Tag Archives: UCL

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⚽️ Two Spaniards (no Barcelona), one German and one English side into the last four of the Champions League 🥅 🏟

10 Thursday Apr 2014

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ANALYSIS 

We are now into the semi finals of the Champions League and apart from Barcelona being ousted by Atletico, it’s the usual suspects – Bayern, Real Madrid and José Mourinho (this time with Chelsea).
European football, and probably the World game, is currently dominated by German and Spanish teams, something that will no doubt be reflected in this summer’s World Cup also.
For the Champions League, Atletico look the sharpest, their attacking style that is conducted at a lightning speed will take some beating – even for a team like Bayern. Of the remaining sides, Chelsea are clearly the weakest, although they have a manager who is used to winning at this level with Real and of course Porto. And as a consequence this ageing Blues side can never really be discounted, although the semi final stage may prove to be a step too far for them.
And what to make of Ronaldo’s Real who are also challenging for the La Liga title with Barcelona and Atletico – well, they like Bayern are in transition and as a result, they can be beaten, as can their Spanish rivals and pretenders Atletico who despite all their energy and pace often miss in front of goal.
So, all bets are off for one of the most open Champions League tournaments in years and the good news for the impartial observer is that the same can be said for Brazil 2014.

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ARSENAL BLEW IT AGAIN

12 Wednesday Mar 2014

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TEMPLATE ANALYSIS

No one gave the Gunners a chance last night as they attempted to overturn a two goal deficit against the European Champions on their home turf.
Surely, lightning doesn’t strike twice, surely last year’s 1-0 win at Bayern Munich was a freak result.
Well, for the first twenty minutes or so it looked like Arsene Wenger’s nearly men were never going to get a sniff of chance at the opposition goal, as the powerful Germans played lockdown.
For the rest of the half Arsenal had their moments but nothing more.
And when Bayern’s Bastien Schweinsteiger grabbed a goal early in the second half, it looked like the floodgates had opened. But then something astonishing happened when the German forward Lukas Podolski literally brushed aside a Bayern defender and fired in the equaliser against his old club.
Podolski had expected to be booked but Arsenal had got back in and the manner had stunned the opposition who like the powerful national side folded now they were under the cosh.
After this Bayern looked ordinary as Arsenal had numerous opportunities to seal the deal. Trouble is they just did not have the quality up front to make that happen.  Mesut Ozil the man who had missed that penalty in the first leg and who could been the made the difference here had been subsituted for the second half of this leg for what later turned out to be a hamstring injury.
It could have been Arsenal’s day – a fact underlined by Bayern’s Thomas Muller missing a penalty in the last minute, after Lukasz Fabianski dived the right way and then dived again to prevent a follow up.
But Arsenal blew it – sure there were positives, Wenger’s men had made the superhuman Germans look ordinary, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain was energetic, but he like the rest of the fowards just didn’t make it count.
And with that it another year out of the Champions league for the Premier League’s great underachievers.

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TEMPLATE REPORT: Barcelona teach Manchester City a lesson

18 Tuesday Feb 2014

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TEMPLATE REPORT

UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE
Etihad Stadium

MANCHESTER CITY 0 BARCELONA 2

Just how good and how far have Manchester City come this season – that was the question on everyone’s mind as the blues took on Lionel Messi and the highly rated and much respected side called Barcelona at the Etihad Stadium tonight.
In the first half, City had the best of the chances despite the dominance of Barcelona who played in the way that they have done so often, possession followed by more possession, wearing down the opposition through silky passes that called on the hometeam to chase after the ball.
In the second half though, the game was out of City’s reach once Messi had slotted in a penalty following an advance that reduced the Premier League’s most exciting side to ten men.
The second goal from Danni Alves in the 90th minute ensured that there would be no way back in the second leg of this tie.
Barcelona are virtually threw to the quarter finals and they had not even got out of first gear – remaining throughout the nintety three minutes compact, assured and ever dangerous when given a sniff of a chance.
City were taught a lesson today by a side that is used to success at the highest level. The team that has dazzled us all in the Premier League were outclassed in a game their opponents never looked like losing.
And still they will be many who will question whether Barcelona have what it takes to win this competition.

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⚽️ David Beckham plays for PSG against Barcelona 🥅

03 Wednesday Apr 2013

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 ANALYSIS 

In his heyday, the Paris Saint Germain player, David Beckham was known for his trademark free kicks, the ability to loft the ball to an eager forward and of course a steely nerve when it came to the penalty spot.

The first two were in evidence last night as the 38-year-old played against the greatest club team on earth.

It was great to see Beckham play in Europe, and he was not in any out of his depth, which begs the question, could he be part of the England set-up again.

The last time there was such a debate was of course over the decision to terminate the career of Kevin Keegan who went on to show that he was still a force with the then second division side of Newcastle United.

England lost something then when they so abruptly got rid of a player that still could have exerted an influence at an international level.

And on the evidence of last night, it appears that history is repeating itself in the form of David Beckham.

Champions League Quarter Final, Ist Leg, PSG 2 Barcelona 2

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Roberto Di Matteo is fired

21 Wednesday Nov 2012

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TEMPLATE ANALYSIS

Chelsea were simply outclassed last night against a Juventus team that was sharper and far more creative than the Champion League Cup holders.

And their slide from the top of the Premier League was a clear indication that they had come off the boil, and would struggle to get back there even against two Manchester teams that are still not firing on all cylinders.

Even at the beginning of the season there were worrying signs – remember that 4-1 drubbing by Atletico Madrid at Monaco?

So, it should not be a surprise that owner Roman Abramovich was not happy.

However, the speed and ruthlessness of the sacking of the former head coach has taken everyone by surprise.

Di Matteo of course is in good company – even the special one himself suffered the indignity of the axe from an owner who wants to see his team play like Barcelona, and blood players of the calibre of Lionel Messi from its own ranks.

Truth is English clubs look out of their league when they play in Europe and even when they win the trophy there’s always that feeling that they were lucky – that the performance did not merit the outcome.

That a man like Abramovich is losing patience is a good thing for English football – our national side needs to shaken at its core, we need men like Abramovich to remind our underperforming  multi-millionaire Premiership players that a fat pay cheque does not mean that you have made it, only that you are lucky.

CHELSEA’S FALLEN MANAGERS

Claudio Ranieri: Sep 2000 to May 2004

Jose Mourinho: Jun 2004 to Sep 2007

Avram Grant: Sep 2007 to May 2008

Luiz Felipe Scolari: Jul 2008 to Feb 2009

Guus Hiddink: Feb 2009 to May 2009

Carlo Ancelotti: Jun 2009 to May 2011

Andre Villas-Boas: Jun 2011 to Mar 2012 (Click here for Template Report)

Roberto Di Matteo: Mar 2012 to Nov 2012

 Click here and here for Template Commentary about Chelsea Champions League win.

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This is Chelsea’s Moment

19 Saturday May 2012

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TEMPLATE COMMENTARY

Nothing about Roberto Di Matteo’s side and how it has managed to get into the Champions League final to meet Bayern Munich has been convincing.

Not the performances, which include a very fortunate defeat of a Barcelona side whose manager was clearly tired of looking at the endless stream of silverware coming his way.

Nor the appearance of his players whose best days are clearly behind them –  that includes the once great Drogba as well those players that have for some reason made it into the England squad for the summer’s European Championships.

So, it would take a brave man to bet against a German side that boasts  amongst others, the latest Dutch superstar, one Arjen Robben in its ranks.

But Chelsea, have got a momentum, similar to the way Liverpool and Manchester United before them had going for them.

Call it the ‘It’ factor, call it what you like – they have team spirit that will mean they will overcome this Bayern Munich side in Munich to become European Club Champions.

The performance will not please their billionaire owner Roman Abramovich, however that will be an argument for another day – for this is Chelsea’s moment.

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⚽️ Why English Clubs fail in Europe 🏟

09 Friday Mar 2012

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The Manchester Clubs were defeated in the first legs of their Europa League fixtures yesterday. In the case of City, losing by one goal to Sporting Lisbon may have had more to do with their own internal issues than with the quality of their opposition who were well organised and held back only by the resolute goalkeeper that is Joe Hart. City looked tired and out of sorts, and still appear to have problems adjusting to Europe, which given the speed of their progress is understandable.

United however, were outplayed outclassed and well out…everything by a team from Spain called Athletic Bilbao.  That United have a one-goal deficit had more to do more with Athletic missing a number of chances than how Alex Ferguson’s men played on the night.

Yes, we have seen the emergence of a new Spanish powerhouse, however, the question has to asked as to what is to become of the English clubs – the Europa League was meant to be Europe’s First Division, well try telling that Athletic who taught the once great European side that was Manchester United how to play with speed, skill and sheer talent.

Arsenal heroics the other night against AC Milan in the Champions League may have been celebrated by the fans, however the truth is they were completely outplayed in the first leg and all Milan had to do was sit back and soak up the pressure for the return fixture at the Emirates.

Robin Van Persie’s miss at the end was not a real reflection of the gap between the two sides.

And Chelsea, who have never really looked like winning the Champions League title ever, have it all to do against Napoli if they are to progress into the quarter-final.

It’s going to take more than getting rid of AVB to come back from a 3-1 defeat here.

Years ago, 2004 if my memory serves me right, a  cab driver gave me the low down on the English game. He believed that English football just did not cut it against the Europeans, something you could clearly see reflected by the continued failure of the national side  and that those foreign players that were lured by the money to play here lost their vitality so that they never the same players ever again.

Trouble is he was right then, and what he said then, is also true today.

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AC Milan v Arsenal, Champions League, Ist Leg

16 Thursday Feb 2012

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Arsenal were outplayed, outclassed and were completely out of their depth last night. AC Milan actually struggled to get to this stage – there again who wouldn’t with Barcelona in your group – you would never have guessed it by the way they took apart Arsene Wenger’s men last night – 4-0 was being kind, this was men against boys, and the appearance of their legend Thierry Henry for one last hurrah only hinted that this was Arsenal that was on  the field at the San Siro and that this was one of the best teams in Europe.

Robinho netted two – the first of which came after a stunning volley from Kevin Prince Boeting, and everytime you looked at the coach’s corner, the usually authoritative Arsene Wenger looked more lost than the rest of us.

If rumours that Henry wants to continue prove to be true, then this Arsenal team will need him for Robin Van Persie is currently carrying this side and that can’t last forever.

Those who thought Arsenal had moved on from that 8-2 drubbing from Manchester United, may want to think again.

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