Red Devils Held to a Draw in Final Champions League Group Match

The sixth and final Champions League matches took place today and yesterday, and while that can be a vital fixture in some seasons, today it was not. Indeed, it was what is referred to in sports as a dead rubber match, meaning a match in the season that is of no competitive consequence to a team due to results from earlier matches in the competition. Manchester United knew going in they had already won Group F and would face the runner up from another group in the Round of 16 in February. As such, manager Ralf Rangnick rotated his squad completely, making 11 changes from the side that beat Crystal Palace last weekend. The opponent, Swiss side BSC Young Boys, knew that only a victory could help them continue European play this season. They needed a victory at Old Trafford and Atalanta to lose to Villarreal to capture a Europa League spot.

The match kicked off in very wet and wintery conditions, with a youthful United side on the front foot from the start. They were on the ball and running at the Young Boys’ back line almost immediately, and they were pressing very effectively when off the ball. They were rewarded for their efforts with an early goal as well, via future superstar Mason Greenwood on 9 minutes. The ball was worked up through the left channel, with touches from Nemanja Matic (in central defense, interestingly), midfielder Jesse Lingard, and winger Amad Diallo. Diallo played a ball to Luke Shaw on an overlapping run, and he was in behind the defense by the time he got to the ball. Shaw played a cross at about waist-height into the box, where it was met by Greenwood who hit it first time with an incredibly athletic kick. He hit it with his left foot seemingly around a Young Boys defender, and buried it into the bottom corner. Young Boys keeper Guillaume Faivre had no chance. Greenwood’s technique and instincts are absolutely insane for someone who is only 20 years old. He’s a future world-beater if he keeps developing and growing his game.

United had several good chances in the next 20 minutes or so and probably should have been ahead by more goals but for some excellent saves by Faivre. And unfortunately, it was Young Boys who got the equalizer on 43 minutes. The ball was given away cheaply by United midfielder Donny Van de Beek after a bad pass from Matic, and Young Boys forward Fabian Rieder was the first to pounce on it, beating out Aaron Wan-Bissaka to the ball. He unleashed a wicked curler of a shot from just outside the 18 yard box, and United keeper Dean Henderson had no chance to stop it. It was disappointing to concede after a very good opening 40 minutes or so, but credit to the Swiss side for cashing in on the gift given to them. If you give the ball away that cheaply in the Champions League, you can expect to be punished.

The match was 1-1 at halftime and it continued down the road towards a draw as the second half played out. Young Boys seemed to be galvanized by their goal and were definitely the better side in the second half, despite United forward Anthony Elanga having his shot from close range saved by Faivre after a classic United counter-attack. It could be argued as well that Young Boys could have had a winner when defender Quentin Maceiras missed wide from about 12 yards out. Rangnick also handed out debuts to academy products Zidane Iqbal and Charlie Savage, both of whom made a bit of history in their own right. Iqbal is the first British-Asian to make an appearance for the club, and Savage is the son of former player and current match commentator Robbie Savage. There was a nice moment when the play-by-play commentator let the senior Savage take over to introduce the younger Savage as he came on for United. You could tell it meant a lot to both of them, given how hard it is to become a professional footballer for Manchester United and the level of dedication it takes just to get to the level of coming on as a sub in a dead rubber match for a scant three minutes. The match ended 1-1 and United finished their campaign as group winners on 11 points. Young Boys are eliminated from further European play this season.

There are positives and negatives to be taken from this match, and Rangnick will have been given plenty of food for thought. He will need to work to reduce the number of times United give the ball away cheaply, that much is clear. It’s also clear that Greenwood needs to be given as much match time as possible. He has to compete for a place with Jadon Sancho and Marcus Rashford, but from a team perspective that is a good problem to have. It was also good that so many youth players got a run-out, as it could be argued that Rangnick’s main objective today was to see what he has to work with. Credit to the new manager as well for using so many academy players. United’s footballing philosophy as a club has always been to develop our own talent as much as we can, and we got away from that a few years ago. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer reinstated the policy, and I am happy it is being continued by Rangnick. It must be said that the experiment of Matic as a center back largely did not work, and Wan-Bissaka had a bit of a shocker. It’s hard to see him maintaining his spot in the lineup when fellow right back Diogo Dalot is hitting a good vein of form.

The draw for the Round of 16 will be held tomorrow. The Villarreal/Atalanta match was actually postponed to tomorrow due to excessive snow in Italy, so the final spot will not be decided until then. However, United can potentially draw Atletico Madrid, Paris St. Germain, Inter Milan, Sporting Lisbon, Benfica, or Red Bull Salzburg. I personally would like us to get one of the last three I listed. Atletico and PSG are giants and Inter has a glittering history in Europe. United will have the advantage (against whoever we get) of playing the 2nd leg at Old Trafford due to winning their group.

The Red Devils resume Premier League action next Saturday, away to Norwich City. More of the usual starters should be back playing, and 3 points will be the main item on the agenda. United need to keep building momentum in the domestic campaign so as to continue climbing the table.

Glory glory Man United!

Ronaldo Rescues United – Again

Mancheser United travelled to Bergamo, Italy to play Atalanta BC this afternoon/evening at Gewiss Stadium. Champions League Group F is still hotly contested, with United coming in top of the group on 6 points while Atalanta were level-second with 4. Both sides would have been eyeing a victory beforehand here. United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was desperate for a convincing win to build off the victory over Tottenham at the weekend, while the Italian side probably smelled a little blood in the water. Atalanta manager Gian Piero Gasperini and their collective players knew we’ve been in poor form recently, and if they could manage to beat United in the Champions League it would go down as one of the most famous nights in the club’s history.

The energy and intensity of the local crowd was matched by the Atalanta players from the get-go though, and it was clear that this was going to be a very tough match for the Red Devils. United did a get the first real chance of the match though, via a deflected shot from Scott McTominay that hit the post. Atalanta grew into the game though, and their Colombian striker Duvan Zapata was causing a lot of problems for the back line with his physical style of play. He was able to consistently hold off United’s defenders and keep the ball while his teammates ran forward, and on several occasions he even created chances for himself.

United were undone just 12 minutes in after Atalanta was allowed far too much time on the ball around the edge of the box. Striker Josip Iličić was found by a neat pass along the ground from Zapata, and he struck the ball along the ground towards keeper David De Gea’s goal. De Gea’s vision appeared to be blocked by another Atalanta player in front of him, and the ball squirted underneath him and into the back of the net. It was a very soft goal to concede due to the lack of power on the shot. It must be pointed out that the Atalanta player blocking De Gea’s vision was probably in an offside position, but VAR reviewed it and the goal stood. It’s true the offside player didn’t touch the shot as it went through, but given his role in blocking the keeper’s vision I think he was contributing to the play. In that situation, the flag should have gone up. Still, the Red Devils were in a familiar position this season, down 1-0 early to inferior opposition.

Atalanta could have easily had a second goal on half an hour when Paul Pogba played a dangerous backwards pass in the air towards De Gea, which was seized upon Zapata. The ball fell to him in acres of space inside the United box, but he took a shot just as Ivorian center-back Eric Bailly was arriving on scene. Bailly threw his body into the path of the shot, where it the top of his shoulder and flew over the bar. An heroic block from Bailly that was as valuable as a goal. VAR checked for handball, but no penalty was awarded.

United found an equalizer in first-half stoppage time though, and of course it came from none other than Mr. Champions League himself, Cristiano Ronaldo. United won a throw-in in the attacking third, and it was moved around quickly in midfield before Bruno Fernandes ran into the box in front of his man. He was found by Mason Greenwood via a crisp pass along the ground into his feet. Bruno then played a backheel onto the onrushing Ronaldo, who struck it sweetly into the left side of the net. It was a brilliant bit of team play, and it was a good finish to cap off our best move of the match. Ronaldo simply cannot be stopped in the Champions League. Bruno probably could have a had a shot himself given that he had beaten his marker, but he definitely made the right decision by leaving it behind for his fellow countryman.

At halftime it was 1-1 and although it had been a rough start, I felt that United would capitalize on their sudden momentum into the second half. I was wrong. Despite Bruno having a shot early on blocked, it was the Italian side that took the lead again, and this time Zapata could not be stopped. A ball was played over the top to him, and he found space between Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Bailly to run into. Harry Maguire (also on a shocker) couldn’t get over in time to close him down, and Zapata tapped it past De Gea from close range for 2-1. Initially, the goal was ruled out for offside, but after a very lengthy VAR check the offside call was overturned and Gewiss Stadium erupted into celebration again. This was quite an unprofessional goal to concede. Several United players were just stood there with the arms raised calling for offside, all while Zapata was in on goal. Ok yes the call was questionable, but questionable calls happen all the time! The players have to be switched on enough to go and clear the ball anyway, even if they think it’s offside. Really poor to see from an effort point of view. Play until you hear a whistle – it’s as simple as that.

Edinson Cavani replaced a largely-ineffective Marcus Rashford soon after the 2nd goal, which didn’t really change much. Nemanja Matic came on for Pogba shortly after that, which was probably 20 minutes too late. Pogba needed to be off much sooner, given how poor he played. Atalanta continued having the better of the chances, and I thought United were heading towards defeat in northern Italy. More substitutions were made on 85 minutes, with Jadon Sancho and Donny van de Beek (VDB) coming on as well. And finally, a positive effect was felt. Those two contributed more in 10 minutes of play than Pogba did in 70+. Why they both weren’t on earlier is a mystery to me as both contributed to the late equalizer.

Sancho and VDB combined well down the left side, with VDB eventually getting a cross in along the ground. It was only partly cleared by Atalanta, and the ball fell to Ronaldo on the left side of the edge of the penalty box. He dribbled parallel to the goal for a bit before finding Greenwood, who juggled it a bit in the air haphazardly before getting it back to Ronaldo. Ronaldo hit it on the volley first time low and with power diagonally across the box, and the ball went under Atalanta keeper Juan Musso at the far corner for 2-2 in the 91st minute. Unbelievable. Ronaldo is simply other-worldly. You can keep him quiet for 88 minutes but if you slip up in just two of those minutes, he can hurt you. Both of his goals were well-taken but the finish from outside the box on the 2nd goal was truly stunning. United would be bottom of this Champions League group if not for him.

VDB then almost won it from United from close range at a tight angle just minutes later, but Musso produced a fine save to deny him. The final whistle went and the points were shared. United still lead Group F, but they are level on points with Villarreal at 7 apiece. Atalanta sit 3rd with 5 points. United are still in the driver’s seat to win the group, but the match against Villarreal in a few weeks’ time in Spain is now the pivotal match in the group. Win, and we’re essentially through to the knockouts. Lose, and we stand a very good chance of missing out on the next round and being forced to play in the semi-dreadful Europa League.

Needless to say, no one was convinced by this performance. Yes we got a point away from home in the Champions League, but it was an awful bloody struggle to get it. OGS got his tactics wrong – again – and we had to be rescued by two moments of brilliance at the end of each half. The back three didn’t work today, and who knows how long OGS would have stuck with it if he wasn’t forced into a change by an injury? It’s clear that Gasperini and his staff watched our performance against Tottenham and figured out a way to stop us from hitting them on the counter attack. It was a simple move on paper, really. He just told his back line to play further back towards their goal than Tottenham’s back line did, and we couldn’t get any runners in behind them like we did at the weekend. They also knew – again – when to press us and who to press, and that was usually Maguire. His poor positioning was directly responsible for their second goal. I think he needs a benching for a match or two to get his head right because he is not playing up to his full abilities.

Gasperini needs to be credited for making a tactical switch at halftime as well. He assigned a normally more attack-minded midfielder to instead man-mark Bruno, meaning he was to follow Bruno around whenever Atalanta were off the ball and make it impossible for him to be the playmaker he normally likes to be. For most of the half, it worked. Pogba was having an absolute shocker of a match and with Bruno man-marked, we had no one to create for us in midfield. We couldn’t keep consistent possession, and even when we did manage to gain a foothold, the ball was promptly surrendered again. Again, I cannot a recall a match in which I have seen Pogba play so poorly.

All in all, Atalanta won this match from a tactical perspective. It was domination by them for the majority of the time. They had better chances. However, United were more clinical. We only had maybe 3-4 shots on target the whole match, but we made 2 of them count thanks to the magic of Ronaldo. However, this style of play is unsustainable. You cannot give your opponent the lead twice in a game and expect to get something out of it every time, because you won’t. I am gravely concerned about our defending, in particular the lack of communication along a back line that was so consistent last season. Seeing Raphael Varane go off injured again was a large black mark on the match as well, because he is now probably unavailable for the Manchester Derby on Saturday.

I do think it’s time for OGS and Manchester United to move on from each other. He keeps making the same mistakes over and over again, and there is still no clear style of play. He refuses to bench out-of-form players, and he routinely makes either the wrong substitution or waits too long to make the substitution altogether. I understand we need a defensive midfielder, but rollercoaster form like this is not acceptable given the talent we have. We need a manager with a solid vision for the system he wants to implement and a clear path for how to do it. I appreciate everything OGS has done for this club both as a player and manager, but I do feel that his unwillingness to make changes and inability to make effective changes means that he has taken us as far as he can take us. If the City result is negative, I can see his time being over.

Man of the Match = Eric Bailly. Several key blocks and tackles won in crucial areas, coupled with a magnificent work-rate. Best player on the pitch by a mile wearing red.

United return to Old Trafford on Saturday for the Manchester Derby. I’m not optimistic. Maybe we get a few moments of magic like we did today, but keeping Manchester City from scoring will be a very tall order indeed.

“Lads, it’s Tottenham…”

The above quote was first uttered about 20-25 years ago by former Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson, and it was directed at his squad during a pre-game speech. United legend Roy Keane often tells the story of how the above quote was all Ferguson needed to say to let the players know what he expected them to do against Tottenham Hotspur. Yes they are/were well-organized and have lots of neat and tidy passing, but in the end the Red Devils knew they could go and get a result.

Tottenham hasn’t changed much over the past two decades either, which is why the above quote is so often repeated in online forums and on social media even today. They are a talented side no doubt, but their current tactical system under manager Nuno Espirito Santo leaves a lot to be desired. Players such as Harry Kane and Son Heung-min are not being utilized to their maximum potential, and Spurs appear to be a side unwilling to take major risks with the ball.

Of course, both United and manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer were under massive pressure today to deliver a positive result of their own, coming off the embarrassing home defeat to Liverpool last weekend. If OGS did not win today, he knew he likely would be sacked in the morning. Given this situation, OGS decided to switch up the team and tactics a bit. A tactical shake-up was indeed needed, with the normal 4-2-3-1 being scrapped in favor of the fairly-unused 3-4-3/5-2-3. United were happy to have center-back Raphael Varane back from injury, and he was the main central defender today in the back 3.

As soon as the match kicked off at Tottenham’s shiny new stadium, it was clear United were content to sit back and let Tottenham have the ball. I was immediately apprehensive about this strategy, because it’s the exact reason we lost to Liverpool and Leicester City before that. When we aren’t aggressive on the ball, talented teams have the ability to play it around us and create chances.

In the opening 30 minutes or so the match was very defensive though and it looked like Tottenham were struggling to break us down when in possession. Outside of the occasional set-piece, they were really struggling to create good chances. They had a goal correctly ruled out for offside, and before that Son should have done better from close range after the ball was worked around from a cleared free kick. United hadn’t really looked great going forward either, but the defense appeared to be much-improved from last week. Varane, plus the midfield duo of Fred and Scott McTominay in the 3-4-3, really helped with that.

Fred stung the palms of Tottenham keeper Hugo Lloris from long range on 32 minutes, and at that point you could sense United growing into the game from an attacking perspective. The opener came on 38 minutes via a pass over the top from Bruno Fernandes in midfield, who found the run of Cristiano Ronaldo towards the right hand post of the goal. Ronaldo sublimely hit the ball on a one-touch volley back across Lloris low and with power, and the technique he used to hit it was simply stunning. For any other player its a career highlight, but for Ronaldo its just another amazingly athletic goal on a laundry list of many. Despite things looking a little tentative at times, United had the lead. Great vision and pass from Bruno, and a world-class finish from Ronaldo. United went into halftime 1-0 ahead and feeling much better than they did this time last week.

United continued to grow into the game as the second half got underway, and Ronaldo thought he had his 2nd on the day after a fine run and finish into the top corner. The linesman raised his flag though and the goal was ruled out for offside. It probably was the correct decision, but it was a shame to take such a strong finish off the books. The warning signs were there for Tottenham though – their back line had all kinds of problems tracking our runners in behind them. The movement of Ronaldo and fellow striker Edinson Cavani wreaked havoc on their marking.

And it was Bruno, Ronaldo, and Cavani that all combined for United’s second goal on 63 minutes. Bruno won the ball high up the pitch and played it into the path of Ronaldo. Ronaldo positioned himself like he was going to run at his defender, but instead he cut it back inside and played a smart pass onto a lurking Cavani to his left. Cavani took a touch on the ball to get it around the on-rushing Lloris, and he then chipped it over the Tottenham keeper for 2-0. A great pass and finish, but it was all started by Bruno knowing when to press and effectively doing it. Given Tottenham’s lack of creativity, the match was now very much in United’s hands.

A few minutes later, Marcus Rashford was subbed on for Ronaldo so that he could begin his recovery and prepare for the Champions League match in midweek. United’s defense took over again at that point, and it became clear that Tottenham would not be scoring in this match. Attack after attack was cleared by the United back line, and Tottenham were shooting themselves in the foot a bit with poor finishing and even-poorer decision making. Cavani gave the ball away badly to Kane at one point, but Kane waffled on the ball and was unsure if to pass it or shoot it. The United defense capitalized on his indecision and cleared the ball quickly. It’s obvious that Kane is mentally a bit off right now, because on most days he makes the opposition pay in a situation like that.

United got a 3rd via Rashford next, and it was a fairly similar goal to the second one. United had the ball in midfield and fellow substitute Nemanja Matic played a ball through the Tottenham backline and on to the run of Rashford. The Spurs defenders couldn’t cope with the movement of Ronaldo and Cavani all day, so they had no chance at catching Rashford when he was fresh off the bench. Rashford pushed the ball straight at the left side of the goal before opening up his body and slotting it home past Lloris at the far post. A good pass and finish, but the Tottenham defense was fairly poor. Still, take nothing away from Rashford. Since his return from injury, he has scored 3 goals in 3 matches. After that it was job done and points sealed. United also managed to secure their first clean sheet in quite awhile, so credit to David De Gea for that achievement on what was a fairly lowkey day for him.

The biggest takeaway from today is that for the first time in several matches it looked like United had a cohesive plan and a clear vision of how they wanted to play this game. We sat back and let them have the ball, and when they couldn’t break us down we punished them with a quick counter-attack or by winning the ball off them high up the pitch. Against Liverpool it looked like we had no idea how to press, but against Tottenham we look like the best pressing team in the Premier League. Credit to OGS and his staff for getting the tactics right, while also making the correct substitutions.

It must be said that Tottenham were very poor today. They are certainly not playing to the level they are capable of, and Nuno will now begin to feel his own managerial seat warming up as well. They look like they don’t know how to score goals, and their back line was undone today by two forwards who are 36 and 34 years old respectively. They have some of their own soul-searching to do if they want to have some success this season. The transfer saga of Kane needs to be put to rest, for a start. Is he staying? Is he not? All that conjecture and speculation about a team’s best player can be a huge distraction for other players.

Three goals and a clean sheet in a Premier League match is always worth a celebration, but OGS’s job is still far from secure. The next two matches will likely decide his tenure – away to Atalanta in the Champions League in midweek and then the Manchester Derby next weekend. If we win both of those, I think OGS stays for the season. If we lose them both or put in some otherwise-lackluster performances, I think OGS will be on his way out. The rumor mill this past week has had a ton of managers linked to us, and it seems like Antonio Conte and Brendan Rodgers are the frontrunners. I’d much prefer Conte if that is indeed the scenario, but only time will tell what happens.

United now sit 5th in the Premier League, 8 points behind league leaders Chelsea. Man of the Match today is Bruno, but you could also argue for Ronaldo or Varane. Glory glory Man United!

United Fight Back from Two Goals Down to Win Against Atalanta

Manchester United resumed their Champions League campaign today at Old Trafford against Italian side Atalanta. There was a lot of tension in the red half of Manchester going into this match, given United’s frankly poor run of form in the past few matches. Manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer knew that a loss in this match would leave the Red Devils at the bottom of CL Group F, and moreover it would likely mean that he would not be employed as manager at this club for much longer.

The match was fairly tepid for the first 10 minutes or so, with both sides trying to feel each other out. Worryingly for the Red Devils though it was Atalanta who got the opener via striker Mario Pasalic, and the culprit once again was lackadaisical defending. Atalanta played the ball forward and worked it around a bit, before the ball was played to an onrushing David Zappacosta on the right wing. He had come forward from his right back position and ran towards the end line before playing a cross along the ground into the path of Pasalic, who tapped in from close range. Keeper David De Gea could do nothing about it. United center-back Victor Lindelof did not do enough to prevent that cross from going in, while Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Scott McTominay were to blame for not picking up and marking Pasalic’s run. Chaos at the back led to 1-0 to the Italians.

United were pegged back yet again, but this time from a set piece. Even more worryingly than the first goal, this was probably about as simple of a set piece goal to concede. Midfielder Teun Koopmeiners played a dangerous high cross into the area, and center-back Merih Demiral rose to head in, again from close range with De Gea stranded. It was atrocious marking from Harry Maguire, who conceded a goal from a set piece for the 2nd match in a row. Left back Luke Shaw was also partially at fault, but Maguire has to use his strength to get his body across the runner in that situation. He just sort of flopped himself at the cross and he didn’t do nearly enough to get Demiral’s way. Atalanta were 2-0 up and you couldn’t say they didn’t deserve it. Better chances and better finishing, simple as.

But as bad as all of that was, it oddly did not feel like United were out of it. They were generally playing with more industry, and the chances created were actually fairly dangerous. The finishing in the first half was really bad. Brazilian midfielder Fred had two golden chances to score, and even though he is not known as a finisher, he really should have done better with both his chances. The newly-revitalized Marcus Rashford also saw a shot from close range hit the cross-bar just before half time. Atalanta were consistently unable to deal with our pacey forwards getting in behind their back line, we just couldn’t finish anything. The chorus of boos from the fans at Old Trafford at the halftime whistle was deserved, but again you felt that in terms of attacking play we had the right idea.

The atmosphere of the stadium changed in the second half though. I think the collective wisdom of the 75,000+ in attendance shifted a little as the second half got underway. Of course, no matter how bad your team is playing, you always support them. You can show discontent when warranted, but with 45 minutes left and the amount of talent in this squad, I think the fans realized that this was far from over. And despite the results, OGS is a club legend and no one wants to see him feel. The fans really contributed to this comeback this afternoon, and the importance of their role cannot be understated. The supporters in the Stretford End in particular should take a bow.

The second half could not have been more different than the first. The Red Devils flew out of the gate and were running at Atalanta from the first whistle. They were really struggling to deal with our pressing in midfield and couldn’t maintain possession. United got their first goal via Rashford on 53 minutes, and it was a run in behind the Atalanta defense that undid them. The ball was won high up the pitch and played to Bruno Fernandes, who played a simply exquisite pass around the back of the defenders and into the path of Rashford’s run. The angle was tight, but Rashford found probably the only angle he could score from with their keeper Juan Musso stranded. No celebration from Rashford due to losing still, but Old Trafford erupted. That goal really started it all. You could see the belief in not only the fans, but in the players themselves. Everyone knew there was a chance now.

To really make it clear just how ripe the fruit was for the taking, United were saved for the umpteenth time by the heroics of De Gea. He produced a fine double save from forwards Ruslan Malinovskyi and Duvan Zapata, and you felt that those saves were as good as a goal. United would have been down 3-1 had either shot gone in, and a 3rd goal for Atalanta in the second half would have truly sunk the ship.

And it was United that kept the pressure on, with Atalanta manager Gian Piero Gasperini making substitutes to try and relieve the pressure on their back line. The pressure may have abated a little bit, but United won a corner that eventually led to the equalizer on 75 minutes. The initial ball from the corner was cleared by Atalanta, but United recycled possession in the right channel and Bruno played another cross into the box. The ball was flicked on by substitute Edinson Cavani, and fell directly into the path of Maguire. Maguire had stayed up from the initial corner instead of running back to defend, and that decision paid off. He struck the ball very sweetly with his right foot and it rolled into the corner of the goal to the keeper’s right. A very good finish from a guy who is not known for his finishing with his feet, and he made amends for his earlier error. A fantastic equalizer, and a hell of a time to score your first ever goal in the Champions League.

The winner came on 81 minutes, and of course it came from none other than the talismanic Cristiano Ronaldo. Ronaldo had been kind of quiet this match, but any time he is on the pitch he is a threat to score. He is simply too good in the penalty area to be forgotten about or ignored. Shaw played a sublime curling cross from the left channel into the box, with both Ronaldo and Cavani in position to make a play. Ronaldo took an almighty leap and seemed to hang in the air longer than the laws of physics would allow, and he used every ounce of muscle in his neck and shoulders to get good contact on the ball. He headed it down and away past Musso for what would eventually be the winner. A truly magical moment for this squad, OGS, the fans inside Old Trafford, and fans worldwide. No matter what you do, never, ever, count out Ronaldo.

United then held on for final ten minutes plus stoppage time. Atalanta had a lot of worrisome possession, but could not forge many clear chances. The final whistle blew and United secured yet another famous comeback victory on a magical European night in Manchester. The Red Devils now sit top of CL Group F, 2 points clear of 2nd place with 3 matches left in the group stage. Still anyone’s group, but United would have been bottom with a loss today.

While OGS has undoubtedly relieved some pressure under his seat, there are still many issues that need to be noted here. We were poor in the first half tactically, no two ways about it. Our unconventional 4-2-4 was smothered by Atalanta’s 3-4-3 in midfield. We cannot consistently defend set pieces. We are mentally far too complacent when we expect to win and teams have punished us for it. But credit must be given to OGS for fixing a broken situation. Whatever he said in that locker room at halftime, it clearly worked. Bringing on Cavani and Paul Pogba was also the correct move, as it allowed us to be more attacking and better in possession. I think the subs were secondary though to how the team’s pressing improved in the second half. When we are alert and effectively pressing the opposition, there aren’t many teams who can play around it. OGS and his staff deserve credit for driving that point home. But if there are to be more struggles this season, you can bet that mental complacency will be at the heart of it.

It is true that United may have lost against better opposition today, but you can only play the team put in front of you, and Atalanta provided an almighty test of the collective will and resolve of the club today. A much sterner test awaits on Sunday when hated rivals Liverpool come to Old Trafford for a Premier League showdown. United will have to defend with their lives and also be much more clinical in front of goal than they were today. We have the talent to beat any side in the world right now, but our team mentality and tactics must be correctly aligned or it will be a long afternoon indeed.

Glory Glory Man United!

A Dismal Defeat at Leicester

The Premier League resumed play after the most recent international break today with Manchester United travelling to the King Power Stadium for a match with Leicester City. United had been in stuttering form going into the break, and manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer knew that the seat under him would reach a boiling point if United failed to do anything but win. The Foxes have had their own stuttering start to the season, but they always seem to play United tough and they certainly are not scared of us. United were without center back Raphael Varane (injury), midfielder Fred (rest), and striker Edinson Cavani (rest).

United struck firs from a stunning goal by Mason Greenwood, but Leicester soon equalized via Youri Tielemans after a calamitous error from center-back Harry Maguire at the back. At halftime it was still 1-1, despite Leicester probably being the better side. United were not creating a lot of good scoring chances, and I feared that we would concede again at some point in the second. Despite being level at 1-1, it was the same United we have seen for the past few weeks: lots of possession, but no consistent goal-scoring threat compounded by shaky defending.

Despite United being more dominant in the second half, Leicester fought back resiliently and went ahead via center-back Çağlar Söyüncü, who tapped in a loose ball past David De Gea. Leicester probably could have been ahead before that though, but De Gea was in good form today and prevented at least two shots from going in before that one did. United were at 6s and 7s in defense though and Söyüncü took advantage.

United did fight back however and made it 2-2 on 82 minutes after substitute Marcus Rashford got his first United goal of the season, having recently returned from shoulder surgery and a bit of rest. I thought we had at least rescued a point at that time, but shockingly Leicester were ahead again 3-2 directly from the restart. Leicester striker Jamie Vardy poked home a cross from the left side just seconds after United had scored, and again the back four was nowhere to be found. United looked deflated after that. You could see the heads drop and the disappointment setting in. Leicester got their fourth in injury time via forward Patson Daka, and the match was well and truly over.

So who is to blame for such a dismal performance? It’s always hard to allocate blame for a loss given the team nature of football, but that’s not to say it’s impossible. Maguire easily had his worst performance in a United shirt. Paul Pogba was ineffective in midfield. Nemanja Matic looked slow and tentative. Bruno Fernandes had cameos of good play but was largely anonymous. Greenwood, Rashford, and De Gea played well, but just about everyone else played very poorly. I’m not sure Maguire was 100% match fit, but OGS played him anyway. He admitted afterwards it was a questionable decision to start Maguire, and clearly it was not the right decision. That was just one of the problems today, though.

The team mentality is wrong. The tactics, particularly in midfield, are wrong. It’s true we are short a solid defensive midfielder, but the problems run deeper than that. We are not playing with confidence. We are not playing with arrogance. We are a team that is capable of producing good moments of play, but we do not consistently pressure the opposition and we seem to lack a distinct style of play. We do not know what to do with the ball when we have it, and there is no urgency to win it back when we don’t have it. We also seem to be inflexible tactically, in the sense that we cannot deviate from whatever plan is put in place at the start of a match. Once the opposition figures us out, it’s fairly simple for them to grind out a draw or even a win like what happened today.

So what do we do in midfield to fix it? Well, there’s no easy answer there. It’s clear that Matic cannot be used consistently anymore due to his physical deterioration, but the more-athletic duo of Fred and Scott McTominay do not create enough going forward when they play together in the center. Pogba probably needs to feature in most of our midfield set-ups due to his passing talent, but if there is no one making runs forward in front of him he tends to play the ball sideways and backwards too much. Other teams have also figured out that man-marking Bruno is a good way to keep him from getting on the ball and creating. You could move Bruno to the wing so as to allow for a three man midfield of Pogba/McT/Fred and to give him more space to create, but then you sacrifice Greenwood, Jadon Sancho, or Rashford as a starter when all 3 of them would expect to be starting each match. It’s a real pickle in terms of tactics and man-management. United have all the weapons in the world, but we simply cannot figure out how to get them all firing at once.

All of these issues fall squarely on the head of OGS. He has to figure this out. He has to do something – anything – different to fix this. United fans were clamoring for the Board of Directors to support OGS and give him what he needs to help us win, but now that they’ve (largely) done that he has to deliver. In the last few matches however, he simply hasn’t. It’s far too simple right now for the opposition to figure us out and slow us down. We have the talent to win games with moments of brilliance, but those moments simply aren’t enough over the span of a 38 match season. If OGS does not figure this out and the poor results continue, I will be surprised if he makes it to November as manager. I love what he’s done for this club as a player and the club is undoubtedly better off than it was when he first got here as manager, but I fear he has taken us as far as he can. My personal affinity for the man prevents me from calling for his sacking, but many others both on TV and online have no such qualms.

OGS has another chance to right the ship at midweek, as United return to Old Trafford to take on Italian side Atalanta in the Champions League. Anything less than a win could very well lead to OGS’s sacking, as much as it pains me to say it.

Ronaldo to the Rescue

Manchester United took on Villarreal in the Champions League this evening at Old Trafford for Matchday 2 of the Champions League group stage. The Red Devils have been in positively dismal form recently, and manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was under significant pressure to deliver a result today. The loss against West Ham in the League Cup was somewhat understandable, but the loss in the Premier League at the weekend to Aston Villa was inexcusable. There is simply too much talent in this team to be losing 1-0 to effing Villa at Old Trafford. OGS’s tactics have been scrutinized heavily, and not unfairly. Going into this match we looked shaky in defense and clueless in attack. There also didn’t seem to be an established “style” of play in this team recently, as they often don’t appear to be on the same page. Whatever OGS was doing, it was not working. If he didn’t deliver today, the seat under him would begin to warm-up. To make matters worse, OGS was without three first-choice defenders, including left back Luke Shaw (injury), centerback Harry Maguire (injury), and right back Aaron Wan-Bissaka (suspension). Villarreal aren’t pushovers either. This is the team that knocked United out of the Europa League final on penalties in the final last summer. Manager Unai Emery seems to be especially gifted at setting up his team in a way that frustrates more-talented opposition.

And for the first 45 minutes, United looked second best. The Spanish side forged chance after chance, but due to poor finishing and heroics from United keeper David De Gea, they were prevented from going ahead. De Gea made a particularly impressive save in the 10th minute that would have changed the complexion of the match completely off a shot towards his far post from the left side. United were able to fashion the occasional half-chance, but Villarreal always seemed to have a man in the right place at the right time. They were also able to play around the United press with ease. Second-choice right back Diogo Dalot was having a noticeably tough time corralling Arnaut Danjuma, with the Dutch winger helping create chance after chance. I questioned not only the managerial tactics, but also the commitment of the players to go forward and attack.

Despite another fine save from De Gea on winger Yeremi Pino in the closing stages of the first half, Villarreal got their – deserved – breakthrough on 53 minutes through striker Paco Alcacer. Given how things had been going, it was almost to be expected. Villarreal played the ball through midfield with ease on a counter-attack as they had been doing all match. The ball was eventually played through to Danjuma on the left wing, after which he cut diagonally towards goal and played a low cross to Alcacer. Alcacer slid to reach the ball and got the faintest of touches on it and the ball went through the legs of De Gea from close range. De Gea cannot be faulted for the goal though, it was on the team as a whole. The United midfielders were completely out of position when the ball was worked through the middle, and Dalot got skinned for pace by Danjuma for the 3rd or 4th time. Victor Lindelof was also partially at fault for playing Danjuma onside in the build-up. Again, you felt the goal was coming. I almost turned the match off then and there. I’m glad I didn’t of course, but that goal was frustrating because we were being completely outplayed on our own pitch by a team with nowhere near the level of quality we have.

Villarreal made a defensive substitution after that, which indicated that they were now fairly happy to sit back with 10 men behind the ball and defend their 1-0 lead. And why not? United hadn’t tested their keeper much so it seemed like a good strategy for them. United got their equalizer just 7 minutes later though, from Brazilian left back Alex Telles. He opened his United goal-scoring account as a result of a well-worked set piece. A foul was given in favor of United in the right channel, just outside the penalty area. Bruno Fernandes had a word with Telles near the ball before sending him away to the edge of the 18 yard box off to the keeper’s left. Bruno then played a high and looping ball in the direction of Telles, who struck the ball very sweetly on the volley with his left foot from that same position. The ball flew diagonally towards the far post and into the net with keeper Geronimo Rulli beaten. It was a fantastic goal and it’s good for United to be scoring from set pieces again. That being said, the odds of pulling that off are usually very slim. It requires the ball to be struck almost perfectly twice by two different players, with none of the defensive players getting in the way to block it. This one was weird though – the Villarreal players parted like the Red Sea in front of Telles and he hit it superbly well. Telles hadn’t been doing well defensively, so the goal was good for his confidence. At 1-1 it was game on, and Old Trafford was raucous once again.

The game slowed down quite a bit however after that, as for the next half an hour or so both sides labored to consistently string together passes. The referee also suddenly remembered that he had a whistle and set of cards, and he began to use them frequently. Villarreal were committing a lot of professional fouls on United, as it seemed they were beginning to tire and couldn’t cope with United’s energy. Emery had made several changes though, so perhaps the instructions were to sit back and not be as aggressive in midfield. I think Villarreal were content with the result at that point to be honest, and that complacency ultimately was their downfall.

United’s tactics and personnel had changed as well. After the equalizer we were pressing Villarreal a lot more in front of their goal, and they couldn’t seem to figure out how to get around it and get the ball out of their own half. Substitutions made by OGS were key to winning this game as well. Edinson Cavani, Fred, Nemanja Matic, and Jesse Lingard were all brought on as the half progressed so that United could play at a higher tempo. But as the game ticked towards full time, you felt a draw was in the cards and United would be frustrated again. Scarily, Villarreal almost had a winner themselves on 86 minutes after a mad scramble in the box that United eventually managed to clear behind. Credit to De Gea once again for getting himself in the way just enough to make sure the ball didn’t go in. Lingard forced a save out of Rulli on 92 minutes, and that appeared to be just about it for United.

But cometh the hour, cometh the man. On what was virtually the last United attack on goal in the 95th minute, Cristiano Ronaldo somehow found a way to write his name in the headlines once again. Cavani, playing with an industrious work rate, won the ball back high up the pitch and played it to emergency left back Fred. Fred is a midfielder normally but was playing there because Telles was injured. He crossed the ball into the box with one touch towards Ronaldo in the box. Ronaldo headed the ball down into the path of the onrushing Lingard, who took a touch and played it back to Ronaldo on the outside. Rulli had rushed out to try and get Lingard off the ball, but he didn’t get there and then was too slow in getting back. Ronaldo struck the ball towards the far corner of the goal from the right side, and Rulli could only get a weak left hand to it. The ball bounced down off his hand and over the line for 2-1. Myself, Old Trafford, and even the commentators all erupted in celebration. How many times has he done this to an opposing team? This is why OGS left him on, despite a fatigued and fairly ineffective performance up until that point. He is the all-time leader in goals scored in the Champions League for a reason. If you give him the opportunity, he is likely to punish you. His instincts as a goal-scorer and his ability to know where to be and when are second to none. Five goals in five games for Ronaldo, none more important than this one. A winner in the Champions League during Fergie time in front of Sir Alex Ferguson himself (and Usain Bolt, interestingly) is always going to be special.

Everyone should celebrate the three points and late winner, and I hope it galvanizes the team going forward. Our self-belief and confidence should be sky high now. But, tomorrow morning there needs to be an inquest into the first half tactics deployed by OGS. I understand we were down three of our best defenders, but the formation and tactical set-up were all wrong for most of the game, particularly in midfield. Credit where credit is due for the substitutions though. He saw that we needed changes due to the game going from 0-0 to 1-1 in a very short of amount of time. It should be pointed out that subs Cavani, Fred, and Lingard were all involved in the build-up to Ronaldo’s winner. Matic put in a good shift as well, proving that he is still quality as long as he doesn’t have to play any longer than an hour. He has a very calming presence when on the pitch and that was on full display as the second half wore on. Man of the Match has to go to keeper David De Gea though, for the umpteenth time in his United career. Without his saves in the first half we probably don’t come back to win this match. He’s big! He’s brave! He’s Spanish Dave!

United now sit 3rd in Group F, level on points but (3) but behind on a tiebreaker. Both clubs are only 1 point behind group leaders Atalanta with four matches still left to be played. United resume Premier League action on Saturday when they host Everton at Old Trafford, early in the morning America-time. They will want to get back on the winning side of things after the horrendous performance last weekend.

Glory Glory Man United!

Champions League Recap So Far + Barcelona Preview

If there has been a theme to the opening two matches of the UEFA Champions League quarterfinals, it is the theme of late drama. Both the Atalanta/Paris St. Germain match and the Red Bull Leipzig/Atletico Madrid match had goals after the 87th minute that changed the result. Both were great games for the neutral!

Paris St. Germain 2-1 Atalanta

Atalanta came into the match as underdogs to PSG, but as a result there was little to no pressure on them in this match and ALL of the pressure was on PSG. PSG are owned by the royal family of Qatar, and they have spent quite a lot of money on the squad in order to ensure European glory. PSG usually win the French league handily, but had not progressed so the semifinals of the CL since the 1990s. Manager Thomas Tuchel knew his job was potentially on the line if PSG did not advance.

Brazilian superstar forward Neymar had the first chance of the match and really should have scored on his breakaway run at the Atalanta defense. Neymar was in absolutely scintillating form throughout, but had a lot of problems finding the back of the net. It was Atalanta that broke the deadlock about half an hour in when Croatian midfielder Mario Palasic struck a curling effort into the top corner of Keylor Navas’s net. It was a surprise to be sure, given that PSG had squandered some good chances. Atalanta showed that while they may not have the all-world talent of PSG, they are solid tactically and know how to execute their game plan.

They held on despite wave after wave of PSG attacks, and my one criticism of Atalanta in the second half is that they did not attempt to play their passing game as much as they did in the first half. That was ultimately to their detriment. Once PSG brought on yet another superstar in French forward Kylian Mbappé the game seemed to change. Atalanta’s fatigue started to show and unfortunately conceded an equalizer via Brazilian midfielder Marquinhos. The massive relief of tension emanating from the PSG bench was palpable. They knew they had likely forced extra time, at the least.

PSG weren’t done though, and the Italian side’s hearts were broken in two when French winger Eric Choupa-Mouting tapped in from Mbappé’s cross. It was a very well-worked around the Atalanta penalty area and they couldn’t keep the ball out. The Parisian club was in ecstasy as the final whistle blew, especially their talismanic forward Neymar. PSG paid a world-record £200 million for Neymar and were expecting him to deliver today, and he really did. 16 dribbles completed for him was a CL record.

Red Bull Leipzig 2-1 Atletico Madrid

This match earlier today was somewhat more tepid in parts but still carried plenty of drama. Upstart German side Red Bull Leipzig took on CL veterans Atletico Madrid, and I expected a more defensive affair than the PSG match. Atletico manager Diego Simeone plays a very defensive style of football, and while it’s not the most fun to watch it has proven to be very effective in European tournaments. Meanwhile, Leipzig were trying to become the first non-Bayern and non-Dortmund German club to make the semifinals of the CL in a decade.

The first 45 minutes ended 0-0 with both sides having some good chances, but there was a slight edge to Atletico in my opinion. They had slightly more attacking intent when on the ball, with Leipzig stifled by the defense. Not a classic 45 minutes by any stretch.

The second half was a lot better though in terms of entertainment, with Spanish defender Dani Olmo giving the game a much needed shot of life when he headed Leipzig in front. This seemed to shake Atletico a little bit and Simeone was required to bring on Portuguese wunderkind Joao Felix for some more attacking intent. That move paid off when Felix was fouled in the box and won his side a penalty. Felix stepped up and calmly slotted home the penalty, leveling the match at 1-1.

The match wore on without much creativity from either side, until the ball broke for Leipzig in midfield and they got the ball moved up the pitch quickly. A cross from the left side found American midfielder Tyler Adams in open space on the edge of the box, and he unleashed a shot the deflected off an Atletico defender and into the back of the net with Polish keeper Jan Oblak wrong-footed. That goal in the 88th minute gave Leipzig a strong chance of advancing, and after quite a lot of stoppage time that involved a sideline scuffle among the opposing players, the whistle finally went and Leipzig pulled off the upset.

Well done to Adams especially, who probably scored the biggest goal an American has ever scored in the CL. Right place, right time, and a little bit of luck.

Leipzig will play PSG in the semifinals of the CL.

Barcelona vs. Bayern Munich (Preview)

Seasoned readers of this blog know that I like to bring in guest writers from time to time. Here is another great contribution from our resident Barcelona expert: Jose!

“Quick recap after a very dominating game against Napoli from my lord and savior, Leo Messi. Barcelona were able to dominate against the heavily Italian style defense of Napoli. Although that is in the past now, I saw one glimmer of hope: the rotation of subs to start 11 players. My hope is the Barcelona coach finally is getting into groove with the Catalan football style. Now to the future fixture of the dominant Germans, Bayern Munich, how do we defeat them? The simple answer is I HAVE NO IDEA. Munich is stacked with players and with Lewandowski on a very hot season it’s almost impossible to breakdown. The only hope I have is for an early mistake by Munich’s defense and the front 3 of Suarez, Messi and Griezmann capitalize and hopefully have the Bayern defense push up higher which would lead to more counter attacks. Barcelona CAN NOT make any mistakes against the German league-winning side. Bayern is known as the power house of champions league this year and quiet honestly could be champions with the form that they are playing. An interesting fact you note is that Barcelona are a much better team when they are the David to Bayern’s Goliath. Overall I believe that eveyone will need to press and defend together but most importantly to keep a cool head throughout the game. With that being said this would be my starting 11 which I believe would dominate and pressure Bayern’s midfield in a 4-2-3-1:

Ter Stergen

Jordi-Lenglet-Pique-Semedo

De Jong-Vidal-Ansu F.

Messi-Griz-Suarez

Although this is more defensive lineup I believe with our best 4 strikers in form right now attacking early we will have a much better chance at attacking the Bayern Munich young defense. But I most likely see a classic 4-3-3:

Ter Stergen

Jordi-Lenglet-Pique-Semedo

Rakitic-De Jong-Vidal

Griz-Suarez-Messi

This is our classic 4-3-3 I believe that this game will be a mostly possession game and the game will end in a 2-1 or 3-2 match. The game will come down to who can capitalize on more mistakes earlier in the game rather later.

And on a final note “Que donde esta 07 07 donde estasss” Madrid fans you can thank Varane for starting your summer a little early this year!”

Jose’s analysis is spot-on. Bayern are probably favorites but you would be very unwise to count out Leo Messi. Barca vs. Bayern is the tie of the quarterfinals, and if you want to watch an exhibition of great football then I suggest throwing the game on at noon PT / 3 ET America time.

Champions League: Round of 16 Review

When play was suspended back in March, only half of the fixtures for the quarterfinals of the UEFA Champions League had been decided. It was already decided that Red Bull Leipzig (GER) will be playing Atletico Madrid (SPA) and Atalanta (ITA) will be playing Paris St. Germain (FRA). Only the first leg in the top half of the bracket had been played though, which meant that the fixtures between Manchester City vs. Real Madrid, Lyon vs. Juventus, Chelsea vs. Bayern Munich, and Napoli vs. Barcelona still needed to be played. All quarterfinal matches will be played in one-off playoffs in Lisbon, Portugal in order to minimize travel and risk of COVID exposure for players, coaches, and staff. The sprint to the European Cup is on!

Manchester City (ENG) vs. Real Madrid (SPA) (Man City lead 2-1 on aggregate from first leg)

This was one of the more intriguing match-ups of the round for a variety of reasons. Both teams are capable of scoring goals almost at-will. City manager Pep Guardiola is Catalan through and through, and therefore dislikes Madrid with a passion. Meanwhile, Real have just come off yet another title-winning season in La Liga under the legendary Zinedine Zidane. The tie was finely poised at 2-1 as well, with City knowing that a draw or victory would mean they would move on. Guardiola was under a fair amount of pressure to deliver for City in this match, as he has been somewhat under-performing in Europe the past few seasons for both City and his former club Bayern Munich.

The match was electrifying from almost the get go, and it was surprisingly City who took the lead via England forward Raheem Sterling after mistakes at the back by the Madrid defense. That would be a theme of the night for Real, unfortunately. Karim Benzema did get an equalizer later on in the first half for the Madridistas, but they were ultimately undone at the back again by City forward Gabriel Jesus. Along with an inability to play the ball out from the back, Madrid forward Eden Hazard looked completely off the pace and possibly even unfit for play. Zidane also made some uncharacteristic errors with his substitutions, and City deservedly advanced 4-2 on aggregate.

Lyon (FRA) vs. Juventus (ITA) (Lyon lead 1-0 on aggregate)

I unfortunately did not get to watch this match due to watching Man City, but based on the highlights I saw I have to commend Lyon for standing up to the superstars of Juventus and doing enough to hold them off. It is difficult to prevent Juventus from scoring in any situation, and especially so at their home in Turin, Italy. Juventus have also just won their ninth consecutive title in Serie A, also known as the Scudetto.

Portugal forward and all-world player Cristiano Ronaldo scored twice in the match for Juventus, once from the penalty spot and the other an absolute screamer from about 26 yards out. Those two goals were not enough though. Dutch forward Memphis Depay converted from the penalty spot for Lyon in between those two goals, giving Lyon an absolutely crucial away goal. For those who don’t remember, the “away goals rule” is the tie breaker in case the score is level on aggregate after two games. Away goals are deemed to be more valuable under this rule, so the team that scores the most away goals is given the tie breaker.

Lyon won 1-0 in France back in March, so even though they lost 2-1 to Juventus they still advance 2-2 on aggregate because they scored in Italy and Juventus failed to score in France. This was a pretty big upset given that Juventus are absolutely loaded with talent throughout the team. Lyon have good players too of course, but most people had Juventus advancing as far as the final. To show you the level of calamity this is for Juve, less than 24 hours after their unceremonious exit from the tournament they sacked manager Maurizzio Sarri and have replaced him with former player and Italian legend Andrea Pirlo. All credit to Lyon though, they defended well in both legs and scored just enough to sneak by. Well done. Good defending can take a team quite far in a tournament such as this one.

Lyon will play Manchester City in Lisbon on August 15th in the quarterfinals.

Chelsea (ENG) vs. Bayern Munich (GER) (Bayern lead 3-0 on aggregate)

As indicated by the scoreline, this fixture was already feeling a little lopsided. Chelsea are good, don’t get me wrong, but Bayern are another level this season. They have the best player of this current season in Robert Lewandowski, accompanied by a team of world-beaters at almost every position. When I say Bayern are stacked, I mean they are STACKED. They edged out Borussia Dortmund to win the Bundesliga for the umpteenth time, and they look poised to make a deep run in this tournament.

Chelsea just couldn’t keep up with them today in Germany, and it wasn’t really fair to expect them to. You could argue this tie was over before a ball was even kicked, but the fact that Bayern won 4-1 today tells you just what kind of mood they are in. They could have kicked it back and forth among themselves and settled for a boring 0-0 draw, but they really went for it and Chelsea were put to sword. Lewandowksi was in sensational form again and was involved in all four goals for Bayern. If he is not scoring, he’s creating for others. Chelsea’s suspect defense let them down again today, but I think most Chelsea players and manager Frank Lampard will be happy with how this season has went for the most part. They were without budding American superstar Christian Pulisic today, and he was needed for Chelsea to have any chance at overturning the deficit. Bayern advance 7-1 on aggregate.

Ze Germans are now probably favorites to go and win this whole thing.

Barcelona (SPA) vs. Napoli (ITA) (tie level 1-1 on aggregate)

Saved the most entertaining game today for last. This tie was an intriguing one as there was potential for an upset here as well. Barcelona did have the advantage on away goals after the first leg in Naples, Italy but Napoli knew on the return leg in northern Spain that if they scored they could really put pressure on the Catalan giants and possibly sneak a victory like Lyon did the day before.

The match was played under absolutely sweltering conditions, and maybe that had something to do with why Barca were almost caught napping 90 seconds into the match when Belgian winger Dries Mertens struck the post for Napoli. Barca settled down a little bit after that shot across the bow and took the lead via French center back Clement Lenglet, who headed in from a corner. Barca took a 2-1 lead on aggregate, which interestingly only slightly added to their advantage. Had Napoli scored they would have been level both on the night and on aggregate thanks again to the away goals rule.

Barca knew they needed another one, and it was the man they so often turn to who went and got it for them: Lionel Messi. Not even going to bother describing this one. You have to see it to believe it (featuring some excellent commentary from Peter Drury).

He is a wizard. A genius. The best of all time. You can throw superlative after superlative at him and you still won’t be able to fully describe just how good this man is. Not only is he capable of doing this sort of thing, he does it routinely. It is true that he is getting older and on the tail end of his prime, but clearly he is still capable of going into God Mode and obliterating defenders’ hopes and dreams. You can know exactly what he’s going to do, but it won’t matter because sometimes he is unstoppable.

Barca thought they had a third seven minutes later when Messi converted from close range again after a cross into the box by Dutch midfielder Frankie de Jong, but after VAR took a look it was determined that Messi handled the ball when the cross arrived. It was 50/50 for me, but VAR overturned the goal. It didn’t really matter though, as just before halftime Barca were awarded a penalty by VAR, which Uruguayan striker and Donkey Face Luis Suarez converted with ease. At 3-0 on the night and 4-1 on aggregate you felt this tie was done and dusted.

There was a minor hiccup for Barca though when Napoli were awarded a penalty late in stoppage time of the first half, which was dispatched effectively by Italian striker Lorenzo Insigne. Barca still had a big lead, but if you were Napoli you felt slightly better being down only 2 goals on aggregate instead of 3.

The second half was a much more tepid affair though, and no further goals were scored. Barca simply kept possession and choked Napoli out like a boa constrictor. The tie ended 4-2 on aggregate and Barcelona advanced.

Hoping to have my colleague Jose do a write up previewing Barca’s next match. They play Bayern Munich in Lisbon on August 14th. Should be an excellent match up!

Other QFs

Atalanta takes on PSG in Lisbon on August 12.

Atletico Madrid plays Red Bull Leipzig on August 13.