Champions League: A Chaotic Draw in Türkiye

Manchester United traveled to Türkiye last Wednesday for the penultimate match in their Champions League group stage campaign for a match against Galatasaray at Rams Park in Istanbul. It was a positively terrifying atmosphere, with the home support in full throat before, during, and after the match. Foreign clubs can and often do struggle in such a hostile atmosphere, which makes Turkish clubs very difficult to beat when they are at home. United needed 3 points to resuscitate a fairly dead European campaign, while Galatasaray also needed a victory to cement their claim on second place in the group.

The Red Devils got off to a flying start, getting two goals in the opening 20 minutes. Winger Alejandro Garnacho carried on his good form from the weekend and got the first with a high finish from close range, followed by midfielder Bruno Fernandes seven minutes later. Bruno picked up the ball on the left wing outside the box, then took a touch or two before unleashing a screamer of a shot from 20 yards out that Galatasaray keeper Fernando Muslera could do nothing about. The raucous crowd in Istanbul, while still loud, was the quietest it had been all evening.

The Cimbom were undeterred though. Bruno needlessly gave away a free kick in a dangerous area around the 28 minute mark, and United were punished for that recklessness by winger/forward Hakim Ziyech. He hit a low free-kick along the ground that went under the United wall and wrong-footed keeper Andre Onana. Well struck by Ziyech, but Onana likely should have done better to get down and make the save. It was 2-1 at the end of the first 45 minutes though, and United had done well to not concede another before halftime.

Midfielder Scott McTominay got a third goal for United on 55 minutes, and it was the result of well-executed build up from the back by United. After playing the ball through the middle of the pitch, winger Antony dos Santos found right back Aaron Wan-Bissaka on an overlapping run to his right. AWB delivered a beautiful cross into the box that fell right at the feet of the sliding McTominay. He turned the ball in from close range, and restored United’s two goal cushion. 3-1!

Again though, Galatasaray proved they have a great resilience about them. They won another free kick in a dangerous area just 7 minutes after the McTominay goal, similar to the position they had at the opposite end in the first half. Ziyech stepped up to take the free kick again, and he forced Onana to dive to his right to try and make the save. Unfortunately for Onana, the ball somehow ricocheted off his hand backwards and into the net. Ziyech wheeled away in celebration as Rams Park erupted, but this goal was down to Onana completely misjudging the shot and failing to keep it out. It was a pretty bad howler from him, and it continued United’s unfortunate trend of goalkeeping errors leading to opposition goals in the Champions League. More on Onana below.

The home side were galvanized by the mistake, and suddenly started playing with a lot more confidence. They got their equalizer on 71 minutes when winger Kerem Aktürkoğlu buried a fine shot past Onana from just inside the penalty area. He was found by an excellent pass over the top from Ziyech, with the United defense undone. United were guilty of poor marking on this goal, and they perhaps could have done more to stop the build-up from the back. But take nothing away from Ziyech and Aktürkoğlu. It was a goal of quality, and probably deserved from a neutral point of view.

The match ended 3-3, although many in Istanbul would have felt that Galatasaray were the better side and likely should have had a 4th if not for VAR overturning a penalty against United. The home side were particularly better in the second half. I hate to pin this result on one man because football is team sport, but Onana really let the side down in this match. There’s no getting around it. The first goal likely should have been saved, and the second one definitely should have been saved. The defense has really cost us in this group stage campaign. We have conceded 14 goals in these 5 matches, several of which were the fault of Onana. You can’t reasonably pin all the blame on him, but this was a guy that was touted for his ability to play in the Champions League. He was very good for Inter Milan in this tournament last year, helping them to reach the final. But for whatever reason this year, he has not done well. The defense doesn’t help him sometimes, but other times it’s very unclear what Onana is doing between the sticks. That said, he has been very good domestically this season. He is one of the better keepers in the Premier League, but for some reason his play drops significantly in Europe. Despite the bad match today, I still believe in Onana for a variety of reasons and I am sure he will improve.

The draw leaves United’s hopes for qualification to the knockout stages hanging by the proverbial thread. They are rock bottom of Group A on 4 points. They not only need to defeat Bayern Munich at Old Trafford in the final game, they then have to hope for a draw between FC Copenhagen and Galatasaray. Any other result in that match will see the Danish or Turkish side qualify in lieu of United. If United finish third in the group they would qualify for the Europa League, but I personally do not want us to have to participate in that tournament this year. The last thing we need would be more fixtures in far away countries that would most likely end up being meaningless. We need to either crash out completely in 4th, or hope that fortune favors us and we finish 2nd. The Premier League and FA Cup are way more important to me personally this year than the Europa League. My prediction for that final match day? United beats Bayern, but it ultimately doesn’t matter because Galatasaray is going to beat Copenhagen and clinch 2nd place. United will end up in the Europa League thanks to finishing 3rd, much to my would-be chagrin.

Taken as a one-off, this wasn’t a bad result. 3-3 in Istanbul is usually nothing to be ashamed of. But what bothers me the most about this match is that United blew a 2 goal lead twice! They were up 2-0 and then again at 3-1, and at this level of professional football that should be a victory. The good quality goal for Galatasaray to make it 3-3 never should have been anything more than a consolation goal. This team clearly still has issues with mental toughness and resiliency. There have been several occasions both in Europe and domestically where United have blown leads this season, and manager Erik ten Hag needs to sort that out immediately. To be fair, United have seen out their fair share of close victories this season as well, but they seem to crumble when resiliency is needed the most. This current iteration/generation of United players need to learn how to consistently win games, and that will only come with more time and practice at it. They do seem to be getting better about managing leads, but this match was a stark reminder that there is still a ways to go.

United face another difficult test in their next match, a trip to St. James’ Park to play Newcastle on December 2nd in the Prem. This will be a tough match, but also a great opportunity for United to build on their away win at Everton last weekend.

Glazers Out!

History Beckons for Christian Pulisic in the Champions League Final

Europe’s Super Bowl kicks off at noon Pacific time tomorrow, May 29. For only the third time in the history of the competition, two English sides will play each other for the chance to be crowned champions of Europe. The UEFA Champions League final is a game that every footballer dreams of playing in as a kid, and is dwarfed in importance only by (probably) the World Cup final that happens every four years. The players of Manchester City and Chelsea will want to add their names to the annals of football history tomorrow in Porto, Portugal.

There are tons of storylines to analyze here just like with any massive matchup between two massive clubs, but all you really need to know is that City are vying for their first European Cup and Chelsea are trying to win their second one. The clubs finished 1st and 4th in the Premier League respectively, and most pundits are probably giving the edge to City given their excellent strength in depth. Manager Pep Guardiola has been trying to win another European Cup for the better part of a decade, having last won it with Barcelona in 2011. Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel was in the final last year with Paris St. Germain, but lost to German side Bayern Munich.

However, my readers are overwhelmingly American, so I’d like to focus on a more American storyline. For the first time ever, there is an American playing for each side in a CL final, and one of them has a very good chance of becoming the first American to ever score in a Champions League final. City have backup goalkeeper Zack Steffen, while Chelsea have attacking midfielder and wunderkind Christian Pulisic. Steffen likely will not get on the pitch barring an injury to starting City keeper Ederson, but Pulisic has a very legitimate chance of not only playing but also starting and scoring. He reaches milestones for Americans in European football every time he steps on the pitch, but it would be truly remarkable if he became the first American to score in a CL final. As I have written before, Pulisic is the most naturally-talented American player I have ever seen. There have been good American players before in England such as Tim Howard, Clint Dempsey, and of course Landon Donovan; but all of them pale in comparison to Pulisic. He is fast, has a ton of lateral quickness, and is a nightmare to deal with when dribbling. His passing and decision making are sometimes suspect, but there are few players better on the ball in the open field. He runs circles around guys until there’s an opening for a shot, and he’s usually on-target.

Of course it is entirely possible that neither of them gets on the pitch, given that Steffen is a backup and Pulisic has competition for his place in the starting XI from England midfielder Mason Mount, but having Americans even just on the bench is huge for the US Men’s National Team. The CL final is the pinnacle of club footballing competition on this planet, both in terms of physical talent and the tactical nous required to be successful. In any sport you want your players playing at the highest possible level, and having not only one but two Americans in this match is vital for their development and experience. If Pulisic can play well in a CL final, then all of a sudden a World Cup qualifier against Honduras or Nicaragua becomes a lot less daunting. Same for Steffen – if he can stop a shot on goal from world-class Man City players like Kevin de Bruyne or Sergio Aguero, then everything else he faces after that becomes a lot easier to handle because he would have a better idea of what to expect and prepare for.

Pulisic and Steffen are part of a crop of promising young American players, many of whom are playing for big clubs in Europe. In addition to those two, there is also Weston McKennie (Juventus), Gio Reyna (Borussia Dortmund), Sergiño Dest (Barcelona), Tim Weah (Lille), and Tyler Adams (RB Leipzig) to name a few. All of these Americans playing for these big clubs in Europe is fantastic for their development and experience. It may be a tad too soon for the USMNT to challenge at the 2022 World Cup, as all of these guys are still in their early 20s or younger and don’t have a ton of playing experience yet. However, all of these opportunities for Americans at big clubs is priming Team USA for a World Cup run in 2026. Conveniently, venues in North America will be hosting that tournament for a bit of home-field advantage. If the Americans can find themselves a manager with a tactical plan that serves the strengths of all these young and dynamic guys, the Americans will be among the favorites to win it. The will only get better over time, assuming they keep playing at very high-profile clubs such as City, Barcelona, and Juventus that routinely challenge in Europe. I know the Americans have struggled recently due to internal drama at the US Soccer Federation and coaching changes, but the talent appears to be coming together nicely.

So while tomorrow is not the be-all and end-all for Pulisic and Steffen, every American should tune in to watch and see how the two are developing. A big performance from Pulisic should encourage Americans to be enthusiastic and optimistic about the national team for the first time in awhile. Americans who don’t routinely follow the game often dream of beating Europeans at their own sport, and that just may happen in 2026 if the players keep developing as they are. History calls for both of them tomorrow though, and Pulisic may just be the one who answers.

Champions League Final: Brief Preview

The closest thing Europe has to the Super Bowl is happening tomorrow at noon PT / 3 pm ET. The match features two very successful and well-funded teams who are chock-full of superstars, Paris St. Germain and Bayern Munich. They are the reigning champions of France and Germany respectively, and it is the first time PSG have made it to a European Cup/Champions League final in their 50 year history. Bayern on the other hand have won it five times in their history and are looking to add to the trophy cabinet.

This match should be highly entertaining because both teams have amazing attacking players. Neymar, Angel “The Snake” Di Maria, and Kylian Mbappé are all deadly for the French side while Robert Lewandowski, Thomas Muller, and Serge Gnabry have dominated both Germany and Europe the whole year. Given the fact that both teams can potentially have issues on defense, this could be a very high-scoring affair.

Of course, I said the same thing last year about Liverpool vs. Tottenham and I was proven extremely wrong. Hopefully the final this year is a better match.

What gives me pause about this match is that no matter who wins on the field, the government of Qatar wins financially. Qatar outright owns PSG and have a marketing deal with Bayern via Qatar Airways. A state-run football club such as PSG winning the CL would I think be a negative thing for the sport. When you have the finances of an entire nation backing your club and the club is winning, it could encourage other nations to try the same thing. The waters are further muddied when the country in question has questionable moral principles.

Qatar has an absolutely atrocious human rights record, and it is only because of its financial power (oil money) that FIFA/UEFA even care about the nation at all. They have no football history of their own to speak of due to the fact that they are a small peninsula with a population of only 2.7 million. They incarcerate journalists who are critical of the royal family, punish LGBTQIA+ people simply for being who they are, and are using slave labor to build the stadiums needed for their 2022 World Cup. The rampant and flagrant corruption at FIFA enables all of this because they have all filled their pockets with Qatari money. Qatar is attempt to “sports-wash” itself; meaning they are trying to use success on the athletics field to cover up their human rights violations and bring about an increase in tourism to the country. They know oil won’t last forever and are looking to diversify their economy. FIFA cannot let human rights violations be associated with football, but they do not seem to be interested in doing anything about it. Makes me somewhat depressed, but this is the current state of the sport.

As for the match itself, I think I will have to give Bayern a slight advantage. They have been so dominant all season and I expect that to continue. PSG will give them a run for their money for sure, but I believe Bayern will emerge victorious.

Wrap Up of Champions League Quarterfinals and United-Sevilla Preview

With the semifinal of Paris St. Germain vs. Red Bull Leipzig already locked in, it was time to determine the other two teams in the semifinal match. The winners of Barcelona vs. Bayern Munich and Manchester City vs. Olympique Lyonnais would advance to play each other.

Barcelona 2 – 8 Bayern Munich

That is not a typo in the scoreline there. It seems like it should be, but no – Bayern scored 8 (eight) goals against Barca and thoroughly demolished them in every way. It would almost take a separate blog post to list out all the goal action, but Thomas Müller (x2), Ivan Perisic, Serge Gnabry, Joshua Kimmich, Robert Lewandowski, and Phillipe Coutinho (x2) were all scorers for the dominant German side. Barca got an early own goal via Bayern center back David Alaba and a 2nd from Donkey Face Luis Suarez just after half time, but Barca never got within 2 goals of Bayern after that. 

There are many reasons for such a lopsided victory, which was a record in many different ways. For one, Bayern are an absolutely ruthless and well-oiled football machine, and they do nothing but churn out goals. Every single player in the side from the goalkeeper to the forwards is excellent on the ball, and they can all pass with precision and power. Add in the fact that they seem to be able to communicate with each other telepathically at times, and you have the recipe for an incredibly dangerous team. Alaba’s blemish and a few wasted chances early on by Barca aside, Bayern were almost perfect today. All credit to their German manager Hansi Flick because I think Bayern are the best club team in the world right now and it will be difficult for any team left in this tournament to beat them. If they weren’t the favorites before, they certainly are now.

Fun fact: I learned today that Bayern have a guy from Canada playing for them! I haven’t seen a Canadian playing in Europe in ages, let alone for a major club side like Bayern. Shout out to left back Alphonso Davies for representing North America well today with a scintillating run and assist on Kimmich’s goal.

I think the other reason for the major defeat today is that Barca are a powerhouse in decline. They have been a dominant side in both Spain and Europe for the past 10-12 years thanks to the efforts of legendary players like Lionel Messi, Thierry Henry, Neymar, Suarez, Xavi, Carlos Puyol, and Andres Iniesta to name a few. However, the superstars they have left are all now on the wrong side of 30 and the club has not invested properly in replacements. They have relied on the greatness of Messi to bail them out for a very long time, and because he is the greatest player of all time that strategy has worked in the past. But he’s 33 now, and today he couldn’t bail them out. Bayern didn’t let him anywhere near the ball for long periods of the game and Barca’s attack was stifled significantly.

It would be easy to lay the blame for Barca’s worst loss since 1951 today solely on the players and manager Quique Setien, but truth be told the problems Barca have go much deeper than just the players and manager. I think the massive defensive errors, poor player selection, and poor tactics on display today are all symptoms of an overarching disease. As stated briefly above, the players brought in by the Barca board of directors and president Josep Bartomeu have not panned out in the way they were expected to. Further, they have let key players go that probably should have stayed, such as Coutinho. His departure stings especially because technically Coutinho is only on loan to Bayern and scored twice against his parent club today.  They are paying him to score against them! The club’s famed La Masia youth academy is not turning out quality players on a consistent basis, either.

This team plays stale tactics with players that are not where they used to be physically. It’s obvious that Setien is getting sacked before too much longer, but nothing will change at the club unless Bartomeu and the board are also sacked. The structure of the club needs to be rid of the egos that have created such a toxic environment there. Will Messi stay? Will Messi go? That is just one of many questions that need to be answered if Barca wants to return to it’s previously elite status.

Manchester City 1 – 3  Olympique Lyonnais

Before I get into the analysis here I need to take a moment to laugh at Man City. Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha. Ha.

Right then. City came into this match as heavy favorites, and before kick off this game had a feel similar to the Atalanta/PSG match. You knew PSG were likely to win it, but Lyon’s team play and tactics are solid so you weren’t quite sure who would come out on top. City’s Spanish manager Pep Guardiola is considered one of the best managers in the world and he has a plethora of talent to choose from in any given game. Despite his successes at Barcelona, Bayern Munich, and Man City in their respective domestic leagues, he has struggled in Europe since leaving Spain. Man City have never won the Champions League and with Real Madrid and other giants like Juventus and Barcelona out of the way, there has never been a better opportunity for City to do well.

As has been a theme in this tournament though, nothing has gone according to script. Despite having the possession advantage for the first 20 minutes or so, City found themselves down 1-0 on 24 minutes after a goal from French left back Maxwell Cornet. A long ball over the top of the City defense fell to Cameroonian forward Karl Toko-Ekambi, but City keeper Ederson was quick off his line and got a block in on the shot, but the ball rebounded to Cornet who deftly hit the ball around Ederson and into the left side of the goal. It was just what Lyon needed to make City start worrying and begin to doubt themselves. The scoreline did not change after that in the first half, even though Cornet was forced to make a key block on England forward Raheem Sterling that could have easily led to a City goal. Lyon keeper Anthony Lopes was called into action on several occasions to make saves and also break up crosses into the box. It looked awkward at times for him but he and the Lyon back 4 did just enough to keep City out in the first half

City were in the ascendancy for the first 25 minutes or so of the second half, and it was via Sterling and all-world midfielder Kevin de Bruyne that they got their equalizer on 69 minutes. Sterling did well to beat his man in the left side of the penalty area, and he cut the ball back towards de Bruyne who streaked in and side-footed past Lopes. De Bruyne had been in excellent form throughout the match and the captain was easily City’s best player on the day. Excellent vision, passing, free kicks, and ball control from the Belgian today. Brazilian forward Gabriel Jesus was unlucky to not put City up 2-1 when the ball fell to him in the right side of the penalty box. He tried to hit the ball on the volley first-time but accidentally struck the top of the ball, meaning most of the power in his shot went straight into the ground. The ball bounced harmlessly over the goal and out for a goal kick.

Lyon did not fold under the pressure though, and to their credit they kept attacking. Lyon manager Rudi Garcia played an absolute blinder tactically today. Guardiola was out-witted, and not for the first time this season. Garcia put on substitute striker Moussa Dembele for the largely ineffective Memphis Depay, and the dividends were paid almost immediately. City’s back line were caught high up on the pitch, and the ball was played through towards Ekambi who had made a run behind the City defense. He appeared to be offside, but let the ball run through his legs to Dembele who was streaking in behind him and to his right. Dembele had shed his marker Aymeric Laporte and after a few touches slid it under Ederson and into the City goal for 2-1 Lyon. This was a controversial goal due to not only the potential offside by Ekambi, but also due to a foul on Laporte by Dembele before he received the ball. Dembele appeared to clip the heals of Laporte in order to get around him, causing him to fall. However, VAR confirmed the goal and Lyon had restored their lead 2-1 on 79 minutes. City fans probably felt particularly aggrieved by the decision.

City pushed for an equalizer and almost had one on 85 minutes when a good cross from Jesus on the right side found an unmarked Sterling about 7 yards from goal with the keeper stranded on the other side. Sterling hit the ball first time but somehow turned the ball over the top of the goal and out of bounds. It was a very bad miss from him. Indeed, from that position and that close in it’s harder to miss than it is to put it in. City were punished for this error just 59 seconds later when the ball was won by Lyon in midfield and brought forward by substitute Jeff Rene-Adelaide. He played the ball to his left and found midfielder Houssem Arouar, who cut inside onto his right foot and lashed a shot at the City goal. The ball was only parried by Ederson and not very well, as it fell straight to Dembele who scrambled it over the line for 3-1. Sheer bedlam on the Lyon bench and utter dejection from Guardiola and City.

City forged a few more good chances in the dying minutes, but as was the case for most of the match, they could not convert and struggled to get shots on target. Many questions will be asked of Guardiola after this stunning defeat, such as why he failed to bring on more creative players when down 2-1 despite having 3+ substitutions left. City fans can only blame the referee for so much here. This loss was largely down to the tactics of Guardiola. City had 72% of the possession today but could only manage 7 shots on target over 90 minutes. That’s a very low shot-on-target rate for a team with players the caliber of which City has. Lyon’s keeper was in good form and their back-4 generally played very well to be sure, but City spent far too much time passing it around near the halfway line, and nowhere near enough time getting men forward and creating shooting chances. There was some poor finishing on display to be sure, but the missed chances hurt more when you don’t create many of them. It will be interesting to see what happens with Guardiola and the ownership of Man City going forward.

Lyon advances to play Bayern Munich in the semifinals of the Champions League.

Preview – Manchester United vs. Sevilla (Europa League Semifinal)

The Red Devils will take on Sevilla FC from the south of Spain in Cologne, Germany on Sunday at noon PT / 3 ET America time. This is a one-off match with the winner advancing to the Europa League final on Friday August 21.

United will hope for a cooler day than the sweltering weather they played in against Copenhagen, as a warm day will favor the Spanish opposition. The south of Spain is incredibly warm 8-9 months out of the year, so a bit of heat won’t really bother them. Manchester, in the northwest of England, is usually rather cold and I don’t think a lot of our English/northern European players are used to playing in heat.

Anyway, enough about the weather. I was impressed with Sevilla’s performance against Wolverhampton Wanderers in their quarterfinal match, although their victory was not without flaws. Sevilla are very good in possession, and Argentine midfielder Ever Banega pulls the strings for them in attack. He is a little past his prime at age 31, but clearly still capable of running a game for his side. They also look solid in defense as well, having shut down the Wolves attack for most of the second half.

I did see opportunities for Sevilla to be hit on the counter-attack though. The speedy Adama Traore was able to run at the Sevilla center-backs once or twice in the first half, and with some more clinical finishing Wolves may have found themselves ahead. That encourages me. Wolves have 1 player that can break quickly and attack. United have at least 4-5. I think if United sit back and absorb pressure, we can get at them on the counter-attack. Of course the passing and the timing of the counter-attacks will need to be spot-on, but I think the play of Anthony Martial and Harry Maguire will be especially important. Martial for his hold up play and passing when other forwards are running to join the attack, and Maguire for his ability to clear crosses in the air in a way that gets United off and running on the break. My expected line-up:

Romero

AWB – Lindelof – Maguire – Williams

Matic – Pogba

Greenwood – Bruno – Rashford

Martial

Paul Pogba will be given license to push forward when appropriate, and look for Marcus Rashford and Mason Greenwood to switch sides occasionally if the attack isn’t clicking. I expect Sevilla to try and attack us down their right side and expose the defensive frailties of Brandon Williams, so it will be the duties of Maguire and Nemanja Matic to ensure he gets extra help when he needs it.

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.