NEYMESSIS: WHERE DID IT GO WRONG? VENGEANCE: LURKS IN THE BERNABEU FOOTBALL'S ROBINHOOD MEN DARES CHELSEA
VENGEANCE: LURKS IN THE BERNABEU
“Their biggest strength is their pace in attack where Bale, Benzema and Cristiano would be operating and against a slow Bayern defence comprising of Dante, Boateng or Martinez you can expect goals in this one.” paper Madrid knows it's got the toughest of the three possible sides. The last time both sides met Bayern edged Real Madrid in penalty shoot outs after both sides had won their home legs 2 – 1. In fact, the last time Madrid can boast of a knockout victory over Bayern dates back to 2000 when they secured a 3 – 2 aggregate victory (ironically, that year they won, beating a Spanish side in the final). That was then, this is now. Real Madrid without Jose Mourinho would have Iker Casillas, Ramos, Pepe, Xabi Alonso, Angel Di Maria, Ronaldo (who is back in training) and Benzema who all started in 2012. Both clubs have changed managers since then, both have changed styles, both have changed some personnel, and the favourites tag will this time edge toward the Germans rather than the Spaniards. Madrid may have their dish cooling off in a freezer waiting to serve it as cold as possible, but it won't be a walk in the park. Expect to see a different game of chess played out over the two legs. Vengeance will play a part, but it won't be the whole part.
THE CHALKBOARD
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adrid has struggled against their tougher opponents this season. They've suffered two Clasico defeats against Barcelona and picked up just one point from a possible six against Atletico. Their
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o side has ever won the UEFA Champions league back to back, at least not since AC Milan replete with stars like Carlo Ancelotti did it in 1989 and 1990. Then it was known as the Champions Cup. That however is not worth telling or speaking of in the presence of Josep Guardiola whose forte seems to be breaking records. He broke volumes of them back in Barcelona. Here at Bayern Munich,
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he has been able to set another record, winning the Bundesliga by April. With another treble within their grasp, they have set their sights on making it to the UEFA Champions league final, but they are up against a side with an axe to grind - A huge one at that too, a side that has something of a vendetta against Bayern Munich and its coach. Vengeance they say is a dish best
recent struggles in Dortmund, almost throwing away a three-goal cushion from the first leg, only adds weight to that claim. If there's a chance to prove otherwise, it gets no bigger than this; against arguably the best team on the planet over the last two years. First and foremost: will Pep be tempted to restore Lahm to rightback in order to restore the best full-back partnership in the world to help contain the two most expensive players in history? With so much depth in his squad, how will he choose his trio of midfielders? For Ancelotti, will he unleash the BBC (Gareth Bale-Karim Benzema-Ronaldo) with Angel Di Maria behind or do you go a bit more conservative, knowing that a more solid, counterattacking setup might yield dividends against this Bayern side? Might you consider finding room for Raphael Varane and shifting Sergio Ramos to fullback? That said, Madrid would be no pushovers and all this permutations just goes to show that under Ancelotti, Madrid have improved vastly. Their biggest strength is their pace in attack where Bale, Benzema and Cristiano would be operating and against a slow Bayern defence comprising of Dante, Boateng or Martinez you can expect goals in this one.
It would be expected that Bayern will turn out in a 4-3-3 formation with Robben and Ribery forming the fulcrum of their attack. If the game against United is anything to go by then Guardiola would be a bit cautious, applying some steel to neutralize the pace of the Madrid attack. He may opt to, like he has done many times against Madrid in the past pressure them high. A mistake however, like Barcelona found out in the Copa del Rey final could be costly. Ancelotti would expect Modric, Alonso and Di Maria or Isco to snap at the heels of the Bayern players to ensure they are unable to play their style which is ball possession. For all Bayern's threat, Madrid still stands a chance against a side though fluid but slow in execution. It should be a thrilling affair, and there's no getting away from the revenge aspect of the tie. Ramos, Ronaldo & Co. will be hoping the post-match pictures are of celebration rather than despair this time as they look to put their 2012 demons to bed and edge closer to lifting La Decima. PLAYERS TO WATCH REAL MADRID: Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale, Di Maria, Benzema BAYERN: Ribery, Robben, Mandzukic, Gotze VERDICT: Madrid wins
served cold, and for Real Madrid, the chance to oust title holders Bayern Munich in the semi-finals of the Champions League could well be the tastiest dish Los Blancos have served for some time. The quest for La Decima has bordered on obsession for Real Madrid, with the last 2 campaigns ending at this stage; the semi-final. There are plenty of plots and sub plots within this juicy fixture and on
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Mo Salah all add to the situation. He however has a deep pool to pick from and he should be in good stead here.
FOOTBALL'S ROBIN HOOD MEN DARES CHELSEA
Being an astute tactician, he would not make the mistake of underestimating Diego Simeone's side. For Simeone has done a remarkable job at the Vicente Calderon since taking over in December 2011. At the time, the team were hovering above the relegation zone, and since then they have won the Europa League, UEFA Super Cup and Copa del Rey - not to mention the fact that they are currently top of La Liga. Atlético have not been in a Champions Cup/League semifinal for 40 years and only two of their players have reached this point before. One is David Villa, the other is Tiago Mendes. The hunger to achieve is their biggest threat and has helped them in pushing boundaries no one expects. Over Thibaut Courtois, Mourinho has quietly let it be known that he is not happy to see him face the club who own the 21-year-old goalkeeper. Courtois may have grabbed the headlines following the draw but Blues fans will also be keen to get a look at Diego Costa, who is a summer transfer target. Shackling Costa will be key to progression.
“Chelsea fans would not forget in a hurry the bashing they received at the hands of Atletico in the 2012 UEFA Super Cup”
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his is a tale of two cities, two managers and a cast of battle hardened warriors; gladiators if you like. If you're squeamish, then this is not the game for you. The romantics, the neutrals would all be screaming in one corner; Atletico Madrid. After all it makes for a good tale, the classic tale of an underdog punching way above his weight, coming out bartered, bloodied, but through the mist warming the cockles of our hearts with the smile of victory.
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Now out of your dream and on to reality, unless Diego Simeone delivers it for Atletico Madrid, either Carlo Ancelotti, Jose Mourinho or Pep Guardiola will win his third European Cup as manager, moving them alongside the legendary record-holder Bob Paisley. And if Simeone's Atletico win it? Not only would it be a rip-roaring underdog tale, it would also coincide with the 40th anniversary of the last time
Atletico were in a final. That was against Bayern Munich - wouldn't it be delicious if history repeated itself? There are lots of similarities between the teams: they’re very organised, very strong from set pieces, which could be decisive. They also have managers whose personalities and philosophies are almost, if not completely identical. For them the stakes are very high. Mourinho is on the verge of another trophyless
season as his league campaign has gone south so this game is of huge importance to him. For Simeone, he has La Liga within his grasps and only needs to go into the last game of the season against Barcelona with the current status to be declared champions. These are perhaps the two most pragmatic sides left in the competition, as well as the gutsiest. And both would run through brick walls for their managers.
With the second leg at Stamford Bridge on April 30, Mourinho, his players and Blues supporters everywhere will be confident that whatever the outcome in Madrid the London side can progress to the final. Chasing apparent lost causes is a speciality of Chelsea's - just ask PSG. PLAYERS TO WATCH ATLETICO MADRID: Diego Costa, David Villa, Koke CHELSEA: Ba, Eto'o, Willian, Schürrle VERDICT: Narrow Atletico win
Chelsea fans would not forget in a hurry the bashing they received at the hands of Atletico in the 2012 UEFA Super Cup and with Mourinho complaining of his strikers inability to deliver They will need to come up with their A game. Combining grit and panache Chelsea have the necessary ingredient to hurt the opposition and keep intruders at bay. Jose though has a few worries. Doubts still remain over Eden Hazard's fitness, the suspension of Ivanovic and the ineligibility of duo Nemanja Matic and
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Barcelona dressing room, which has been stable since Pep Guardiola's arrival. His presence in the media was out of all proportion to what he's done on the pitch and the comparison certainly caused alarm: Neymar, for his cost, his wages and the club's treatment of him, is one of the two principal players in the squad.
NEYMESSIS:
Nobody in the entire history of Barcelona has earned as much as Neymar is: not Messi, or any other of the 'blaugrana' stars. The Argentinean renewed his deal recently (the sixth time in recent years), but Barcelona will have a difficult job justifying how Neymar earns more than him.
WHERE DID IT GO
Now Barcelona has upset the hornets' nest. To borrow an Igbo adage; they have brought in the ant infested firewood that has invited lizards in. They have upset the hierarchy in the dressing room and it will take a huge effort to calm the storm. Barca will be troubled to find answers.
WRONG?
COVER STORY
.”In La Selecao he is the go-toguy, but at Barcelona he has to defer to Messi.”
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he summer of 2013 ushered in a flurry of activities. Bankers in Madrid moved from one device to the other, peddling numbers and trying to make sense of numbers that had grown life of their own. They were sweating under the coolness of their hallowed offices. Lawyers were scurrying from one office to the other to ensure that details of every transaction was enshrouded under the protectorate of the law or a semblance of it. In the Catalonia enclave where Barcelona reside, it was no different. Top execs were hopping from one plane to the other, traversing the ends of the earth to beat the enemy to the punch. Barcelona had just won the league, Real Madrid had finished trophy less and Jose 'the mouth' Mourinho had just lost a lucrative job. It was understandable; palpable tension and excitement in the two cities as their flag bearers kept putting pressure on a young lad,
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who seers of the game had prophesied was the messiah.
delivered nothing, where did it go wrong?
None wanted this messiah to berth in a manger, they all coveted him and prepared palaces fit only for kings. He didn't have to bow before them to be given the world, all he had to do was say yes to their dreams. Under a deal shrouded in secrecy and dubious intent he affirmed to don the shirt of the Catalonia flag bearers; Barcelona.
When Barcelona went in the pursuit of Neymar, the wise head of Johan Cruyff had warned against it, insisting Messi should be sold before Neymar was bought. Nobody heeded his advice, now the man who contrived to embarrass him is out of a job and starring jail time in the face and Barcelona can't wait for their worst season in a long time to pass.
The world was not to know the details of the deal and salivated at the thought of the young messiah from Santos partnering with the king from La Rosario. Real Madrid losing out, licked their wounds, swallowed their pride and off to London they went to erase a transfer world record.
Surely this has got to be a money matter more than on field affairs. On the field, for Neymar to thrive, he has to enjoy the role that Messi enjoys, something the flea isn't ready to relinquish. That is why Neymar shines for Brazil and flops for Barcelona. In La Selecao he is the go-to-guy, but at Barcelona he has to defer to Messi. Even though the club would want him to be his own man.
Ten months down the line and a partnership that seemed to have been scripted in the heavens had failed to deliver on the promise. Kicked out of the Champions League, lost the Copa del Rey final and all hopes of winning the league is nearly over. A trophy less season looms. The big question is, for a partnership that promised so much but
I have always been of the opinion that Neymar should have joined Barca after the World Cup, but that opportunity is gone. Many have mooted the sale of Messi as a solution and my opinion is, that won't fix the problem. If you sell Messi, then you would need to overhaul the squad and build the team around Neymar. Truth is Messi is tried and tested, whereas Neymar isn't. If Messi goes would Neymar deliver? Best bet is give Messi what he wants and let peace reign, after all it wouldn't be the first time the midget would get what he wants. If however Barca decide to bite the bullet, they must be prepared for what follows.
More trouble erupted when news leaked that Neymar was actually earning more than Messi. Did this influence Messi's psyche? Did it hurt his form? We may never know. The arrival of Neymar at the Camp Nou sure destabilised the
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CHALKBOARD BALE SHINES IN ANCELOTTI'S COUNTER-ATTACKING 4-4-2
REAL MADRID 2-1 BARCELONA:
“What was most striking about Real's system, though, was how closely it resembled the shape Atletico successfully deployed against Barcelona.” two deep banks of four, and depended upon the wide players to burst forward to support the attackers. Isco, primarily seen as a playmaker, showed all the defensive aggression of Atletico's two wide players, making nine tackles (three more than anyone else) despite being on a booking from the third minute. In all likelihood, Ancelotti did his homework, saw the Atletico approach, and replicated it as closely as possible.
ALVES POOR IN POSSESSION Real's counter-attacking opener originated from a mistake by Daniel Alves in an advanced position, and it wasn't the only time where he conceded possession cheaply, allowing Real Madrid to counter-attack quickly. The situation at the back, with Barca's (rather unconvincing) centre-backs playing two-against-two, meant any cheap concessions of possession immediately put Barca under pressure. Like in the matches against Atletico, Alves always seemed to be the player in space. He had more touches of the ball, 126, than any other player in the game – but yet again, he didn't always have an obvious target in the middle. It was the same old problem – Neymar was on his flank, so hardly a crossing target, Lionel Messi was in deeper positions, and there was no true left-winger on the far side.
BUSQUETS The player who encountered serious positional difficulties was surprisingly Sergio Busquets, usually immaculate in his holding role, excellent at reading the game, and intelligent in reacting to opposition attacks and positioning himself accordingly. Here, however, he didn't seem to understand the system he was playing against. It was as if he'd been expecting to play against a 4-3-3 or a 4-2-3-1, and therefore have the responsibility of pushing up to press an opposition central midfielder, denying them time on the ball. Here, he kept on charging up the pitch to pressure opponents, but Xabi Alonso and Luka Modric were positioned very deep, and therefore not in a natural zone for him to press.
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arlo Ancelotti was without Cristiano Ronaldo, which meant Isco coming into the side. He also used Iker Casillas, his cup goalkeeper.
chances on the break. REAL SHAPE
The most surprising thing about the starting line-ups was that Real Madrid were basically playing a 4Tata Martino returned to the 4-2 system, rather than the 4-3-3 system he favoured in the Ancelotti has used for much of the Champions League matches against Atletico, with Andres Iniesta campaign. That said, the formation they used in the previous Clasico, a on the left and Cesc Fabregas in 4-3 defeat, became something of a midfield. Neymar was given 4-4-2 at times when Ronaldo another chance. drifted inside and Di Maria overlapped, and Ancelotti had Real played an extremely reactive, counter-attacking system, and were started the campaign with a a 4-4forced to withstand long periods of 2, too. pressure – but they created better
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This system probably surprised Barcelona. Bale was expected to begin on the right but instead played as a second striker, starting from an inside-left position. Angel Di Maria played on the right flank and was the most energetic Real player, effectively a midfielder without the ball and an attacker in possession – he darted forward to open the scoring after a brilliant counter-attack.
In at least three situations in the first half, Busquets was caught out and left his defence unattended. The most obvious example was on 35 minutes, when Busquets charged down Di Maria extremely high up the pitch, and as Di Maria turned and played a simple ball to Isco drifting between the lines, Busquets was on the same horizontal 'line' as Fabregas and Xavi Hernandez, his two midfield colleagues. This meant fully 25 yards of space for Isco to exploit – he ran with the ball, had Bale and Benzema as options, and eventually only a brilliant Alba blocd prevented Isco from putting Real 2-0 up.
What was most striking about Real's system, though, was how closely it resembled the shape Atletico successfully deployed against Barcelona. They played in
It took until the hour mark before Martino switched to a proper 4-3-3 system, and immediately Barcelona put more pressure upon Real's backline. The danger of so much possession, of course, was that it
meant more opportunities for Real to counterattack, and they scored the winner in the 85th minute with another brilliant goal on the break. If the first was a classic counter-attacking team goal, the second was was a classic counterattacking solo goal, with Bale simply roaring past Bartra on his way to goal. Again, the goal came when Barcelona lost possession in an advanced right-sided position, when Alves was high up the pitch, and again Busquets was bypassed easily – not that they were to blame. It's also notable that, like Atletico, Real didn't thump the ball clear deep inside their own half – they instead played out, worked the ball forward quickly, and made a defensive situation an attacking opportunity.
CONCLUSION A victory sealed by a brilliant moment of individual magic, certainly, but Ancelotti's tactics worked better tonight. Real soaked up pressure and were rarely penetrated, and then took advantage of great counter-attacking speed to put Barcelona's nervous centre-backs under pressure. Culled from zonalmarking.net
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