their back line should be back to health by the time the quarter final round begins and the always fragile Ribery and Robben may be in better shape.
Manchester United 4-0 AC Milan
There was never a doubt in my mind United were moving on, but I didn't think it would be such a blow out. The fact that the second place team in Serie A lost 7-2 on aggregate I think says a lot about the balance of power in Europe these days. It really is Spain and England then everybody else.
Real Madrid 1-1 Lyon
On Monday night I accurately predicted the score of this game. Genius, genius, genius. When The Greasy One put Madrid up in the opening minutes I thought they were probably heading to the quarters, but the game settled into the pattern I expected in the second half. Madrid have themselves to blame as they squandered at least 3 clear opportunities. Lyon did a good job of containing Madrid. Not terribly exciting to watch and a bit cynical at times, but they had a plan and stuck to it. As a result they are among the 8 teams left standing and Real Madrid are out of Europe in the first knock out round for the sixth time in a row. All of the doomsdaying you would expect is in full swing in the Spanish press and this game is sure to be the reference point for an avalanche of changes going forward. I am going to enjoy this for now and will probably write a longer post about it in the days to come.
Thoughts:
All in all 4 pretty cool games. Each one interesting in its own way. This might be a snobbish thing to say but I think of the 4 teams who made their way into the next round this week only Manchester United has a strong chance of being Champions of Europe this year. For me the other real contenders are playing next week. Still, any one of the other three teams is capable of ending a campaign for one of the heavies. Look forward to the reshuffling.
Real Madrid, Liverpool, and AC Milan are the three most accomplished clubs in European competition and none of them are still alive. Probably doesn't mean anything in itself, but I find it interesting.
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