Atletico Madrid v Bayern Munich, Semifinals, UEFA Champions League 2015-16 - Atletico draw first blood

Bayern Munich kept on pressing the Atletico Madrid’s back line, but couldn’t find the back of the net. In the first half, Bayern should have taken a lead – at least one of their chances must have beaten the goalkeeper of Atleti and when the second half kicked off, Bayerncame frustratingly close to opening their account only to be foiled by a defender or the keeper or as it happened once, the goalpost.  David Alaba’s sweet strike from distance ended up hitting the bar and left Bayern without one true opportunity to snatch that vital away goal. Jon Oblak’s astonishing record of 29 clean sheets in 46 games across all formats remained intact.

Pep Guardiola’s first XI was quite surprising.  He left out Frank Ribery, who started to come back into form after returning from an injury while, Thomas Muller, scorer of 8 goals in the UEFA Champions League for Bayern Munich this season, was also left on the bench. Neither had any great impact off the bench, but the story might have been different had he been playing from the start.

 Pep Guardiola defended his selection by saying that the reason why he made those choices was because he wanted his right winger and left winger to be right and left footed respectively whereas they also needed an extra man in midfield. But I feel, his moves didn’t work last night.

Atletico played the way they have been playing so far – amalgamation of rock soild defence, compactness in the midfield and counterattack which have made them a dangerous opposition in Europe. The tactics are like Carlos Dunga, but the problem is Dunga never selects the right person for the job. Atleti’s defence has been too good. It was just like a fort, which the Bayern’s attackers failed to demolish, but in their away game, they need to be more than rock solid as Bayern are a different kettle of fish at home.

Last night, Atleti didn’t rely on counterattacks to script a victory, but a 21-year Spaiard named Saul Niguez essayed a moment of spectacle which will remain in the memories of the fans in the upcoming days. He took the ball and ran at the defenders at speed, leaving behind the likes of Juan Bernat and Xabi Alonso before finally outwitting David Alaba to shoot past Neuer.  It was a moment like Pele, Maradona and Garrincha. The young man has arrived and this goal should boost his confidence a lot more.

Thank You 

Faisal Caesar 

Manchester City v Real Madrid, Semifinal, UEFA Champions League 2015-16 - It was a dull encounter

I could not follow the match between Manchester City and Real Madrid last night as I had to travel to old Dhaka this morning for my examination purposes. Later on I watched the repeat telecast of the match and the whole match simply tested my patience. It was such a damp squib! Despite such thrilling build-up, both the teams failed to live up to the expectations of the fans who were eagerly waiting for a thrilling encounter.

Real Madrid were without Cristiano Ronaldo and the substitution of Karim Benzema after the first half made Real even weaker and Man. City should have capitalized this weakness big time. But they failed. The Sky Blues might have punched above their weights in this year’s UEFA Champions League, but the kind of cutting edge which a team needs in such mega events’ knockout matches, it was lacking big time among the Sky Blues.

Man. City should be thankful to Joe Hart, who time and again has bailed his side out of tough situations in the past and he did the same last night. He denied Pepe, who was point-blank range midway in the second-half when the Portuguese could have broken the deadlock, and also made a key save later on when Casemiro tried his luck with a headed effort. Hart was the only best performer for Man. City last night and they need to elevate their game a lot in the second leg at Santiago Bernabeu. 

Thank You

Faisal Caesar 

মুস্তাফিজুর রহমান আগে টেস্টে ধারাবাহিক ভাবে পারফর্ম করুক তারপর আমি মতামত দেই?

মুস্তাফিজুর রহমান সম্পর্কে আমার মতামত জানতে চাওয়া হয়েছে। মুস্তাফিজ সম্পর্কে আমার যা বলার সেটা আমি সেই ১৭ই মে, ২০১৪ সালেই বলে দিয়েছি যখন এই দেশের কেউই ‘ফিজ’-কে চেনা তো দূরের কথা, চেনার চেষ্টা করেছে কিনা সন্দেহ আছে। এরা তখনও অতীতের লোকজনদেরকে নিয়ে মাতামাতিতে ব্যস্ত ছিলো। আর তাই, ওর সম্পর্কে আমার নতুন করে বলার কিছুই নেই। এখন পর্যন্ত যেসব ছেলেদের ব্যাপারে ফেসবুক কিংবা ব্লগে লিখেছি তারা কেমন পারফর্ম করছে সেটা আপনারাই বিচার করে দেখুন।

মুস্তাফিজ সম্পর্কে আমি এখন কিছুই বলব না। আমি আমার মতামত জমা করে রাখলাম। এই যুগেও আমি কোন ক্রিকেটারকে বিচার করি তার টেস্ট পারফর্মেন্সের ভিত্তিতে। মুস্তাফিজের টেস্টে পরফরমেন্স দেখেই ওকে নিয়ে আমি মতামত দেব। একজন ক্রিকেটারকে তখনই কিংবদন্তি হিসেবে গণ্য করা হয় যখন সে টেস্টে ভালো ধারাবাহিক ভাবে ভালো পারফর্ম করে। টি২০ কিংবা একদিনের ম্যাচে ভালো পারফর্ম করে কিংবদন্তি হওয়া যায় না। আর তাই, এখনও ক্রিকেট ক্রিটিক এবং এক্সপার্ট গন গরডন গ্রিনিজকেই সর্বকালের সেরা ক্যারাবিয়ান ওপেনার মানেন।  ক্রিস গেইলকে নয়।

আবেগ কিংবা হুজুকে মাতার লোক আমি নই।    

মুস্তাফিজ বাংলাদেশের প্রথম আন্তর্জাতিক ব্র্যান্ড। ও সাকিবের ব্র্যান্ড ভ্যালুকে ছাড়িয়ে যাচ্ছে। ওকে দেখে রাখার দায়িত্ব আমাদের। ছেলেটা যেন পথ হারিয়ে না ফেলে। প্রাইভেসি ব্যাপারটা কিভাবে মেইনটেন করতে হয় সেটা ওকে শিখতে হবে। যতদিন নাজমুল হাসান পাপন, হাথুরুসিংহে এবং হিথ স্ত্রিক আছে ততদিন আমার চিন্তা নেই। আশা করি এই তিনজনই ওকে গড়ে তুলবে। 

ধন্যবাদ 

ফয়সাল সিজার 

Liverpool v Borussia Dortmund, UEFA Europa League 2015-16 - Jurgen Klopp the hero

May 25, 2005. It was not a night to relish for me as I was an AC Milan supporter. I was so confident that Milan would go on to script yet another Champions League glory, but Liverpool is such a side who can make dramatic comebacks from nowhere to make a match a part of football’s folklore. Paolo Maldini gave Milan a first-minute lead and Hernan Crespo's double gave Milan a seemingly unassailable lead. Steven Gerrard gave Liverpool hope and Vladimir Smicer and Xabi Alonso levelled in a seven-minute spell. Jerzy Dudek then saved from Andrea Pirlo and Andriy Shevchenko in the shoot-out to clinch a stunning victory.

I was crestfallen, but with the progression of time, I started to forget that nightmare at Istanbul and last night at Anfield, the Red Devils revived the memories of Istanbul to convey everyone the message, the match is never finished until and unless the final whistle is blown when Liverpool are playing. Jurgen Klopp’s men made a stunning comeback to knock out the favorites, Borussia Dortmund out of the quarterfinals. It was a night of absolute shock and disbelief for Borussia, but at the same time, it was one of the most memorable comebacks in the history of European Club Football.

Dominant Borussia Dortmund

Within ten minutes of the first half, Dortmund flew out of the traps and raced to a two-goal advantage. The match was already indicating of a forgone conclusion. Liverpool’s morale took a setback and they looked a disorganized unit as the Borussia Dortmund attackers kept the Red Devil’s defence at bay. In the 48^th minute, Klopp’s favorite son, Divock Origi scored a goal to lessen the deficit, but when the German magician Marco Reus received a Matts Hummels pass amid the Liverpool defenders to send the ball into the net, it was all over for Liverpool. A hush descended over Anfield at that point, but the drama was not over.

Liverpool started to rediscover their vim

From the 57^th minute the game started to burst into life. Liverpool, inspired by their charismatic coach’s inspiring words, decided to give their everything in the last 33 minutes. It was a daunting task to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat, but those who tries their level best, the Almighty supports them as well. 

Philippe Coutinho, ignored by Carlos Dunga more often, but favored and loved more by Jurgen Klopp, switched into fourth gear: astonishing intent and superb pace. He made a run from the midfield, passed the ball to Allen, who passed it to Moreno on the left flank and Moreno passed it again to Coutinho who passed to James Milner to create more space. Milner in the whiscker of  a second passed the ball again to Coutinho, who didn’t waste time to take a powerful shot by beating Hummels to make it 3-2 in the 66^th minute. Suddenly Dortmund started to feel the heat. 

Coutinho’s goal enlightened Liverpool’s fighting spirit. They looked hungry for more and continued to press the Dortmund’s defence for goals. Sakho nodded home twelve minutes later in front of Kop to equalize the score, but still a lot of work to be done. Dortmund had the advantage of away goals and if the match ends in a 3-3 draw, Dortmund would advance into the semifinals.

Liverpool didn’t give up.

Klopp brought on Daniel Sturridge instead of Firmino. Sturridge released Milner inside the penalty area and from the byline, having been jeered for his corner taking only moments earlier, the midfielder floated a perfect cross to the far post. Lovren soared above Adrian Ramos at the fag end of the match to make it 4-3.

Jurgen Klopp the hero

I would like to give most of the credit to Klopp for last night’s epic finish. He was at his tactical best last night. According to my elder brother Tanoy Dutta's Facebook post on 16/04/2016, "Klopp prefers to press opposition to their half so that his team can be able to reach the area where there is every possibility to score . Generally, pressure comes from central midfiled while the central  forwards drop themselves to play the deeper role and creating the false impression of a 4-4-2. As a result the central defenders of opposite side become unmarked.

But at Anfield, he made a different ploy. He removed Can, Firmino and Lallena and had brought Sturridge Allan and the experienced Lucas Levia. Philippe Coutinho played the role of a leader on the centre-forward position.

In such circumstances, the role of the centre backs become very important. They must have the ability to initiate the attack and push the ball forward as quickly as possible . Mats Hummels who started his career as a holding midfielder had started to play a deeper role under Klopp in his Dortmund days. But, here, the experienced defender was fooled by his mentor.

As because, the introduction of Lucas and Allan, the two central defenders, Lovren and Sakho were able to push forward and attack. Lucas guarded the midfield and Allan helped to lesser the amount of gaps. . Both Sturridge and Origi were creating enough spaces, playing by little deeper and creating a formation called 4-3-1-2. In the eman time, Coutinho was continuously cutting left to central and had scored a magnificent goal. Two Central defenders Lovren and Sakho did not only forward the ball, but also scored two goals".

Simply brilliant stuff. Klopp’s Gengenpressing was exhibited in the most sublime fashion and I must admit that Tanoy Dutta studied it very well and I did not have to analyze by myself. But, to make Gengenpressing successful, one must have the quality players and luckily, Klopp is blessed with some wonderful talents. 

But, more than skill and stamina, a team or an individual needs enormous amount of self-belief and it was Klopp whose astute man management and motivating abilities have galvanized this unit who are now just three steps from the most unexpected return to the Champions League. It took only six months for Klopp to fix Liverpool and make them play like the never-say-die spirit of the Germans.

Note: The post has been edited a bit to cite Tanoy Dutta's analysis about Klopp's tactical moves.  

Thank You

Faisal Caesar

Atletico Madrid v FC Barcelona, UEFA Champions League 2015-16 - Why Atletico Madrid won at At Vicente Calderón

How could Barcelona lose? How could Atletico Madrid dent Barcelona’s progress in the UEFA Champions League?

Barcelona are one of the best sides in Europe and they just not only win, but win in an artistically ruthless fashion to leave a long lasting impression in the memories of football fans. But, last night, the mighty Barca had to digest a heavy defeat and surprisingly, they are out of this year’s UEFA Champions League. It was a matter of extreme sadness and shock if you are a Barcelona fan, but if you are a neutral, then, you have to sit down and praise Atletico’s gallant effort stop Barcelona’s juggernaut.

Diego Simeone is known for his pragmatism, but technically he is not a bad coach at all. More than his fighting spirit and rock solid determination, his ability to study the chinks of the oppositions is praiseworthy. Simone almost stranglehold Barcelona at Camp Nou, some crucial moments dented his plans. At Vicente Calderón, Madrid, he showed the world how Barcelona could be beaten. Antoine Griezmann's double strike gave Simone's dream a reality.

Atletico pressurized the Barca full backs 

Whenever Barcelona’s midfield comes under pressure, their full backs run high up the pitch to create space and productive crosses to lift Barca’s game, but last night, nothing such happened. Neither Dani Alves nor Jordi Alba could progress further up more often when the midfield was controlled by Atletico Madrid. Barcelona were on the back foot.

Busquets and Iniesta were denied to exchange more passes

Anders Iniesta and Sergio Busquets are one of the key components of this Barcelona side. Both of them control the game in the midfield and exchange crucial passes to aid the players up front, but their passing channels were cut-off by Atleti’s holding midfielders. Barcelona failed to stamp authority in the midfield.

Effective man-marking 

Digeo Goddin was the Gentile of Italy last night. He was like a wall last night and neither Lionel Messi nor Luis Suarez  nor Neymar could overcome this defender. He showed the others how to stop the feared MSN by shunning zonal-marking and applying man-marking. Atleti had the runners ready to stick to both Neymar and Suarez, make them play with their backs to the goal and give them minimum space when they have the ball. While Lionel Messi was strictly marked which cut short his ability to pass the ball. Gentile would be a proud man last night.

In my opinion, these had been the reasons which helped Atletico Madrid to conquer Barcelona. People are expressing their surprise and sadness due to Barcelona’s defeat, but none of them are praising Atleti’s brilliant effort on the field. They were arguably the best side last night.

Thank You

Faisal Caesar 

Benfica v Bayern Munich, UEFA Champions League 2015-16 - The Bavarians are in the semifinals

The first leg of the quarterfinal clash between Bayern Munich and Benfica bored me. It was a hard fought win for Bayern with lesser amount of actions. Arturo Vidal’s solitary strike was the only goal scored that night and the best teams come all guns blazing the next day after an off-day at the office. Bayern’s exhibition was better than the previous week, but Benfica didn’t make the match an easy one for the Germans.

Bayern attacked, but....

Benfica’s defence was the highlight in the first leg and with players like  Gaitan, Jonas, and Mitroglou, they were more focused on strengthening their defence. They stuck to their 4-2-3-1 formation, but their attacking prowess was not evident for obvious reasons.

Meanwhile, Pep Guardiola’s men were in a killer mood from the word go without even realizing that their defence was fragile. Benfica kept patient and continued to soak-up the pressure. Against the run of play, a Jimenez header broke the deadlock and the home team were leading by 1-0. Pep’s ploy to play Kimmich as a centre back was backfired. He was troubled by Jimenez several times and the result was conceding an early goal. Three Bayern defenders could not stop Jimenez.

Had Jiminez seized another chance within the opening 30 minutes, rather than stabbing a shot at Manuel Neuer, who did not cover himself in glory for Benfica’s goal, the path to Milan would have ended in Lisbon but, soon enough, order was restored.

 Bayern didn’t give up, but continued to attack 

Bayern didn’t go on the back foot, but organized themselves quickly and stamped their authority on the midfield. They passed the ball quicker, orchestrated chances, the flanks were busier and in the 38^th minute, Xavi Alonso sent a pass to Philipp Lahm fizzed in a cross which was punched clear by Lisbon goalkeeper Ederson, the ball arrived at the feet of Arturo Vidal’s feet who returned it to the empty net. Vidal should have been marked.

Thomas Muller the hero

The world is always busy with Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, but hardly anyone talks about the German maestro Thomas Muller. He is not only a brilliant club performer, but he gives his best for the country as well. He works hard and plays hard and is the master in lifting his game to the next level when it is needed. In the 52^nd minute, Muller had the simple task of tapping in from six yards after Martinez headed down Alonso’s corner.

It was his 29th in all competitions and 8th in the Champions League in as many appearances. With Lewandowski on the bench, Bayern’s number 25 took it upon himself to create problems for Benfica’s central defenders. He was shrewd in his approach and was duly rewarded with a goal.

Hard luck for Benfica 

Talisca’s restored parity with a brilliant free kick in the 76th minute but, really, it was plain sailing for Bayern. Benfica just failed to match the brilliance of Bayern and the absence of their major players hurt them a lot. The home crowd failed to celebrate.

Bayern should organize their defence 

Bayern Munich must organize their defence. Had Philipp Lahm not been there and Benfica were playing with their major attackers, surely, Bayern would have faced the heat a bit more. Innovative ideas are appreciative, but also, they always don’t reap a rick harvest.

Thank You

Faisal Caesar 

Manchester City v Paris Saint-Germain, UEFA Champions League 2015-16 - The Sky Blues are flying high

Manchester City v Paris Saint-Germain (PSG)? Whom I was rooting for? Obviously, I was rooting for PSG. Even though I am a supporter of Real Madrid, I wanted them to reach the finals and do something special as in my opinion, this side deserves to win big titles. But what happened was quite saddening for me and those who were sitting in the Eithad stadium cheering for the French side. PSG were needed to show more intent and cutting edge in Manchester, but to the frustration of all, it was missing big time. Manuel Pellegrini’s men just tore the script apart as the Sky Blues started to show some Champions League pedigree.


PSG were left to rue for the missed opportunities 

PSG attacked from the word go and immediately had Man. City on the back foot. They created some wonderful opportunities, but failed to convert those into goals. In such big matches, if a team squander chances then, surely, they will have to rule for those. PSG’s fate was such last night.

Edilson Cavanni missed some wonderful chances and so did Adrien Rabiot, Angel Di Maria and Lucas Moura were part of the guilty party. For the fourth time, PSG have been ousted from the quarterfinals despite having so many tried and tested performers. Had the opportunities been utilized, the story might have been different.  

Is Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s time coming to an end?

Sadly, Zlatan’s vim is sapping away. It seems his age is taking a toll on him. These days, he relies more on set-pieces rather than running and dribbling or producing sublime passes. His time is coming to an end? His epic remarks about his age might be useful for producing memes in social media, but the on field display suggests, he is not at his very best. 

Kevin De Bruyne is a star material 

Gradually, Kevin De Bruyne is developing into a competent player and these days, he gives the impression that he’s a star material. He left Chelsea after a difficult spell to move to Wolfsburg, where his career took a massive turn. After an average debut season, De Bruyne came of age in the 2014/15 season, striking 16 times and assisting another 20 in 51 appearances for the Bundesliga club. Now at Manchester City, he’s continuing from where he left off in Germany. He is an inspiration in the midfield and keeps the opposition defenders at bay when he moves forward with the ball. 

Man. City were secured a place in the Champions League semifinals because of a brilliant strike from this Belgian. It was a long range shot which silenced the PSG supporters and dashed their hopes. Man. City management has not mistaken by buying this man.

Thank You

Faisal Caesar 

Real Madrid v Vfl Wolfsburg, UEFA Champions League 2015-16 - It was the night of Cristiano Ronaldo

April 11, 2002. In the second leg of the quarterfinal clash between Real Madrid and Bayern Munich was expected to be a classic encounter. In the first leg, Bayern sparked twice in the last eight minutes to dash the hopes of Los Blancos to win the match by 2-1. The second leg clash was a do-or-die for Real Madrid, but the Los Blancos bounced back in style to seal a 2-0 win to advance into the semifinals of the UEFA Champions League and ultimately they went on to win the title.

Zinedine Zidane was a proud member of that memorable season and this time around, he’s the coach of his favorite club and last night, the situation was a tricky one for him. His men suffered a shocking 2-0 defeat against another German club, Vfl Wolfsburg and at Santiago Bernabeu, his men needed to show enough character to main their reputation and above all, Cristiano Ronaldo’s (CR7) charisma was much needed in Madrid.

Recently, CR7 has been  harshly criticized for his inability to lift his game to the next level in trying circumstances and against better oppositions. In the first leg quarterfinal clash against Wolfsburg, CR7 was a lost soul and so was the rest of the Madrid unit. Ronaldo’s haters were vociferous after that dismal show and the going was tough for the superstar.

Cometh the hour, cometh the man

But when the going gets tough, the tough gets going. CR7 made the night at Santiago all his own by scoring a hat-trick and shut the mouth of his critics off. It was a different Ronaldo last night. He was more intent to take full control of the game: he was seen to move the ball brilliantly on both the flanks and built a nice duet with Dani Carvajal to keep the Wolfsburg defence at bay, he took the centre forward position to aid Karim Benzema and his focus was sharper than before. He was quick to pick up the passes and utilize those as much as possible to dish out opportunities. 

CR7 scored his 14^th, 15^th and 16^th goal of the Champions League in style: The first one was typical poacher’s goal, the second one was a splendid header from an acute angle and the third was a dipping freekick from 32 yards. He was needed to fire all cylinders and he did that for his team and the fans who had to digest enough harsh words after last week’s defeat against Wolfsburg.

Real Madrid’s defence was rock solid 

It was Real Madrid’s defence, which earned enough criticism from the fans and experts just a week back, but in the second-leg, they were rock solid and denied any chances to the Wolfsburg’s attackers. It was an organized defence and the inclusion of Dani Carvajal was an appropriate one. Danilo was a total flop as a right back and Zidane had to invest faith in Carvajal which pain rich dividends. Carvajal was not only sound in defence but also timed his tackle to perfection.

He aided Ronaldo and Gareth Bale a lot from the back and he is well aware of CR7’s moves which helped him to flourish CR7 on the right more and more.

Real Madrid outclassed Wolfsburg in the midfield battle

Last night, Real Madrid’s midfield was different. Toni Kroos, Luca Modric and Casemiro didn’t come forward that much to attack, but went a bit deeper to control the game and outnumber the German visitors. Compactness was the order of the night and Madrid’s midfield provided just that. 

Thank You

Faisal Caesar 

Borussia Dortmund v Liverpool, UEFA Europa League 2015-16 - Liverpool's performance was satisfactory at Dortmund

The quarterfinal clash between Borussia Dortmund and Liverpool created enough hype. Jurgen Klopp had returned to the place which is well known to him and immensely adored by the people of Dortmund. But this time around, Klopp will not be part of their team, but he will set his plans against them. Despite, being the coach of the opposition, I didn’t think, the love and respect for of the fans of Dortmund for Klopp waned a bit over the years. Klopp is still exists in their hearts.

Actually, I was not planning to watch the match, but could not resist myself from watching it and the reason behind it was Klopp. Yeah, I just wanted to see how he fares against that team, which bounced back in style under his astute coaching and man management. He fared well and made Dortmund look ordinary. And there was that guy named Philippe Coutinho, who was also the reason for watching this match last night.

Klopp’s plan to play Divock Origi proved to be a masterstroke

Jurgen Klopp decided to play the Belgian striker Divock Origi instead of Daniel Sturridge. It proved to be a masterstroke. Origi injected a new rhythm in the Liverpool up front with his bustling pace and occupied the Dortmund centre backs. Origi’s hold-up-play has improved over the years improvement in the youngster since his early appearances this season has been extraordinary and opportunities presented themselves on numerous occasions for Liverpool midfielders to send him clear. He paid back Klopp’s faith by giving Liverpool the lead in the 39^th minute would have had a second on the stroke of half-time had he shown more composure when sent into a one-on-one by Alberto Moreno. 

Livepool’s centre backs were brilliant 

While the defenders of teams like Real Madrid, PSG and Manchester City had been horrifying, Klopp’s two centre backs: Mamadou Sakho and Dejan Lovren were rock solid at Dortmund.  Lovren’s improvement was noticeable while  Sakho looked a formidable force when he cut out preventable passing errors. The French defender threw his body in the way of multiple attempts on goal, and his reading of the game in defence was a source of frustration for Dortmund’s attackers.

Apart from Lallana’s poor man marking during the aerial battle which led Mat Hummels to score the equalizer, Liverpool’s performance had been satisfactory. I just wanted a bit more of Coutinho. Yes, he was brisk at centre and on the left flank, very much aggressive up front and at times motored the attack, but that cutting edge was missing. I hope it will return at Anfield.

Thank You

Faisal Caesar  

Paris Saint-Germain v Manchester City, UEFA Champions League 2015-16 - It was an entertaining match at Parc des Princes, Paris

Ten Sports didn’t show the match between Real Madrid and Vfl Wolfsburg live and for which I had to witness the clash at Parc des Princes, Paris. It was the battle between Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) and Manchester City. PSG are one of the most underrated teams in Europe. Critics hardly mention their name while talking about the probable champion of this year’s Champions League. But, mind you, they have some of the world’s most exciting talents who posses all the qualities to lift the title in style.

In the quarterfinal clash against Manchester United, I expected them to finish in a commanding fashion, but the end result was a 2-2 with Man. City taking the advantage of two away goals. Thankfully, I watched the game. It was not at all dull affair like the Real Madrid’s one. The worldwide television viewers were able to enjoy some exciting football.

David Luiz’s poor defending

Till today, I keep on wondering, who the hell advised David Luiz to become a central defender? David Luiz’s ability as a central defender has always proved handy not only for the Selecao but for his club team as well. He was booked within 15 seconds, won a dubious penalty minutes later, then made a fool of himself in the build-up to Man City's first goal and just before half-time, made a strange attempt to cut out Fernandinho’s pass. It was overall a comical show and at the same time, an absolute irritation for the eyes. His price tag is 50 million pounds? Are you kidding me? That’s a waste of huge amount money man! Even, the CBF must think twice before including a school kid like David Luiz in the side.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic was dull 

Zlatan is the X-factor in this PSG side, but he was found wanting against Man. City as he not only squandered some wonderful opportunities, but at the same time, found it tough to break the Man. City defence. First of all, he failed to give his team the brightest of starts by missing a penalty which was well saved by Joe Hart and then, secondly,  blasted a shot well over the bar after going one-on-one with the City keeper again.

But you know what? Players like Zlatan can utilize their experience well to utilize the moments smartly. Fernando’s poor back pass was deflected off Zlatan straight into an empty net, allowing him to equalise. You rarely see Zlatan to score such easy goals.

Manchester City’s defence was not up to the mark 

Man. City attacked whenever they found space, but their good works proved in vain due to a fragile back. The absence of Vincent Company was felt heavily and had Zlatan and co didn’t have a dull night, their centre backs would have been in big trouble. They were exposed with alarming regularity by PSG, who could hardly believe their luck when they were presented with a two-on-one break inside the opening 10 minutes. 

PSG need to lift their game up

PSG dominated the possessions. Passed the ball well and created opportunities, but like Man. City, their centre backs had not been good as well. While David Luiz invited more troubles, on the right flank, Serge Aurier, the right back who presented Fernandinho,  with a golden chance by fluffing a routine clearance with 17 minutes left. I must say, at this level, you are not allowed to make such mistakes. PSG need to lift their game up a bit more and for this, they need to fix their defence.

Kevin de Bruyne and Fernandinho, the two heroes of Man. City  

How badly Man. City were missing Kevin de Bruyne! The Sky Blues always depended more on Yaya Toure’s charismatic qualities in big games, but his absence provided them the services of De Bruyne who was used as a number 10 and behind Aguero. He was involved in City’s best moments in attack. He passed the ball intelligently, dropping into space between the lines and opening the scoring with a wicked shot. Surely, David Luiz should have stopped that. 

While the other Brazilians, playing in Europe, earned extreme criticisms for their dull display, Fernandinho seemed to have salvaged the pride of his country by putting up an inspiring performance in Paris. According to Squawka Football Fernandinho’s game by number in Paris:  88% pass accuracy, 4 interceptions, 4 blocks, 3 tackles won, 1 chance created and 1 goal scored. That’s a delightful display and again, he should be thankful to PSG’s right back for his goal. 

Thank You

Faisal Caesar