The name of the master is Hans-Dieter Flick

 

When he played football, the Berlin Wall was still not broken and the Cold War devoured Europe and the rest of the world. German Football gained popularity worldwide as West Germany while their neighbours, the communist Eastern zone, remained behind the Red Curtains.

In the mid-80s, West Germany was in a rebuilding process under the great Franz Beckenbauer. There was an influx of talented players amid, which someone named Hans-Dieter Flick failed to showcase his talent as a footballer. Even in club football, he was an unknown figure – just a decent player.

As a player, he was a midfielder who played 104 matches for Bayern Munich and scored five goals between 1985 and 1990. He later played 44 matches for Koln before retiring from professional football in 1993 due to injuries. His last spell as a footballer was with Victoria Bammental from 1994 until 2000.

He never played for the German National Team, but he made two appearances for the Germany under-18 team, in the group stage of the 1983 UEFA European Under-18 Championship on 15 and 17 May 1983, in a 1–0 win over Sweden and in a 3–1 win over Bulgaria, respectively.

Flick's managerial career began in 1996 as player-manager of Viktoria Bammental, which was playing in the Oberliga Baden-Württemberg at that time. At the end of the 1998-99 season, the club was relegated to the Verbandsliga Baden, but Flick remained their coach for one more season.

In July 2000, he became a manager of the Oberliga Baden-Württemberg side 1899 Hoffenheim, winning the league and gaining promotion to the Regionalliga Süd in his first season at the club. After four unsuccessful attempts to reach the 2. Bundesliga, he was released from duties on 19 November 2005.

Flick then worked briefly as an assistant of Giovanni Trapattoni and Lothar Matthäus and sporting coordinator at Red Bull Salzburg.

Flick stated that his work under Trapattoni, one of the world's most renowned managers, taught him many things, especially on tactics and in developing relations with players, but also said that he disagreed with Trapattoni's defence-first approach.

He was named the assistant coach for Germany on August 23, 2006.

Although not listed as an officially recognized manager by the Officials of German Football, due to the sending off of Joachim Low in the previous game, Flick was technically the German manager for the UEFA Euro 2008 quarterfinal against Portugal, which ended in a 3–2 win for Germany.

 After finishing second at the UEFA Euro 2008 and third at the 2010 FIFA World Cup, he reached the semi-finals at the UEFA Euro 2012 and won the 2014 FIFA World Cup as assistant coach of Germany. He became the sporting director at the German Football Association after the 2014 World Cup until January 16, 2017.

On July 1, 2019, he joined Bayern Munich as an assistant coach, under the management of Niko Kovac.

Bayern Munich as a club was not having a rosy period under Kovac. They were losing their cutting edge and dynamism each day and looked rudderless as they capitulated 5-1 to Eintracht Frankfurt back in November. Morale was shot, Bayern's rivals looked strong, and Niko Kovac was shown the door.

It was a telling blow to the self-respect of such giant club, who, all of a sudden, lost their way in the ocean and it seemed their ship was sinking.

Flick was promoted to the interim manager position. Flick was expected to just steady the floundering behemoth of German football before a long-term coaching solution was found. Instead, he miraculously transformed Bayern into Europe's best club side.

In his first match in charge, Bayern defeated Olympiacos 2–0 in the UEFA Champions League group stage on 6 November 2019. After a satisfying spell as the interim coach, Bayern announced on December 22, 2019, that Flick will remain manager until the end of the season.

Neither anyone even thought of a Bayern resurgence arriving with such venom, nor anyone predicted the delightful style with which it would be delivered.

Neither the fans nor the experts thought of such a brilliant managerial debut back in November 2019.

After ten months – Flick is regarded as the master who changed Bayern Munich and brought back the respect they deserve.

The signs were there when he masterminded a 4-0 rout against Bundesliga rivals Borussia Dortmund in his first match on the sidelines. He not only returned Bayern to winning ways, but he also did it the Mia san Mia way — a necessity for the club's hierarchy and its most ardent supporters.

High-octane pressing, smart, short passing, coolness in playing out from the back, productive possession, and lightning-quick transitions to hurt teams on the counterattack became Bayern staples. It was frightening to watch as Bayern tore teams to pieces — both at home and abroad.

Before Flick, it seemed that the careers of Manuel Neuer, Thomas Muller, and Jerome Boateng were over while the likes of Joshua Kimmich and Alphonso Davies would not flourish further.

But Flick not only revived the careers of the old guards but brought the best out of the young guns.

Muller has been an absolute revolution under Flick – he was given the Raumdeuter role, which he relishes the most. Muller became deadlier than ever while Neuer and Boateng were freed from the shackles of being pragmatic – both of them displayed their brilliance in the last 10 months.

Joshua Kimmich was handed his favored role in midfield full-time and Alphonso Davies was given the opportunity to develop into the world's most dangerous left-back.

Trust in his players to implement his demanding tactics and trust in his team to make changes independently during matches where a fresh impetus was necessary.

Flick's man-management is fantastic and is perhaps only matched Europe-wide by the players in Liverpool have experienced under Jurgen Klopp.

Bayern CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge summed it up when Flick signed a three-year deal to be the head coach in April, “For many years now, Bayern have stood for possession, dominance on the ball, a strong positional game and lots of goals. Hansi Flick has brought that philosophy back.”

The ingredients were all there for Bayern Munich.

They needed someone to make the right use of those.

Flick found the right method and motivation – Bayern Munich have achieved the treble again!

Note: This article has been posted at Cricketsoccer as CSesk on 24/08/2020 The name of the master is Hans-Dieter Flick

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Faisal Caesar 

The redemption of Julen Lopetegui

 

Julen Lopetegui, the manager of Sevilla, was reduced to tears after the end of the match.

Indeed, it was cracking final of the UEFA Europa League where Lopetegui’s side, yet again, came from behind to win the title for the sixth time.

 A rare lapse from Ever Banega on the edge of the Inter box allowed the Italians to break, and pantomime villain Diego Carlos then took center-stage.

Carlos, who conceded penalties against both Wolves and Manchester United, continued his bizarre streak as he found himself the wrong side of Romelu Lukaku, who he eventually hauled down in the area.

Inter were awarded a penalty, but Carlos escaped a red card.

Lukaku scored from the penalty spot and equaled Ronaldo O Fenomeno’s 34-goal record in one season for Inter back in 1997-98.

Lopetegui’s side regrouped and start fighting back.

Luuk de Jong, one of the most heavily criticized players in Spain this season, again showed his worth as he did with the winner in the semi-final.

A clever stooping header from Jesus' Navas' cross gave Samir Handanovic too much to do, and he soon followed that up with an even better goal – again with his head – as he met a marvelous delivery from the exceptional Ever Banega.

Given he had previously lost his place in the team to Youssef En-Nesyri, being restored to the line-up was a big call by Lopetegui, but the Dutchman – scorer of just eight goals before this game – vindicated the decision.

Carlos was again under the microscope for the equalizer. His needless foul led to Marcelo Brozovic's free-kick, and Diego Godin lost the former Nantes defender to nod home.

The second half was a tensed affair.

Sevilla continued to see more of the ball, but Inter appeared to have a greater threat in attack.

Lukaku failed to beat Yassine Bounou when one-one-one and Sevilla took full advantage.

Inter failed to clear a corner and Diego Carlos unleashed a bicycle-kick, which Lukaku turned into his own net with 16 minutes to go.

Lopetegui’s redemption was completed.

 A highly-rated coach in Spain’s youth set-up, Lopetegui landed the first job in elite club coaching when he took over at Portuguese giants Porto in 2014 but was sacked 18 months later after failing to win a trophy.

He was named Spain coach and led his nation to qualify for the 2018 World Cup in style but his stay in Russia ended in surreal circumstances when he was sacked a day before the tournament kicked off when news leaked out that he had negotiated a move to Real Madrid.

He then had a nightmare stay in the Spanish capital, losing the UEFA Super Cup to Atletico Madrid and then saw his side thrashed 5-1 by Barcelona. He was sacked the next day, only three months into the job.

Since his Madrid sacking, Lopetegui nearly became the manager of English side Wolverhampton Wanderers and was also reportedly rejected for the role of United States national team coach in 2018.

But he was hired by Sevilla at the start of the 2019-20 season and guided them to a top-four finish in La Liga, while he also masterminded the Europa League success which saw them beat Roma, Manchester United and of course Antonio Conte’s rejuvenated Inter Milan in the final.

The last two years have been tough for Lopetegui and all those dramas with the national team and nightmares in Real Madrid made him a forgotten identity in the football coaching fraternity.

But Lopetgui kept going and in the end, the ghost of the World Cup in Russia and the nightmare in Real Madrid have been buried.

“Lopetegui works 24 hours a day, he has given everything for us and he has got the best out of us. He deserves everything,” said Jesus Navas.

After the match, Lopetegui dedicated the trophy win to the Sevilla fans who have lost their lives due to the coronavirus pandemic while also paid tribute to late ex-Sevilla stars Jose Antonio Reyes and Antonio Puerta.

The coach said, “My players are very great, they have worked a lot. They have always put hope and desire.”

Lopetegui stated that his boys never surrender and certainly, the way Lopetegui fought back during the tough times, the same spirit was evident among the players of Sevilla throughout the tournament.

From moulding together what was essentially a brand new squad, to establishing a new style of play that secured Champions League football and another European success for Sevilla, Lopetegui answered his critics resoundingly.

What an amazing tale of redemption!  

Note: This article has been posted at Cricketsoccer as CSdesk on 22/08/2020 The redemption of Julen Lopetegui

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Faisal Caesar 

 

Neymar influence takes PSG to the final

 

"Paris Saint-Germain eased to a 3-0 win over RB Leipzig in Lisbon to reach their first-ever Champions League final and remain on course for an unprecedented quadruple and they owe a lot to Neymar"

 If any Football club in Europe received more backlashes than their respective Governments and political decisions, then the French club Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) is definitely right up there.

Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, the ruler of Qatar, has been PSG's owner since 2011 through state-owned shareholding organization Qatar Sports Investments (QSI). PSG are one of only two state-owned clubs in the world, along with Manchester City. As a result, PSG are also one of the richest clubs in the world. And for which, the exhibition of money has often dominated the news rather than footballing displays.

They buy big names of world football, but in the end, at Europe’s top competitions, they have been a big failure and thus the backlash was evident.

When Neymar joined the club back in that eventful season 0f 2017-18, Camp Nou was frustrated whereas the Brazil fans, immediately, tagged as a wrong move – surely someone like Neymar does not suit in a club and Ligue 1, whose quality remains below-par!

And, the fans begun to experience their worst fears – Neymar seemed to have lost his cutting-edge. His whims, injuries, clash with Cavani and return-to-Barcelona-hype hinted, the club at Paris is scripting his downfall. While the world was still looking for the star of next-generation – Neymar was lost in the forest of France – watching the world bashing and making fun of him!

Oh yes, Kylian Mbappe was there!

But when it mattered the most, Mbappe choked along with PSG in the UEFA Champions League.

PSG would return to Ligue 1 and demolish everyone – sadly, none even bothered what they were doing.

Meanwhile, Neymar decided to take things seriously.

Enough of histrionics, party, controversy, ego, and injuries.

The time has come to show his real abilities.

In this season’s Champions League, the world started to experience the Neymar, who could run a show all his own.

He proved that against Borussia Dortmund and Atalanta and in the historic semifinal against RB Leipzig, his influence was evident, yet again!

Julian Nagelsmann has been an inspirational figure in Europe this season. At such a young age he has achieved a lot and last night he was just a few steps away from history.

He loves to build from the back and thus his three center-backs: Mukiele, Upamecano, and Kolsterman set the tempo.

Upamecano had a fantastic game against the stubborn Atletico Madrid in the quarterfinals. He was the man who had been given the task to halt Neymar.

The front three of PSG – Angel Di Maria on the right, Kylian Mbappe on the left and Neymar in the center pressed forward and a tad narrow.

Neymar pressed Upamecano and advanced beyond to put the goalkeeper Gulasci under pressure as well. Moreover, Neymar was using his cover shadow to prevent Upamecano to dictate play from the back.

This forced Upamecano to move in the midfield and pushed Sabitzer higher so that Paredes could face a 1 vs 2 situation and cannot pass the ball to Neymar, who was wandering at the center after being free from Upamecano.

With Neymar fully occupying center, RB Leipzig targeted the flanks, where the opposite full-backs were supposed to press their free roles – but it Herrera, who pushed himself wider to press them. No sooner had the ball went to Angelino, Herrera would run and press.

The pressing forced Upamecano to remain high up the pitch and form the double pivot with Kampl. Di Maria and Mbappe kept the other two center-backs checked.

Neymar was free.

Leipzig full-back passed the ball wide to Gulacsi and Neymar blocked his clearance. Mbappe thumped on the half-volley. Had Neymar not been guilty of a handball then his early intelligence to push Upamecano high-up would have paid rich dividends.

But he was not finished yet.

Neymar and Di Maria played a short-corner and Lamier halted an attempted topskip from Neymar.

PSG won a free-kick courtesy of Neymar.

Di Maria curled a wicked cross from which an unmarked Marquinhos guided a brilliant header home!

Up in front, Neymar persisted with his plan to outweigh Upamecano, who was forced to form a pivot in the midfield. Di Maria was pressing Gulacsi. Herrera intercepted the wider passes and Paredes grabbed the opportunity to carry on the ball after Gulcasi made a mistake.

The ball fizzed to Neymar, who delicately passed to Di Maria – PSG were 2-0 up thanks to the influence of Neymar.

Before that, Neymar hit the woodwork -  it was not a poor miss, but rather a wonderful effort. From a free-kick. Neymar caught Gulacsi cold by going for goal with a curling effort, but the woodwork came to Leipzig’s rescue. Again, in the sixth minute, Neymar was put through one-on-one with Gulacsi by Mbappe but prodded his effort against the upright.

In front of the goal, the Brazilian superstar remained unconvincing, but that did not hamper his spirits to dictate the game from the front and midfield.

Leipzig’s game flew through Kampl in the center and Angelino in the wider area.

PSG were in an attacking mood and that led their defence leaving spaces behind.

Leipzig advanced forward through Kampl and noticing this, Neymar dropped deeper in between the lines with Mbappe following his moves while Di Maria occupying his usual position. PSG keeper Rico would target Neymar and throw the ball straight to him or when Neymar passing lanes were cut-off, Rico would send it to Mbappe.

The movement of Neymar in the spaces between the high midfield and frontline disturbed Kampl who more often passed to Sabitzer. Sabitzer was pressed by Paredes and Bernat. He lost possession to a deeper Paredes and while to press him, left spaces for Neymar, which never allowed the Leipzig back to settle down.

Sabitzer left spaces behind and Neymar occupied that allowing Bernat to advance higher.

The PSG midfield noticed it and passed the ball to Neymar, who dragged the Leipzig markers towards him providing freedom for others.

The third goals was around the corner.

Leipzig relied on their fluidity and were caught in the transition which led to a PSG counterattack in the second half - Moments after Gulsaci denied Di Maria, Nordi Mukiele slipped trying to dribble up the right. Mukiele was still appealing in vain for a foul when the ball came into the RB Leipzig area for Juan Bernat, PSG’s left-back, to head past Gulasci.

Angel Di Maria was the Man of the Match and it was a deserving, but one cannot deny the influence of Neymar who played a mental game with the Leipzig center-backs and markers to create opportunities for himself and others.

The boy from Brazil is showing his true colours.

Paris Saint-Germain eased to a 3-0 win over RB Leipzig in Lisbon to reach their first-ever Champions League final and remain on course for an unprecedented quadruple and they owe a lot to Neymar.

Note: This article has been posted at Cricketsoccer on 19/0/2020 Neymar influence takes PSG to the final

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Faisal Caesar 

Rudi Garcia beats Pep Guardiola in the battle of tactics

 

After crushing and outsmarting Real Madrid and Zinedine Zidane, surely, Pep Guardiola and Manchester City’s attacking style of football seemed to be well set to script history in the Champions League this season. There was not Tottenham Hotspur in the quarterfinals to unleash a freak show like last season, but Olympique Lyon are a team, who progressed this far after finishing seventh in the so-called Farmer’s League and don’t have the players to match the skill and tactical soundness like City.

After the jolly-bash at Benfica by Bayern Munich, the repeat was expected last night, but in the end, City’s Champions League ambitions were cut short by Lyon – it was a shocking outcome for many. Those who watched the game live, could understand, Lyon’s progress is not a flash out of the pan, but the credit must be given to one of the most underrated coaches in today’s football – Rudi Garcia.

Whenever you play against Pep, you have to find a way to exploit the chances, which Pep would give. The midfield and forward of City are a mixture of volatile chemical substances, which is able to blow away any opposition defence.

Pep attack through the right side of the field fully exploits the half-spaces and the dominates the center of the park even if the defence remains unsafe, Pep would press higher. Pep loves to keep full authority on the possession as usual and changes shape rapidly, which more often outweighs the opposition.

Garcia knows all these things and he was well aware, he had a little chance against City and wished to utilize that little chance as much as possible.

City started the game with three defenders at the back – Fernandinho, Garcia, and Laporte. Rodrigo was stationed in front of Garcia with Cancelo and Kyle Walker occupying the flanks Gundogan and Kevin de Bruyne marshaling the midfield. Raheem Sterling and Gabriel Jesus were upfront.

Rudi Garcia, decided to change the shape from 3-5-2 to 5-3-2 and emphasized on midblock.

Ekambe and Mempes Depay were upfront against City’s three in a 3 vs 2 situation!

As a matter of fact, this situation prompted City to utilize the space on the right, left free by Garcia.

Fernandinho was the ball-playing defender, who moved right after receiving the ball, but Lyon employed Aouar to push up into space on the right and press Fernandinho. Whereas Bruno Giumeres pushed higher centrally to press Rodrigo and made ball progression tougher.

With the space on the right and center occupied, Fernandinho utilized the half-spaces to pass the ball to Walker, who was suffocated by Cornet.

Kevin de Bruyne pushed up on the right to receive the ball, but the ball was not coming and the third center-back of Lyon, Marcal came extremely handy to block de Bruyne.

City unable to exploit their favourite zone, felt suffocated and Garcia fed on it.

Ekambi was fed by a deep ball, with Walker appearing to play him onside - and though he stumbled over his shot, winger Cornet ran like a Hare upfront for the support and cracked a spectacular low effort past Ederson at the near-post from outside the box.

Lyon 1 Manchester City 0!

Rudi Garcia had shut down the right side of City and forced them to try things on the left.

Overall, Cityattacked 48% from the left side, middle: 22% and right: 29%!  

Now, Laporte was the ball-playing defender and which prompted Gundogan to push higher on the left and pressurize the marker Caqueret.

With Caqueret busy against Gudogan, Laporte and Cancelo combined to attack.

Sterling and Jesus positioned themselves in between the defenders.

Cancelo often found spaces behind the left-sided markers and whenever Sterling received the ball, he cut-back to threaten the Lyon defence.

Pep brought on Riyad Mahrez in the second half, which changed the shape to 4-3-3 and at times, 4-3-1-2 with de Bryune and Sterling staying narrow and higher on the left.

The City pivots drew Lyon forward and allowed Mahrez to exploit the spaces on the left.

De Bruyne equalized and injected life in City.

But that gave Garcia the opportunity to exploit the spaces at the back.

Laporte pushed himself higher to overload the Lyon defence. But Lyon defenders positioned themselves in between the lines to block the passing lanes and frustrate City.

In turn, the high line defence of City was exposed.

Aouar delivered one downfield after City lost possession on the edge of the center circle and it looked, Ekambi, in an apparent offside position, passed the ball to Moussa Dembele, who put it past Ederson despite a touch from the goalkeeper. VAR had a look, but for a foul on Laporte – the goal stayed.

Lyon 2 City 1!

City pressed higher and created one hell of an opportunity to bounce back – Sterling from the square in front with an open goal after Jesus found him with a cross, sent it flying over the crossbar.  

That was the miss of this century and would hurt Pep and City for a long, long time.

City, frustrated and gutted, advanced forward.

The substitute Reine-Adélaïde was on hand in the City box for a shot from Aouar, which Ederson allowed to bobble away from him, and it was a simple tap-in.

Lyon advance to the semifinals for the first time since 2009-10.

City had 18 attempts on goal in comparison to Lyon’s 7. City passed the ball 667 times while Lyon 264 with 72% and 28% possessions respectively.

What actually mattered was the game of tactics. City’s 595 short-passes were outweighed by 69 longballs to surpass the overloading of City and exploit the spaces at the back.

Then the domination at the center of the park dictated the terms –  Lyon dominated it better.

Pep was outclassed by Garcia at Lisbon.  

Note: This article has been posted at Cricketsoccer as CSdesk Rudi Garcia beats Pep Guardiola in the battle of tactics

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Faisal Caesar 

The fitting reply by Philippe Coutinho against Barcelona mistreatment

 

"Bayern Munich completed an eight-goal humiliation and Coutinho struck twice against his parent club – a fitting reply to the mistreatment"

On January 6, 2018, Liverpool confirmed they had reached an agreement with Barcelona for the transfer of Coutinho. His transfer fee was reported to be an initial £105 million, which could rise to £142 million with various clauses being met.

But his Barcelona-journey was not rosy. At Camp Nou, the little magician was like a lost soul. Clearly, he had not been exploited the right way – the position he played in Liverpool was not given more often and day by day he became an unwanted man. While Jurgen Klopp, his mentor, transformed the Reds into a champion side, Coutinho experienced pitfalls and at one point his career hit the rock bottom.

The Brazilian fans are not habituated watching their stars going on loan to other clubs. Thus, when Coutinho joined Bayern Munich on August 19, 2019, on a season-long loan, it was tough to digest. How badly Barcelona had demoralized such a good player and their mistreatment continued even after that – Arthur Melo was humiliated and which let him leave Camp Nou for Juventus whereas, Antoine Griezmann should be cursing himself for leaving Atletico Madrid.

And, before the above-mentioned player, it was Neymar who received enough unfriendly behaviour from the media and fans, which triggered his departure.  

Barcelona is not a club anymore, but an institution, which runs on the wishes of the so-called best player in the world.

Should a club be like this?

Surely not!

When an individual becomes larger than the club then the outcomes must be disastrous.

Bayern Munich taught Barcelona a lesson last night – a team should play like a team and not focus on the interest of just one player.

In a night of goal festival at Benfica, Robert Lewandowski was still not on the scoring-sheet.  

With 17 minutes remaining, Hansie Flick brought on Coutinho to join the party against his parent club.

Coutinho was playing in the position where he played at Anfield.

In the 82nd minute, Coutinho had the ball into the Barcelona box - reached the byline before smashing a cross across goal for Lewandowski to head into an empty net. Lewandowski was n the score-sheet and Braca were feeling the Coutinho impact!

Three minutes later, Bayern broke away again and it was Thomas Müller who played the ball out to the left for Coutinho. His first touch was a heavy one but was able to reach it with a slide ahead of two Barcelona defenders and the ball glided into the net.

A goal against his parent club and Bayern put seven past Barcelona.

Four minutes later, a long ball to the back post from the edge of the Bayern box and Theo Hernandez headed it down. The ball deflects around and it was Coutinho once again who smashed it home.

Bayern Munich completed an eight-goal humiliation and Coutinho struck twice against his parent club – a fitting reply to the mistreatment.  

Again, Barcelona could face the embarrassing prospect of having to pay Liverpool €5m (£4.5m) if Philippe Coutinho wins the Champions League with Bayern Munich this season.

The deal to sign Coutinho from Liverpool included a number of potential add-on clauses, but incredibly they are player-specific rather than club-specific.

One of those clauses was that Barcelona would pay Liverpool £4.5m if Coutinho won the Champions League in either the 2018-19 or 2019-20 season, but it does not specify that it had to be while playing for them.

The kind of form Bayern are in it is evident that they might lift the title until and unless the other teams put up an inspiring show to stop them.

Whatever might be the outcome, Coutinho had hit back. It is still not sure where Coutinho might head next season, but players like him need to bounce back and rediscover their mojo – football needs him.

Note: This article has been posted at Cricketsoccer as CSdesk on 15/08/2020 The fitting reply by Philippe Coutinho against Barcelona mistreatment

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Faisal Caesar 

Bayern Munich crush Barcelona: Nightmares are part of dreams too

 

"There would be the attempts by the friendly media to save the protected one and make Jose Bartomeu and Setien the scapegoat. But the reality is, no team can flourish if it emphasizes the comfort of one player rather than the betterment of the whole team. Bayern Munich taught Barcelona how to play football"

Dreams come true. The newly appointed coach of Barcelona Quique Setien said on February 1, 2020, he wanted to have it written on his tombstone that he won a Champions League with the Catalan Club.

Lionel Messi, the most-hyped and protected player of this era, started to think after the match against Napoli, despite being below-par, he would manage the same support against Bayern Munich at Benfica. The La Liga title might have slipped away, but the Champions League would not experience the same.

Arturo Vidal was upbeat before the clash against the Germans.   

“They are playing against Barca, not against teams from the Bundesliga,”  the midfielder stated on the eve of the game in Lisbon. “They are playing against the best team in the world.”

Meanwhile, the heavyweight media houses did not even bother to highlight the strength of Bayern Munich, but consistently showed the video footage and images of Messi bringing down Jerome Boateng in 2015 on their social media pages and websites.

It seemed that it was just a matter of time, the dream of Barcelona, Messi and the over-hyped media would come true – Messi would lift the trophy even before competing for the final!

But at times, such blind people forget, nightmares are a part of dreams too!

After all the formalities, the referee blew the whistle, and immediately, Bayern were running towards the Barca goal like a pack of wolves.

It was a fantastic team move where Robert Lewandowski and Thomas Muller combined where Muller poked a left-footed finish across Ter Stegen and into the bottom-left corner for the opener.

Barcelona targeted Bayern’s high line and they equalized after seven minutes courtesy of an awful own goal by David Alaba.

But it did not hamper the spirit of Bayern Munich.

They kept on pressing forward.

Lewandowski sent a warning shot over and hinted, a riot was on the cards!

Sergi Roberto dithered and Serge Gnabry pounced, robbing the midfielder and releasing Perisic, who drove in a low shot with his left foot.

 

Leon Goretzka lifted a clever pass over the top for Gnabry, who finished confidently. After 31 minutes Kimmich joined in an attack and crossed for Müller, whose second goal of the night all but killed the game as a contest.

Barcelona were falling apart!

In the second half, Alphonso Davies surged into the area after duping Semedo. Gerard Pique froze as Davies gave Kimmich an open goal.

44 years had passed since the last time Barcelona had conceded five in a single European clash, when they went down 5-4 to Levski Sofia in March 1976 in the UEFA Cup.

Well, the demolition and humiliation were not over yet!

With 17 minutes Hansie Flick introduced Philippe Coutinho, who was loaned to Bayern from Barcelona. Coutinho came and discovered his magical touch.

He dribbled past the Barca players and created the goal for Lewandowski and then added two more to his name and gave a fitting reply to the insult he digested at Camp Nou.

Yet another historic worst was thus recorded, with Barca conceding eight goals in a single match for the first time since 1946, when Sevilla inflicted an 8-0 thrashing on the Catalans in the Copa del Rey.

The highly anticipated tie quickly turned into a nightmare thanks to their own weaknesses in defence and Bayern's brilliant forward play.

There would be the attempts by the friendly media to save the protected one and make Jose Bartomeu and Setien the scapegoat. But the reality is, no team can flourish if it emphasizes the comfort of one player rather than the betterment of the whole team.

Bayern Munich taught Barcelona how to play football. 

Football is a team game and results cannot be achieved by following the orders of a so-called cult figure.

This humiliation should be a big learning curve for Barcelona and to build the future, they need to think beyond Messi.

Note: This article has been posted at Cricketsoccer as CSdesk on 15/08/2020 Bayern Munich crush Barcelona: Nightmares are part of dreams too

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Faisal Caesar 

Who else but Neymar!

 

Cometh the hour, cometh the man - Neymar put up a masterclass display at Lisbon and helped PSG advance to the semifinals. It was his night, where played like a champion!

 Most of the people around the globe had not yet switched on the television. While those who were watching live had not yet fully involved in the action-packed clash of the first quarterfinals of Champions League.

The game was just 4 minutes old. Neymar dribbled past the Atalanta defence all his own and then race through one-on-one with Spoirteillo only to slice a wonderful opportunity wide of the right side of the post. Kylian Mbappe had his head in his hands in the stand. Thomas Tuchel was left stunned. The fans could not believe it!

Neymar can’t miss those, can he?

That miss struck badly in the minds of the fans and immediately the fears of another famous choke by the French Team cropped up in the deepest corners of the heart. The impact of the miss was such that the backline of the injury-hit Paris Saint-Germain got nervous.

Keylor Navas then produced two outstanding stops to keep out headers from Hans Hateboer and Mattia Caldara, although the latter had been in an offside position.

Neymar created another opening only to fail to take advantage, but Pasalic made no mistake 27 minutes in, curling a first-time finish past Navas after the ball deflected into his path off Duvan Zapata.

That goal just shook everyone except Gian Piero Gasperini and his boys.

Okay, let’s get ready for another choke and banters from the renowned media houses and their experts.

PSG just don’t have the temperament to overcome the challenges in the big stage.

But the boy from Brazil, who had digested enough in the last two years never wanted to give up.

With major players absent, the hopes rested on him and the Brazilian is such a character that he can turn things around if he remains focused enough.

Neymar had become the only PSG player looking likely to score and yet was the reason they went into half-time behind, the Brazil star dancing his way through and rifling wide and then blazing over after an errant backpass from Hateboer.

Berat Djmisiti flashed a shot wide following a set-piece before Tuchel turned to Mbappe with just over half an hour remaining and then threw on Julian Draxler as desperation grew.

Mbappe drilled a shot straight at Marco Sportiello and Neymar did likewise after another mazy run, and a brilliant challenge from Jose Luis Palomino denied Mbappe from close range.

Atalanta’s plans were simple – hold Neymar off and defend the one-goal advantage to script a famous victory. There was no Gasperini way of style in the second half, but he went the Italian way.

No luck. Opportunities went begging. The clock was moving fast.

But Neymar never wanted to give up.

The boy from Brazil is entrusted with the big responsibility to carry the legacy of Pele, Garrincha, Romario, Ronaldo O Fenomeno, Bebeto, Rivaldo, and Ronaldinho. He is the boy from the land of champions and champions keep trying until the end. Neymar kept on trying and was fighting against the fast-moving-time. He wanted to win desperately - even when few seconds are left in the clock, Neymar would dig deep and create opportunities.

In the 89-minute,  Neymar turned a deep cross into Marquinhos' path and he finished via the knee of Caldara.

PSG were on level terms and when extra-time actions were looming large, Neymar essayed a golden pass which released Mbappe on the left who drilled the ball across the box and Choupo-Moting slid in to send PSG in the semifinals of the Champions League for the second time in their history.

In the twinkle of an eye, Gasperrini’s dreams shattered.

In the twinkle of an eye, Neymar was seen celebrating with his teammates.

It was his night, where he marshaled the game all his own like Garrincha and Romario and never let the shoulders of his teammate down. He was the leader of men – the leader who fought like a Cornered Tiger.

Even though Gasperini said that he would tackle Neymar with his style of play, but when he noticed that the Brazilian was hard to stop, he planned to limit the spaces for Neymar.

He had 112 touches in the match, created four chances, contested 33 duels, and attempted 50 passes in the Atalanta half – and played a key role in both goals.

Who else but Neymar – the boy from Brazil helped a fragile unit advance!

Note: This article has been posted at Cricketsoccer on 13/08/2020 Who else but Neymar!

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Faisal Caesar 

 

Gian Piero Gasperini: The man who changed Atalanta

 

Atalanta Bergamasca Calcio, commonly referred to as Atalanta was founded in 1907 by some Swiss students and their coach of PE in the gym of the Liceo Classico Paolo Sarpi, Bergamo.

A football club had existed in Bergamo since 1903. Founded by Swiss immigrants, it was known as Foot-Ball Club Bergamo. The rival Atalanta club grew out of a division between different sporting societies in the town. The name is taken from the female athlete of Greek mythology.

The FIGC was unimpressed with the new club and did not officially recognize them until 1914. The current club is the result of a merger between Atalanta and a third team called Bergamasca. The first, black and white coloured and the second wearing a blue and white shirt, merged in 1920 as Atalanta Bergamasca di Ginnastica e Scherma 1907. The team moved to the site of the current ground, on the Viale Giulio Cesare, in 1928.

Atalanta joined the Italian league in 1929. The club first reached Serie A in 1937 but was relegated immediately. The club returned in 1940 and remained in Serie A until 1959; after a single season in Serie B, the club was promoted and lasted a further decade in Serie A before relegation in 1973 led to an uncertain period of promotion and relegation between the two levels.

The club achieved its highest position at the time in 1948, finishing in fifth place, a feat only bettered in 2017. In 1981, the club fell into Serie C1, a blow which revitalised the club. The team returned to Serie B the next season and made it back to Serie A in 1984. The club's form in Serie A remained uncertain, as it was relegated in 1987, 1994, 1998, 2003, 2005 and 2010.

After a change of ownership, in 2011, Atalanta immediately came back to Serie A, where it has been ever since.

But still, the fortune of the club remained the same – a jolly-bash for the big gun of Italian Football.

In the summer of 2016, Gian Piero Gasperini was appointed manager of Atalanta. In his first season in charge, Atalanta finished fourth in the Serie A and thus qualified to the UEFA Europa League.

In 2017–18, Atalanta placed 7th in the league, earning them a berth for the chance to qualify for 2018–19 UEFA Europa League group stage. However, they were defeated by Danish side FC København in the final of qualification.

Gasperini changed his plans in the following season and invested more in attack than defence – an un-Italian way, but it paid rich dividends because it not only gave him results but also, it earned him fan followers like Pep Guardiola.

 In 2018–19, Atalanta struggled at the beginning of the season, getting only 1 win in their first 8 matches. A strong second half to the season including a 13-match unbeaten run to end the season meant Atalanta finished 3rd in the league, qualifying to the 2019–20 UEFA Champions League group stage for the first time in their history.

Atalanta also made the finals of the 2018–19 Coppa Italia, knocking out defending champions Juventus 3–0 in the Quarter Finals. In a tightly contested final, Atalanta lost 2–0 to Lazio.

In the 2019-20 season, Gasperini’s side has reached a level, where they can stun big teams and dream big. In the Serie A, they had scored more goals than the champions Juventus and entertained everyone.

Atalanta won 9 Serie A games in a row for the first time in their club's history after a 2–0 win against Sampdoria in July 2020. Zapata scored his 15th goal of the season in a 2–2 draw against Juventus, making it the first time since Juventus in 1952 that a Serie A club had 3 players with 15 or more goals in a season (Muriel, Iličić, Zapata).

After a 1–0 win against Bologna on 21 July, Atalanta mathematically secured a top four finish, qualifying for the Champions League for the second consecutive season; they eventually finished the season in third place.

 Atalanta began their Champions League campaign with a 4–0 loss away to Dinamo Zagreb, followed by a 2–1 loss at home to Shakhtar Donetsk and a 5–1 loss away to Manchester City. Atalanta got their first-ever Champions League point with a 1–1 draw at home to Manchester City. After a 3–0 away win against Shakhtar on the final matchday, Atalanta qualified for the Champions League round of 16 for the first time in their history and became the second time a club has advanced to the round of 16 after losing its opening three matches, after Newcastle United in 2002–03.

Atalanta played their first-ever Champions League knockout match against Valencia in the round of 16, winning the first leg 4–1. The team later advanced to the quarterfinals after a 4–3 away win against Valencia in the second leg.

Atalanta would feature in the quarterfinals for the first time in their footballing history.

If any person deserves the credit then it is none other than Gasperini.

He has been the agent of change for this club.

The charismatic character is renowned for his faith in young talents and attacking football.

Gasperini is known for using a fluid 3–4–3 formation and a spectacular high–risk hyper–offensive-minded possession-based system, which relies on the versatility of his midfielders and front–line.

His style focuses more on scoring goals, off–the–ball movement, and quick, short passes on the ground, and less focus on long balls and the defensive aspect of the game; as such, at times his trademark 3–4–3 system resembles a 3–4–1–2, 3–2–4–1, 3–5–2, or 3–4–2–1 formation, with energetic overlapping attacking wing-backs in lieu of wide midfielders, that provide width along the flanks and push up the pitch when going forward. He has also been known to use a 4–3–3 on occasion.

His Atalanta is known for playing a high defensive–line, and for being very short tactically, with little distance between the attack and the defence.

During the 90s, his tactical philosophy and teams' playing styles were inspired by Dutch football, namely Louis van Gaal's Ajax side, rather than Arrigo Sacchi's 4–4–2 system.

When defending off the ball, his teams are also known for the use of heavy pressing, but also apply elements of fluid man-marking across the entire pitch, and often switch to a 5–4–1 formation defensively.

Gasperini favours using hard-working and highly physical two–way players in midfield rather than a deep-lying playmaker, but also quick, talented, technical, diminutive, slender, elusive, and creative players up–front, in order to implement his system effectively; he has also been known to use a larger and more physical centre-forward upfront on occasion, who is good in the air.

Despite the acclaim he has garnered due to his offensive playing style, which has led him to obtain successful results with smaller teams, he has also drawn criticism for his unbalanced approach, and for his team's tendency to concede goals as well as scoring them.

Keeping his attacking intent in mind, the clash against Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), might come handy. Even though PSG have injury and suspension issues, but the Brazilian superstar Neymar is looking sharper than ever and the way his backline remains unsecured when the team advances forward to attack, Neymar would exploit that big time.

For Neymar, Gasperini’s plan is simple as he said, “He is undoubtedly one of the strongest in the world. It's a problem for anyone to face him. The best way to defend is to play well. We'll try to stop him with our organisation. We've faced a lot of strong players”.

Gasperini feels he has a responsibility towards the people of Italy and Bergamo, which was badly hit by the COVID-19 Pandemic.

“We know very well the anticipation around this match, given the passion and love around Bergamo for Atalanta,”  he said.

“This year, there is even more motivation given all that has happened. It's a football match but we have to represent our region in the best way possible.”

“We arrive in the best mental condition. We've got some very important results after the lockdown.”

“We are proof that even a team without a European heritage can do well and achieve important goals through playing, enthusiasm and other things.”

“We have a responsibility to ourselves not to disappoint. We want to continue to show that Atalanta can sit at the table of the biggest clubs.”

Atalanta is the only club from Italy in the quarterfinals and surely the whole of Italy would be behind them in the most anticipated clash of this season’s Champions League.   

Note: This article has been posted at Cricketsoccer as CSdesk on 12/08/2020 Gian Piero Gasperini: The man who changed Atalanta              

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Faisal Caesar        

Andrea Pirlo as Juventus manager is risky but smart gambling

 

“The journey of Pirlo would not be without tough challenges and there would always be a risk of ending up with eggs on the face. But with Pirlo, one can have faith because the man is a warrior and the master of steering the ship through choppy waters”

 “I did not expect Juventus to go out [of the Champions League]. I was sure they would have advanced. But it was a terrible, unpredictable and difficult year. Especially for those who have made changes, like Juve. Sarri wasn't able to bring through his football”

That is what Roberto Mancini said after the shock at Turin against the French visitors Olympique Lyon.

Maurizio Sarri did win the Scudetto with Juventus, but his side was far from convincing at the Italian Serie A and an average outcome was expected in the Champions League if not the disaster against Lyon. Frankly speaking, Inter, AC Milan and Atalanta looked much better than Juve after the COVID-19 break.

Producing satisfactory results in the Champions League had been the only option for Sarri to save his job, but in the end, the outcome was evident.

Sarri was shown the door and Juve knocked the door of their beloved son, who is a legend in Turin – the genius Andrea Pirlo has been given the task to fix Juventus.

Pirlo has no such big experience in coaching, but still why Juventus invested faith in him, surprised many, but not Mancini, who said, “[Pirlo] is lucky. He starts from the top and with the best team. Maybe I didn't start from the bottom, but I started at Fiorentina, not with Juve.”

“Jokes aside, if I was searching, I would have been looking at Andrea. He has great knowledge of football. Like [Daniele] De Rossi. I would have liked to work with him.”

“There's always a first time. Andrea opens up a new path. Let's follow him. Good luck to him.”

Even though Pirlo himself never backed himself about becoming a coach or manager. In his autobiography, he said, “I wouldn't bet a single cent on me becoming a manager though. It's not a job I'm attracted to. There are too many worries.”

Managing Juve's under-23 coach is something else while managing Cristiano Ronaldo and a side obsessed with European success is another.

Still, with Pirlo, one can expect the positives and those who played alongside him can realize when the matter is about absorbing pressure and leading the side silently, none could hardly match the cool customer in his playing days.

“I don't feel pressure ... I don't give a toss about it. I spent the afternoon of Sunday, 9 July 2006 in Berlin sleeping and playing the PlayStation. In the evening, I went out and won the World Cup.”

Pirlo, on his mental state in Italy's World Cup victory over France in the 2006 FIFA World Cup, in Berlin.

The man is not only blessed with leadership qualities but most importantly, he is someone who can be regarded as a footballing intellect.

Juve Chairman Andrea Agnelli wished to gamble - He felt Antonio Conte was a gamble that worked, while Max Allegri was the hated Milan coach and yet his arrival bought even more joy.

So maybe Pirlo could bring back the Juve soul, which made Juve a team to watch.

BBC reported, “Juventus have made it clear they want to continue promoting the Juventus brand to bring in steady revenue and they want sporting brilliance that won't require a revolution. The bearded hipster, who played football like a god, satisfies both requirements.”

“Everyone will tune into to watch the masterful Ronaldo under the guidance of the cool Pirlo, spending their hard-earned cash on the merchandise this will surely produce and perhaps Pirlo's suggested pragmatism will finally get this collection of individuals to play as a team.”

So, how would Pirlo’s Juve look like?

No wonder he would emphasize on the midfield and possession-oriented football.

The tempo will be dictated by the player who plays in the centre of midfield, where he himself used to line up, and Jorginho might arrive in the transfer window to occupy this role.

Arthur Melo has already agreed to join too and Pirlo will be thrilled about the chance to work with the Brazilian who is full of potential.

In defence, Matthijs de Ligt could benefit from a new style of play if he is asked to bring the ball out from the back. But he is someone, who would not sacrifice defence at the cost of attacking football like Gian Piero Gasperini.

“In military terms,”  Pirlo explained in his autobiography, “success starts in the zone behind the lines. Put more simply, the team that concedes the fewest goals wins the match.”

Then, in the attack, Paulo Dybala should occupy the playmaking role behind a free Cristiano Ronaldo and one other more positional striker.

The journey of Pirlo would not be without tough challenges and there would always be a risk of ending up with eggs on the face. But with Pirlo, one can have faith because the man is a warrior and the master of steering the ship through choppy waters.

The appointment of Pirlo as Juve manager is risky but smart gambling. 

Note: This article has been posted at Cricketsoccer on 11/08/2020 Andrea Pirlo as Juventus manager is risky but smart gambling

Thank You

Faisal Caesar 

 

Robert Lewandowski is playing at different level

 

Leon Goretzka was stunned to see Robert Lewandowski's star performance in the Champions League match against Chelsea on Saturday despite the Bayern Munich striker's relaxed attitude in training.

After scoring one and setting up two goals in the first leg of the last-16 tie at Stamford Bridge in February, Lewandowski netted twice and set up another two in the return fixture on Saturday as Bayern strolled to a 7-1 aggregate win over the Blues.

But Goretzka could not believe the way Lewandowski played at Stamford Bridge because in the training he was not serious as before and did not break enough sweat.

“He's actually a phenomenon,” Goretzka told Sport1.

“When I saw how he trained last week, I thought to myself: 'Should I talk to him about why he's not running?' But he only said: 'Keep calm! Saturday is important.'

“[Winning the treble] is our goal in the end, but it's a very special competition. It has a bit of the character of a European Championship or World Cup. But we're really hot and looking forward to the trip”.

When a player is that much confident then one must realize that he is playing at a different level where only the best can reach. Right now, Lewandowski is the best goal-scorer in Europe and the numbers back his abilities as well.

Recently, Lewandowski recently saw Ciro Immobile overtake him in the list of Europe's top scorers as the Lazio striker won the European Golden Boot.

However, their numbers are a bit misleading as although Immobile netted 36 goals compared to Lewandowski's 34, he did so in 37 games compared to his counterpart's 31 matches.

The Pole's 1.09 goal-per-game ratio betters the Italian's 0.97, while it should be noted that Serie A has 20 teams and the Bundesliga has 18, which means that there are four games fewer.

Meanwhile, Lewandowski is averaging 1.85 goals per match this season in Europe, which is simply spectacular.

Meanwhile, Cristiano Ronaldo netted as many as 17 times in the glorious season of 2013-14, while the Lewandowski has mustered 13 goals this season already and he needs to strike five more times to overtake Ronaldo.

But this time around, Lewandowski would not have the opportunity of playing a two-legged quarterfinal because the season had been hampered by COVID-19 Pandemic.

Surely,  Lewandowski will be this season's top scorer, followed by Erling Haaland with 10, while Memphis Depay and Gabriel Jesus have managed six apiece.

Cristiano has registered the three top-scoring seasons in the Champions League, with 17 goals in 2013- 14, 16 in 2015-16, and 15 in 2017-18.

Lewandowski currently sits fifth in the list behind Lionel Messi, who scored 14 times in 2011-12.

Alongside Kevin de Bruyne, Lewandowski is the best player of this season and if Neymar keeps his composure right, he can share the platform with them.

It’s a pity that the Ballon d’Or would not take place this year.

France Football needs to rethink about the award.

Note: This article has been posted at Cricketsoccer as CSdesk on 10/08/2020 Robert Lewandowski is playing at different level

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Faisal Caesar 

 

Lyon advance, Champions League will lose its charm without Cristiano Ronaldo

It was a night, which witnessed the quality of Pep Guardiola’s approach in the final third – Zinedine Zidane’s Real Madrid were tore apart. Manchester City never stopped attacking and finished their dinner with the boys wearing pink shirts – no intent, no fight and so many mistakjes. Pep won’t spare you for a second.

Manchester was painted Blue, but in Turin, the silence was evident as Lyon painted Italy with their colours. Juventus would not feature in the quarterfinals and since 2010, the Champions League would not witness its favourite son – Cristiano Ronaldo – in the final eight.

The one thing Juventus and Real Madrid were needed to do and which was not to concede at first hand because it would diminish the chances further.

When the Raphael Varane disasterclass was on show in Manchester, Houssem Aouar saw a low volley touched around the post by Wojciech Szczesny and the first penalty soon followed after the same man appeared to be tripped by Federico Bernardeschi just before a lunging Rodrigo Bentancur swept the ball away.

The spot-kick stood following a VAR review and Depay kept his cool to dink a finish down the centre of the goal, before Juve finally kicked into gear.

But, Juve were not like the boys in pink shirt.

They regrouped and played with the intent to win.

Who else, but CR7 stepped to take the matter in his own hand.

A sublime last-ditch challenge from Marcelo denied Bernardeschi an open goal and Ronaldo then directed a stooping header over the crossbar.

Anthony Lopes' strong right hand superbly kept out Ronaldo's free-kick, but the next intervention came from the arm of Depay. Miralem Pjanic's set-piece bounced away off the goalscorer's elbow, prompting a second harsh spot-kick which Ronaldo tucked away.

Just as Juve were toiling approaching the hour mark, Ronaldo came to the fore once more and unleashed a blistering left-footed strike that Lopes could only help into the top-right corner.

Ronaldo centred for Gonzalo Higuain to head over, before the two-goal star was wasteful from a similar position after Juve had called for Paulo Dybala from the bench.

Maurizio Sarri's risk in throwing on a half-fit forward failed.

His mid field produced little and it was only CR7, who ran the show.

Lyon clung on to their narrow lead and one would certainly feel sorry for CR7, who gave his all to save the night for Juve.

No Cristiano Ronaldo in the quarterfinals of the Champions League.

The world is changing!

Note: This article has been posted at Cricketsoccer as CSdesk on 08/08/2020 Lyon advance, Champions League will lose its charm without Cristiano Ronaldo

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Faisal Caesar 

Pep Guardiola ends the domination of Zinedine Zidane

 

 In a very critical time, Zinedine Zidane took over the managerial duties of Real Madrid way back in 2015-16. As soon as he took over, Real Madrid won the Champions League three times in a row. In the summer of 2018, he left Real, but returned again to stabilize the house of Real Madrid in the 2018-19 season. He bloomed flowers again – the Royal Whites won the La Liga title by beating the arch-rivals Barcelona.

The next mission was the Champions League and against Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City, surely, it would be an uphill task because, City had the advantage of two away goals, and then, they would be playing at their own backyard. Moreover, Real would be without the services of their skipper Sergio Ramos, who received a red card at Bernabeu.

But with someone like Zidane around, who have not lost in a knockout game of the Champions  League, a dramatic turnaround was expected.

In the end, it turned out to be a disastrous display by the Los Blancos at the Eithad Stadium, who had no clue against the attacking display of City’s frontline.

City completed 10, 068 passes before this game in the final third of the game. They are just like an Armageddon offensively in the final third and only Liverpool and Southampton could resist their such display this season.

Kevin de Bruyne, Raheem Sterling, Bernardo Silva and Gabriel Jesus all gel together and come forward like hungry wolves to tear the opposition defence into pieces. Most of their attacks come from the right side and they outweighed the opposition with pace and dribble.

Again, no one exploits the half spaces better than Pep Guardiola.

You leave those spaces, you would definitely get killed.

Zidane was needed to follow what Carlo Ancelotti did against Pep’s Bayern Munich in the 2013-14 season. A pragmatic approach to fill the spaces and then capture the opposition on the counter because this approach of Pep has a drawback – it leaves the defence unguarded.

Sadly, Zidane made a mess tonight and Raphael Varane made it look the worst. His defensive disasterclass set jitters in the Real unit – two assists were provided to Jesus and Sterling and the match was done and dusted. Just when both teams were trying to put themselves on the front foot, Varane committed a blunder – Sterling hit the nets and City gained the momentum – Real had been toyed for the opening 20 minutes.

Even though Karim Benzema equalized, still, City kept Real at bay! The boys with the Blue Shirt scripted attacks after attacks and had Thibaut Courtois not been there, it would have been a humiliating night for Zidane and co!

The backline of Real Madrid was at sixes and sevens. The absence of Ramos was evident.

The midfield trio of Toni Kroos, Luka Modric, and Casemiro looked lost and out of idea.

Zidane should have opted a 4-5-1 or 4-1-4-1 formation rather than 4-3-3. Compactness was much needed against Pep.

Not playing Fede Valverde was a big mistake. He should have formed the base with Casemiro and the choice should have been made between Kroos and Modric.

Benzema as the lone striker aided b Rodrygo Goes or Marco Asensio on the right and Vinicius Junior on the left.

And then, go for substitutions according to the demand of the situation.  

Starting up with Eden Hazard on the left was the biggest mistake of tonight. And continuing with him for the greater part of the second half was nothing but a howler – clearly, Hazard is not a Real Madrid material.

Hazard failed to exploit the left flank and was a lost soul. He simply disturbed the balance of the combination and not replacing him with Vinicius Junior remains a surprising matter!

If you make so many mistakes, surely, Pep would not spare you.

And he punished Real Madrid and made them look a bunch of schoolboys.

Pep used Kyle Walker to neutralize the threats from Hazard and Walker was the best performer tonight, which earned him the Man of the Match Award. Hazard did not get a look-in and his storming runs unhinged the Los Blancos big time. 

Then another bright spot in the City armour was Gabriel Jesus. The man, who went through a lean-patch after the World Cup in Russia spent time with Pep to rediscover himself. Pep never lost faith in him and the results are showing. 

As in the first-leg, Jesus his socks off on the left in the first half, then changed to centre-forward at the interval and bagged a crucial goal. This time it was a stupendously deft finish to that crucified Madrid - robbed Varane to tee up the first, and brilliantly finished the second for another quality display.

And nothing to say about Kevin de Bruyne and Raheem Sterling.

Both were simply outstanding!

Real Madrid couldn’t lay a finger on de Bruyne all night long as he was constantly moving the ball into dangerous areas and keeping his side on the front-foot. Everything good City did run through him as he held court over the Etihad. Kept trying to score from corners.

Whereas, Sterling tortured the Madrid defence with his pressing and movement. Could have scored a second when played in. Moved to the left second-half and looked a true danger every time he touched the ball.

City had been the worthy winners and are looking dangerous in each match they are playing.

Real Madrid would only sit back and remember those past glories not so long ago!

Note: This article has been posted at Cricketsoccer as CSdesk on 07/08/2020 Pep Guardiola ends the domination of Zinedine Zidane

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Faisal Caesar