Champions League QF’s Reflections

What a week of football we just witnessed! Full of drama, great (and bad) football and many talking points. I am going to spend this article reflecting on what we just experienced in the Champions League. 

Ok, so first off the format. I can’t lie, I have loved the one-off game format. Perhaps it’s because we lost out on the Euro’s this summer, and so we've missed that feeling of one game knockouts, but this has been brilliant. While two leg affairs can provide some excellent excitement, intrigue and comebacks, a one off game just feels more intense. No worries of away goals, of an aggregate score and even if in this case no home field advantage. And while the fans are a huge miss, I can’t deny I’m loving this format. Perhaps this might become a norm? A 14 day end of season trip to a European city with one off quarter finals leading to the final? It would be quite the end of season spectacular. Or maybe this just worked because of the situation now. We all needed this didn’t we? We wanted and needed football, we craved conclusions to leagues and tournaments. And well, we got it. This has been excellent. 

 

Rest between games

But hey, there are issues with a level playing field, and I’m not just talking about mega rich clubs who have a monopoly on transfers and wages. I am talking about the amount of games and how much rest these sides had before this tournament. There was a huge discrepancy between the amount of matches and rest between those matches between the teams. Did it affect the results? Well it seems so. 

 

Damiano Tommasi, (a quality Football Manager DM 15 years ago) is now the President of the Italian FA. He tweeted out these stats; 

60 days before the QF’s of the Champions League.

Atalanta played 1 match every 4.28 days.

PSG 1 match every 20 days

Man City 1 every 4.28 days

Lyon 1 in 20 days

Atleti 1 in 5 days

Leipzig 1 in 20 days

Barca 1 in 5 days

Bayern 1 in 10 days.

 

It’s pretty clear that the outcome of the games came in some part from teams who had more rest, And so it does highlight an issue with teams in terms of fatigue and freshness. However, was this the reason these teams prevailed?

 

  

Let’s start with PSG vs Atalanta.

This was really a battle between those who have and those that don’t. PSG have spent an enormous of money to build this team. Atalanta have not had that luxury. What they have done is build a team around great coaching, development of players and shrewd transfers. A club with an excellent Academy which produces quality players helps them keep financially stable. It is a club with a sustainable model which should be many clubs blueprint. And look at what they’ve achieved! 

Gasperini has done a marvellous job with this team, created a tactically excellent and fascinating team and one which has entertained and scored goals with a great mix of creative attacking football and defensive solidity and organisation. To have got this far was a great achievement, and there was a feeling even before the game that they could make it to the next stage. And they were so close! Perhaps if they had their dynamic and skilful forward Illcic it could have been different. Absent due to personal reasons it was a big blow to lose him for this game. He has been fantastic all season and at 32 years old has thrived under Gasperini. 

But the difference was that PSG could call on Kylian Mbappe to come on for the final 30 mins. PSG are really fortunate to have the talent they have. Mbappe was just the piece missing for PSG to unlock Atalanta, as he gave Neymar an option he was missing beforehand. 

Let’s just focus on Neymar a second. This was one of the finest performances in Champions League history! He was everywhere and created so much. His missed chances early on can cloud opinion on his brilliance in this game yet make no mistake you witnessed a masterclass. 

Neymar splits opinion and while it still baffles me in a way, he is seen for some as just an over hyped showboating celebrity. And for some he just can’t win them over. Moving to PSG solidified this reputation for many. 

Yes he’s not been consistently amazing at PSG – injuries, suspensions and a sense of frustration and wanting to leave hasn’t helped him with Paris fans or the wider public. But when fit and focused, this kid is the best player in the world! Had he not left Barca I don’t think they’d be in the mess they are in now (more on this later). But what he showed in this game is his brilliance and perseverance. He never stopped or quit. He kept going and took his team over the line. Yes he didn’t score but he provided and created chances which ultimately won the game. He is a leader on the pitch, the go to guy, the creator, the match winner. 

He would be in the running for Ballon D’or. Which should be still on this year. And the winner would be the one who wins the CL. Why not have that award this season? Seems very strange and unnecessary. And how refreshing that Messi or Ronaldo wouldn’t be in the discussion. Is that why?

Anyway, Neymar is brilliant. And proved that in this game.

Yes the money that some of these clubs spend is extortionate and frustrating. And I can see and understand why many have become disillusioned. But these games and performances make you appreciate and love the football. The game in itself. 
This was a great game. Full of drama, quality football, errors and theatre. Hate on the money in football sure, but appreciate a really good game. 

 

Atletico's negativity ultimately cause their exit

This moves us to the next evening. Leipzig vs Atleti. A pretty tepid first half did improve second half. And if Atalanta missed Illcic then my goodness did Leipzig miss Werner! Poulsen was simply woeful. I don’t think I’ve seen a worst CF at this level. But Leipzig found a way through, mainly due to Atleti’s tactics and approach. 

We know what Simeone is going to do, how he will setup his team. But this was far too extreme and limiting from his team. Yes they limited Leipzig to very few chances, especially in the first half, but they offered hardly anything in attack. And while Poulsen was poor, my word how bad was Diego Costa? Perhaps age, or a lack of support around him, but he couldn’t influence the game at all. The reason however was the best player on the pitch Dayot Upamecano. 

At 21 years of age the Frenchman had his breakthrough game. Personally I’ve seen him before and thought he was ok, but wasn’t fully sold on him. Well, if this was a sign of things to come then you’ve just witnessed the future defender of the game! He was marvellous. And maybe Costa suited him, a big strong forward who wanted everything with his back to goal, but Upamecano just dealt with it all with ease. And then his play in possession – oh my! His passing, his ability to step out, to dribble and break lines. It was a sublime performance. Tactically Leipzig seemed to shift between a back four and three, at times Upamecano stepping out like an old type libero, like Sammer for Germany or Rijkaard did for Ajax. The creator from deep, controlling the tempo, building attacks and dominating anything defensively. 

When Joao Felix was introduced Atleti looked different, energised, confident. Felix found pockets and drove with the ball. He won and converted the penalty. And they seemed as though he could go and win it from there. But why wasn’t Felix starting? Too much caution and worry about the opposition over playing your best players? And while Felix has had a mixed time since being in Madrid he has shown his quality. This past week has shown that the teams who approach the games negatively, with caution and fear, have been defeated. Perhaps a lesson for these coaches. There is a worry however that such a precocious talent in Felix will not reach his potential at Atleti. That would be a big shame. 

Talking about coaching. It is important to highlight Nagelsmann in this. A very talented young coach has took his side to the Champions League semi-finals. A coach who plays a positive attacking brand of football, as well as getting his players to work exceptionally hard when pressing and in transition. But credit to the team-building and recruitment at Leipzig. He has been provided a great team to work with; young, fast, skilful and intelligent. The work of Leipzig may be hated by many purists yet what this club has achieved in a decade of existence is truly wonderful. Many clubs will be looking to raid this team and rightly so. As a model of recruiting young players, developing them and selling for huge profit, well it seems a perfectly worked model right now. They will need to find a replacement for Werner to progress further next season. Yet it seems they know what they are doing with recruitment. 

As for Atleti, Simeone has been there for 9 years now. He has done a fantastic job. But it may be that this is the toughest time for him. The direction of the club, the need to improve further and a sense that perhaps he has done as much he could. Ultimately, what he has achieved and the longevity is truly one of the best management careers we have seen. But all good things may need to come to an end. 

 

Barca's woes and Bayern's excellence

Where to start? Bayern or Barca? Let’s start with the positives. It was a good open game, full of energy and chances. But ultimately Bayern bullied and battered Barca. It felt like the two legged 7-0 triumph in 2013 when Heynckes Bayern destroyed Barca. It had simiilarities with Germany’s destruction of Brasil in 2014. Those games had some familiar faces; Neuer, Boateng, Muller and of course Hansi Flick. Germany and Bayern at their best were a perfectly assembled pressing transition side who trapped and hounded opponents. This was the German pressing model at its best. They killed Barca and destroyed their build up play. It was actually easy for Bayern to expose and exploit this Barca side. A build up which offered very little in terms of organisation and strategy, they played short and were put under intense and couldn’t deal with it. And yes Barca created some chances, but the dominance of Bayern meant that the 4-1 scoreline was a relief for Barca. 

What we saw here was an ageing team in Barca, a team with a lot of players in their 30’s, players who for the past decade have been sublime talents. Yet they have aged and slowed down. Their style of football has been exposed in terms of lacking the athleticism and speed which used to characterise Barca, in wide areas particularly. And it’s a reflection on how mis-managed this team has been these past few years. A team which since Neymar departed has struggled to find a replacement who has helped or worked. Lots and lots of money spent, a huge wage bill, turnover of coaches, and yet a team getting progressively worse. 

The disappointment of multiple Champions League exits and collapses at Roma and then Liverpool has seemingly created a mental block and escalated the doubts and issues at the club. But would have a Champions League success have changed what we see now? This has been a club mis-managed and is suffering dearly for it now. The 8-2 was just the culmination of it all. 

So what now? Is it time to cash in on Messi? Time to let Suarez leave? What about Pique and Busquets? Sell to help with the debts and build around players like De Jong, Dembele, Coutinho and Greizmann? Either option seems ultimately doomed. Stick with the old guard and get what you see now. Embrace a new team without Messi and co. and it’s a project which is a step into the unknown. And is Ronald Koeman the man to achieve success and help re-build this mess? It does feel as though Bartemou needs to leave for this club to progress. But with elections planned in March 2021 it seems a long way away. How much that Neymar release clause and departure has destroyed this club!

 

As for Bayern. I wrote about their brilliance a few weeks ago. A couple of seasons of finding themselves post Guardiola looks to have reached fruition. The additions of players like Goretzka and of course Alphonso Davies, as well as the growth and maturity of Alaba at LCB and Kimmich at CM/RWB has allowed the team to have youth, speed and experience throughout. And Flick’s move into the hot seat has been perfect for this side. After Kovac this was a team which lost its way, frustrations between players and staff. And a general feeling of lacking direction and purpose. Flick stepped in and changed the whole feeling and culture. He brought more structure, embraced Muller instead of Kovac who couldn't get the best out of him, and added the ruthlessness in their play which has seen them win 31 of Flick’s 34 games. 

With the addition of Sane to add to this side it really does feel that Bayern could be at the top of European football again. With that I would keep Thiago for another season, as hes proven how good he is and important for this team. Could you get a replacement as good? I’m not sure. 

A special mention for what Lewandowski has achieved this year, a quite remarkable achievement. And a note to say how he is the most all rounded forward in world football. This is not just a goalscorer. His movement, his intelligence, his touch, it’s all sublime. What a player!

And talking of legends of the game, Thomas Muller deserves recognition. A player who has been fantastic for a decade in the game and who continues to provide key moments, to bring the energy and determination to help his side, and to play in such a way which offers such variability and intelligence. A top class player who doesn’t get enough mention. 

And as for Alphonso Davies, wow! The speed is something else. But he is a quality skilful player, the dribble for Kimmich’s goal was incredible. A forward converted to left wing back, and thriving through his skill-set. At 19 years of age this guy is proving to the best left wing back in the game. What an exciting talent he is! 

 

Man City’s prolificacy costs them once again

Let’s get to Man City and Guardiola. First thing, he over thought it once again. 

After the games against Lyon last season they had clearly spooked him and he was worried this time about how they could expose his side. And Lyon aren’t bad at all, they played very well against PSG in the cup final and did decently against Juve. They are a good side. But City are a great side. And he was too worried about them, which affected his side. He changed a team which had destroyed Madrid, he didn’t see a place for Bernardo Silva or Phil Foden in midfield, even though both have offered so much quality in recent weeks. He didn't even play De Bruyne in a good position. And I still think he doesn’t give Mahrez enough chances, as he provides such a threat when he plays. A more attacking line could have killed the game. 

The important stat about City winning 18 of 18 when they went 1-0 up, compared to a very mixed results when 1-0 down, highlighted the importance of City attacking from the start and getting an early goal, then controlling the game and picking up more goals as the spaces opened up. It’s no surprise City go on to win 5-0 when they score first. They bring teams out and destroy them. And yet he approached this game with caution. Invited the pressure and said to his players that he didn’t trust them. It’s another game where Pep once again goes against logic, overthinks his approach, ultimately limits his team and provides the opposition with belief. This is becoming a consistent issue for Guardiola now. One which has resulted in him not reaching a Champions League since 2011. 

Take your chances, win the game

But how this outcome and criticism could have been different had City taken their chances. One of the problems City have had this season has been a profligacy in front of goal. So many chances missed and wasted. And by missing chances they leave themselves vulnerable as defensively they have been sloppy also. This game had two big chances – Jesus at 1-1 where he hit it over. And the Sterling chance at 1-2 – the type of goal he has become synonymous with. It’s a tap in and as easy a chance as you could want. These moments weren't about tactics but poor execution in a vital moment. The same issue with United against Sevilla. Take your chances and you put pressure on the opposition, kill their spirit and belief. Yet if you don’t convert you not only affect your mentality but instil a sense of belief in the opponents. And this is what both Manchester clubs did this weekend. If Sterling scores and makes it 2-2 and City probably win with momentum. But then the anguish of the miss leads to the 3^rd goal for Lyon, poor defending and shocking keeping from Ederson. 

Ultimately it was a game where he got his setup wrong, yet where chances were had to still win yet ultimately the teams fragility and errors cost them. It’s pretty much what City have been all season. One wonders if they can galvanise and come back with more intensity and intent this coming season. Because this project is dependent on European success. And it doesn’t look as though they are capable of achieving it still. In fact it may be that they are further now then they’ve been since Pep arrived!

As for Lyon, bravo to them. Undervalued and written off easily beforehand. Yet they worked extremely hard to get this win. The subs from Rudi Garcia were perfectly timed and executed. And as a team they achieved together. They rode their luck in both the games against Juve and City but they have managed to find a way to the semi finals. What an achievement! 

 

To conclude, these games have been really fantastic. All different in terms of the way the games developed, the tactics and the story during and after. What is clear is that Bayern are the best team in the competition. Neymar is the best player. Upamecano may well be the best CB in the world soon. Nagelsmann and Flick are proving to be extremely talented coaches. Barca are a shambles. Atletico and City were too cautious and were punished. And Atalanta were missing their star striker. 

Overall a great week of football. 

You can hate the super rich clubs, you can hate the money in football, the corruption, the Gazprom sponsonrship of the competition. You can miss the fans and atmosphere. But as a spectacle of football – this was a pretty good week. And after these tough months around the world, it was just nice to enjoy top level football every night wasn’t it? 

 

The Whitehouse Address @TheWAddress