The Munich Inquisition

The last few days have been hell to me and in truth I’m not so sure I’ve completely recovered yet. No, I haven’t been sick or unwell health-wise. If you’re still lost, I’m referring to Saturday’s UEFA Champions League final at the Fussball Arena, Munich. Good guess, I’m not a Chelsea fan. The events that transpired on the night left me sick, drained, dejected, disgusted, I could go on and on.

How Bayern Munich lost that match and the chance to become European champions for the fifth time still beats me. Seriously, how did that happen? You may be wondering why I’m getting this personal or to put it bluntly, why am I ‘catching feelings?’ Simple! I’ve been a Bayern fan for as long as I can remember and so in a way, I felt hard done by. I still do.

Back to the football itself, Bayern dominated possession, pressed and pressed, got the breakthrough goal in the 83^rd minute then totally lost the plot. Five minutes later, Chelsea clawed themselves back to take the match to extra time, where Arjen Robben contrived to fluff a penalty (and he’s perfected that art) and almost half an hour later, Chelsea were lifting the trophy, as I squirmed and winced on the couch in utter disbelief. I’m not going to begrudge the winners of the night, so congratulations to Chelsea Football Club, 2012 European Champions. I’ve been trying to figure out what went wrong, hoping that in future the same won’t befall any of my teams and I came up with this:

1.      Arjen Robben

Undoubtedly the villain of the match (and by extension, the season). The fact that Bayern Munich finished the season as the ‘almost’ champion in all the competitions they took part in is largely down to this Dutch attacker. Now, Robben when fit is one of the best players in the world. He has this ability to turn on the style with individual brilliance and change the course of a game at any point. Obviously he was expected to deliver and if he delivered in that final, this post would have been different. Somehow after wasting so many chances, he managed to throw away the penalty they had been awarded in extra time when the easiest and logical thing to do would be to bury it. That was the turning point and really, Bayern were never going to win after that. You would think that miss will forever haunt him, but no, he’s got plenty more, like when Bayern faced Dortmund away in the Bundesliga a few weeks ago. With Dortmund leading 1-0, Bayern were awarded a penalty in the 84^th minute and up stepped Robben and the outcome was obvious. He missed, and effectively ended any hopes they had of piping the champions to the title. I doubt whether Bert van Marwijk will let him take a penalty for the Dutch in the Euros even in a match they are running riot 6-0.

2.      Jupp Heynckes

When Jupp was named Bayern manager sometime back I wondered why they did that. Digging up a bit, I learned that he had won the Champions League with Real Madrid in 1998 so I thought, well, he must have been a decent coach. At this point though, I have to emphasize the fact that I’ve never really liked him. The final just further vindicated my dislike of him. With David Alaba and Holger Badstuber suspended, Heynckes opted to replace them with Contento at left back and Anatoliy Tymoschuk at center back. When I saw the line-up I had no problem with Contento but felt Tymoschuk shouldn’t have been deployed out of position in a match of this magnitude. I know he did well regardless, but just after Bayern had taken the lead, the manager made a substitute that did not bemuse me one bit, Daniel Van Buyten for Thomas Mueller. Really?

Surely if you have Van Buyten, a central defender and a potential goal threat, available for selection, why not start with him? In the match Bayern had like 20 corners or so without actually threatening. With Van Buyten a proven aerial threat, I can’t help but wonder ‘what if…?’ Still on the said substitution, you’re leading by a goal in a final with roughly only 10 minutes to go. You then take off your goal scorer and your most effective goal threat and replace him with a defender? Fine, maybe you want to protect your lead. Is that necessary though, when your opponents have been playing in their own half all along? At the moment I thought that having broken Chelsea’s resistance, Bayern would even pile more pressure as opposed to stepping off the gas and allowing Chelsea to up the tempo. And it was evident during extra time when the Bavarians had overloaded their defense and ran out of options and ideas due to the absence of Mueller.

By midway in the second half, Mario Gomez was evidently jaded and subdued, but rather than take the bold step and replace him with Ivica Olic, Jupp let him prolong his profligacy in front of goal. Yes, fine, Olic did eventually come on, but it was late and he was played on the left, where he was always going to be less than effective. Had he been the center forward, the Croat would have been more a nuisance to the Chelsea rear-guard than Gomez was, and who knows?

Jupp Heynckes is a respected manager and maybe rightly so. Do I think he’s right for Bayern Munich? Hardly. The fact that you’re in charge of the biggest club in Germany yet you’re outsmarted thrice by a rival manager in the same season shows you don’t quite cut it. Bayern were beaten 1-0 home and away in the Bundesliga then humiliated 5-2 in the DFB Pokal (German Cup) final by one team, Borussia Dortmund. Being on the receiving end of all that sure doesn’t make you a great coach, and I’m sorry but at Bayern Munich, that’s unacceptable!

I would have gone on but enough of spitting brimstone. People say that it had been written that Chelsea were going to win the Champions League, and they are probably right. What I’m not sure about is where this was written and who wrote it. Finals are won and lost, but also what you do during the game actually decides whether or not you win. I choose to think Bayern Munich bottled this one.

The Final

Finally destination Munich is here! From the 32 teams that were drawn in the group stage at the start of the season, only two are still standing. Indeed it is Bayern Munich and Chelsea that will slug it out on the night of May 19^th at the Allianz Arena for the grandest prize in European club football: the UEFA Champions League trophy. So who will emerge champions? The Reds or The Blues?

At the start of the season when the draw was made, I (as many others did too) pointed out 3 teams that were favorites to lift the trophy: the reigning champions Barcelona, newly crowned Spanish champions Real Madrid and Bayern Munich, the hosts of the final. And true to form, these three giants made it to the last four of the competition. The logical expectation at the time was that two of them would ultimately make it to the final, with most experts predicting an El Clasico of Real versus Barca. I put my money on a Bayern-Barca final. As it turns out the Germans made it alright, but the final would prove too tall an order for the two Spanish powerhouses. Chelsea managed to pull off the improbable and have undoubtedly merited their date with destiny in the final.

Chelsea’s season by all stretch of imagination has been as strange as they come. For the past 8 seasons we have been used to Chelsea challenging for top honors domestically and also proving destructive in Europe. But whoever scripted the Blues’ 2011-12 season must indeed harbor a wicked sense of humor. The season started with the recruitment of Porto’s treble winning manager, the young Andre Villas-Boas. This was seen by many as a bold step and a revolution of sorts but it came to naught. The Portuguese’s futuristic thinking and approach failed miserably to inspire Chelsea’s trusted old guard and by February he was on his way out. By that time Chelsea’s title challenge had long fizzled out and even the prospect of finishing in the lucrative top four places in the league was bleak. In the Champions League, they had huffed and puffed past their group only to be completely destroyed in Naples by a rampaging Napoli in the first leg of the round of 16 knockouts.

Enter Roberto Di Matteo. Having been promoted from being Assistant Manager to the top position albeit as caretaker, the Italian embraced the unenviable task to picking up the pieces, assuring and inspiring the old men and getting the Blue ship back onto safe waters. It seemed impossible, considering the damage that had already been done up to that point. Little did we know that the soft-spoken legend had something up his sleeve. He turned the tide, as the thrilling fight back at the Bridge in the second leg to knock out Napoli exhibited. There was a renewed belief and hunger in the squad once again. The epitome of Di Matteo’s miracles certainly has to be how he marshaled his bruised troops to stage probably the defensive performance of all time to knock out holders Barcelona over the two legs. Simply, legendary stuff that was. Add to the fact that they go to the final as newly crowned FA Cup champions and the disastrous start of the season seems like ages past.

For Bayern Munich, surely if their season was code-named, it would be ‘Operation Home Final’. Even among the big guns at the club, it is an open secret that the Bavarians’ prime objective for the season has been to rule Europe once again. The fact that the final would be staged at their beloved Allianz Arena only served to fuel this already burning desire. In no other instance is this more evident than the manner they annihilated Basel 7-0 in the quarter final second leg at home to overturn a one-goal first leg deficit. The appearance in the final aside, a season like this when FC Hollywood lost the league to Dortmund and got a thorough 5-2 thrashing by the same team in the German Cup final would be viewed as an unacceptable failure but it’s different this time. This only shows how much Bayern badly wants this trophy.

The Germans go in to this match as the favorites definitely, considering European pedigree, the quality of players that will line out for them and of course obviously the fact that they are playing on home turf. It is debatable to say that playing at home is an advantage as with it comes added pressure to perform. In any case since the competition rebranded in 1992, no team has ever won the final at home. Then again Bayern is one of Europe’s biggest teams and big teams rarely lose at home when it really matters. On the issue of pressure, well, the ticket allocations to both sets of fans will be roughly 50-50 hence pressure from home fans won’t count for much.

Both teams go into the final with their back-lines tweaked to some extent due to suspensions and this could be decisive ultimately. Chelsea will be without captain John Terry who was red carded against Barca and Branislav Ivanovic who’s serving a one-match suspension. These two defensive stalwarts have been key for the Blues and their importance cannot be over-emphasized. Apart from their defensive abilities, they both have a knack for scoring vital goals up field, case in point being Ivanovic’s goal against Napoli that sent Chelsea to the quarters. Furthermore, the other two center backs, David Luiz and Gary Cahill are only now coming back from injuries and even if they make the squad, their match fitness for such a high profile match is highly questionable. Bayern too have problems in defence as both Holger Badstuber and David Alaba are suspended. Its Alaba’s absence that will be most felt as throughout this campaign the lively young Austrian has nothing short of sensational with his marauding runs at opposing defences on the left flank. He’s also developed a devastating partnership with Frank Ribery and Bayern will sorely miss that.

The game will be won (and lost) in the midfield. This is quite an overused cliché, I know, but it will be proved right once again. I can confidently note that Bayern’s midfield is far superior to Chelsea’s. And this is where the English have been hardest hit by suspensions. Both Ramires and Raul Meireles accrued their respective second yellow cards at the Camp Nou and hence are out. Honestly it is hard to see how Chelsea will win without Ramires given the kind of breath-taking form he’s been of late. The Brazilian set up Drogba’s goal against Barcelona at the Bridge and went one better in the return leg, starting of the Blues’ fight back with that cheeky chip and goal that confirmed to us that he really is Brazilian and not just on his passport. Meireles on the other hand can play both defensive and attacking roles with equal effectiveness and his absence is really a big blow. For Bayern, Luis Gustavo will miss out. He’s been influential in the middle of the pack imposing his presence and disrupting opposing attacks. It’s a pity all this great talent will be denied an appearance on the big stage.

It will be interesting how the coaches, Jupp Heynckes of Bayern and Roberto Di Matteo of Chelsea will deal with the forced deficiencies. Whether Heynckes will replace Gustavo with Anatoliy Tymoschuk alongside Bastian Schweinsteiger for a more conservative approach or have Toni Kroos drop deep to partner Schweini and Thomas Mueller to play in the ‘hole’ for a more attack minded approach remains to be seen. For Chelsea it would seem that either of Michael Essien and Oriol Romeu might be called upon. Essien is a pale shadow of his former self and so I would fancy Romeu who’s more disciplined, fitter and hungrier.

The attack for both teams if well fed with chances, clear-cut or half, will definitely deliver. Obviously I’m assuming that Di Matteo opts for Didier Drogba, whose big-stage pedigree is well known. Fernando Torres hasn’t done enough to lead the line and should be happy as an impact substitute if needed. For Heynckes, definitely he’ll start with the red hot Mario Gomez who’s simply been scintillating this season. He’s also chasing the top scorer’s accolade, currently headed to Lionel Messi. He will be flanked either by Chelsea old boy ArjenRobben and Franck Ribbery, the duo otherwise affectionately known as ‘Robbery’. The Robbery alone is enough to tear any water-tight defence to shreds and if given an inch, they’ll grab a mile without hesitation. Chelsea will have to be wary, and rightly so.

I see Bayern Munich imposing themselves and dictating the pace of the game, with Chelsea on the back foot, defending in numbers and waiting for the odd opening to launch sporadic but hopefully effective counter attacks. Honestly it is difficult to see Chelsea approaching the game any different. With both defences highly susceptible, and there being nothing much to separate Manuel Neuer and PetrCech, the midfield will be key to winning this. Schweinsteiger who was so brilliant against Real Madrid is coming back to his finest form will be the key player once again. I don’t see Frank Lampard keeping up with the German, I really don’t.

Should the match go to penalties, you know how the Germans fare in penalties. Chelsea fans, I’m sorry but they just never lose and this will be no different. Then again what we’ve learnt this season is never to write off Chelsea. They just seem to get the job done when it really matters. It should be a great final, though not a very open one. Who will win? Well, the Champions League trophy will be staying in Germany before it returns to Wembley next May. All said and done, let’s hope football reigns supreme on Saturday night.

The Manchester United end-of-season review

They say karma is a bitch. Either way, she’ll come get you, sooner or later. For Sir Alex Ferguson and Manchester United, the events that transpired between 6:50 p.m and 7:00 p.m (local time) on 13^th May 2012 do prove the above saying right.

Flash back to 26^th May 1999, venue: Camp Nou, Barcelona, the occasion: the UEFA Champions League final. After witnessing Manchester United pull off the greatest Houdini act in modern football, Sir Alex Ferguson had this to say, “Football? Bloody hell.”  We thought we would never see a day like it, I was only 8 ½ then. But how wrong we all were; the gods of football and karma all had something to prove on 13^th May 2012. When Wayne Rooney scored against Sunderland for the 1-0 lead, I held my nerve. It was the famous “last throw of the dice” in Kipling’s If. Then Zabaleta scored against QPR. It was all over, but then Cisse and Mackie scored. I dared to believe, before Dzeko and Aguero put it to bed. I felt, and I’m sure that every United fan felt the same, robbed; finally understanding what FC Bayern Munchen fans must have felt in 1999.

But then again, United weren’t robbed. They had choked on the grandest stage, more so that 4-4 draw at home against Everton, where a 2-goal lead was allowed to slip. They had choked at the DW, facing a Wigan side that had never beaten United since they got into the Premier League (but credit to them, they were fighting relegation, they beat Liverpool and Arsenal away, and were robbed blind at Stamford Bridge). They choked when they lost to a relegated side (Blackburn) at Old Trafford. They had let an 8 point lead get whittled down. I’m not even talking about the derby at the Etihad where an ultra-defensive display led to this being the first United side I had ever seen not to register a single shot on or off target.

For me, this season was a shambles. Trophyless for the first time since the 2004-2005 season, to put that into perspective, that was when I was a mere Form 1. An absolute disaster, we ended up with the ‘Certificate of Participation’ held by Arsenal and other teams. Even Chelsea, for all their musical chairs in the dressing room have FA Cup silver, and have a chance on Saturday at the Holy Grail of European football, the UEFA Champions League. However, it’s not all gloom. This United side is one of the youngest since the famed Class of ’92 (despite Fergie insisting on a midfield in the derby with a combined age of 137). The new signings have exceeded some expectations. Some players have stepped up. The end-of-season report thus begins.

New signings

Ashley Young: He has been a real revelation at the left. He jinks and cuts inside, either to cross or to curl in a shot of real beauty. His doubles against Arsenal and Tottenham were all class, not forgetting his assist to Giggs in the last minute at Norwich. However, he has attracted an unwholesome reputation as a diver, and coupled with an injury and the subsequent loss of form in mid-season, this was the only blot in an otherwise good season.

 David De Gea: Where do you even start? At 18 million pounds, he is easily one of the most expensive goalkeepers of all time. Throw in his tender age, his lack of knowledge of English, an unfortunate shop-lifting incident and some major gaffes in goal for United. Absolute disaster, no? But he’s proved all his doubters wrong (me included) especially with that match saving performance against Chelsea. A call-up to the Spain senior team beckons (he’s in the provisional squad for Euro 2012), and certainly a better second season in Manchester.

Phil Jones: He’s been called the next John Terry (why would anyone compare him to John Terry for crying out loud?). Sir Bobby Charlton compared him with Duncan Edwards (who would have been the greatest United player ever had Munich not happened). A future England captain, he displays English football’s ebullient nature. Hugely versatile (he’s played at centre back, right back and midfield), the future is bright for this 17 million pound steal from Blackburn.

 Best match of the season: Who can forget the 8-2 drubbing of Arsenal at Old Trafford? The new United, with Cleverley and Anderson running rings in midfield, Nani and Young tormenting the fullbacks, Rooney and Welbeck having a field day against Koscielny and Djourou, De Gea saving a van Persie penalty…what indeed could be better?

Worst match of the season: I’m not going to say the 1-6 drubbing by City at old Trafford. The worst match of the season was the Europa League first-leg match against Athletic Bilbao at Old Trafford. United were slaughtered and massacred. If there was a match which highlighted United’s worst qualities, it was this one. Rafael’s complacency to let in Muniain, Giggs’ age finally showed around Susaeta’s and Oscar de Marcos’ slick passing and rapid movement. The lack of a midfield destroyer was obvious.

Best player of the season: This season has seen some massive improvement from Jonny Evans. When Vidic was ruled out for the season, I feared for the worst. However, Evans has proved me wrong, forming an impressive partnership with Ferdinand. Michael Carrick has been superb in the midfield; Wayne Rooney has had his best goal-scoring season yet. But it’s a no-brainer that the stand-out performer has been Luis Antonio Valencia. The Ecuadorian winger is every left-back’s worst nightmare. Full of pace and power, remarkably unselfish (he prefers laying an assist instead of going for goal, a complete contrast to both Nani and Cristiano Ronaldo), and has had a decent shift at right back when an injury crisis rocked Old Trafford, he truly deserved being both Players’ and Fans’ Player of the Year awards.

Worst player of the season: Some players have not had a great season. Rafael is always susceptible to a rash foul and lack of awareness (remember the Bilbao match anyone?) Patrice Evra has obviously lost that yard of pace essential in a modern fullback. Anderson is consistently inconsistent; Hernandez and Berbatov have been constantly overlooked. However, Park Ji-Sung has had his worst season yet. Maybe it’s because last season he set such high standards that were difficult to match. The 1-0 derby loss was the most telling, as was the 1-2 loss to Ajax at Old Trafford.

Areas to improve: The midfield is so terrible that a 37 year old had to be coaxed out of retirement to keep it steady. Then a promising youngster, who could be the midfield destroyer United desperately needs, just decides to pack his bags and head to Juventus. So far, I like the Shinji Kagawa vibe, but what United really need is either Javi Martinez from Bilbao or Kevin Strootman from PSV, a midfield hardman who can pass and retain the ball in equal measure. United need both a right-back and left-back, I really hope this Debuchy and Baines/Jordi Alba deals are not mere speculation. The defence also needs some extra conditioning, and the mental strength of some of the lads is suspect.

Clearout: This ought to be the summer of clearouts. I’ve already identified Owen, Anderson, Berbatov (to be fair to him , he has never fit in United’s style of play), Bebe and Park as those who should leave Old Trafford for good. This coming season will definitely be Giggs and Scholes’ last season. Players who should be given just one more chance to prove themselves include the da Silvas, Ferdinand and Evra. The young players who need to step up an extra notch to be truly world class include Hernandez, Smalling, Jones, Welbeck and Cleverley. Plus the return of Vidic and Fletcher doesn’t look like a bad idea.

Having said that, let me repeat this (and hope I don’t sound like an Arsenal fan), “Ngojeni next season mtaona!”

Pep Talk: Change of Guard

I have to say it is great to be back doing this. Indeed it has been long since my last post and I can only hope I haven’t lost my touch. With that out of the way, I’ve got to admit this is not what I was going to write about initially. That honor was to go to the upcoming Manchester Derby cum Premier League title decider, but the events of the past few days have necessitated otherwise.

In that period of time, one team has dominated football headlines for rather strange reasons. Yes, your guess is as good as any, FC Barcelona. In the space of just six days, this all-conquering side has surrendered the La Liga title to bitter rivals Real Madrid, relinquished their hold on the Champions League title rather unceremoniously to Chelsea and to cap all that, the inspiration behind their success, legend and coach Josep Guardiola decided to call time on his 4-year reign at the Catalan club. Of course this is nothing new in football. Teams do crash out of multiple competitions in a matter of days (read Wenger’s Arsenal) and coaches/managers come and go. It happens all the time. So what makes this case so unique and a stand out?

When Pep took over from Frank Rijkaard in 2008 as the manager of Barca, he was relatively unknown out of Catalonia and Spain (at least his coaching career). When I for one heard the news of his appointment I was a bit shocked. With the success that Rijkaard had brought to the Blaugrana, it was always going to be widely expected for his replacement to be an established and proven tactician in club football. Not that I hadn’t heard of the name ‘Guardiola.’ Far from it though, at the turn of the century, I had seen and heard of him in action in Barca’s midfield and ultimately at Roma. For some time after he retired from football, nothing much was heard from Pep till the appointment to the Camp Nou seat came. As I came to learn, in between he was in charge of Barcelona B, his mandate being to churn out first class youngsters who would then seamlessly integrate into the first team. So all in all as much as it was a strange choice by the Barcelona leadership, it wasn’t so far-fetched.

Fast forward to the end of Guardiola’s first season at the helm and Barcelona were the Spanish, King’s Cup and European champions…and not only that, they did that with breath-taking performances hardly witnessed at the top level before. The man had come good, even beyond everyone’s wildest imagination. It didn’t seem like Jose Mourinho was the best anymore. Four years and 13 titles later, he is calling it quits citing he has nothing more to give. Shocking, isn’t it? I mean, with such a stellar record of averaging over 3 trophies per season no one who be expected to walk away. Not forgetting the fact that the team he has built has broken all records and in fact revolutionized football in the way it is played. I for one never thought that one could be able to fuse beautiful one-touch possession football with devastating swift attack and miserly defending to produce spectacular mind blowing results. I always thought something has to give, that something has to be sacrificed for the overall final objective to be realized. Pep Guardiola defied this.

Why quit now (or at the end of the season to be precise)? Fine, he said in his press conference that he felt he had nothing more to give. Is this true though? Or does he fear that he’s now staring at failure straight in the face? Is he that result-oriented that he’s afraid of facing the world when things don’t go well? He said four years in charge of Barcelona feels like an eternity, but what then would the likes of Sir Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger say or think about that? I mean these are managers who have been on the job at big clubs for a combined total of over 40 years! One would think that if there was ever a perfect time for Guardiola to draw the curtains on his tenure, it would have been last May after he won the Champions League title for the second time as manager. It would have been a fitting end, having won it twice to dispel any doubts, the La Liga thrice and while having a world champion medal to show for his brilliance, all these at a time when he had to contend with Jose Mourinho, a man who many (me included) herald as the best in the business. Why chose to pull the plug now just when he’s lost both the European and domestic title? The heart has its reasons, but still…

The norm for the football world now would be to start linking Pep with plum jobs all over Europe, but that seems rather unlikely given the fact that he has said he needs at least a year’s break from the game to get over the ‘emptiness’ he’s experiencing. Whether he’ll stick to his word we’ll just have to wait and see given the apparent availability of top-drawer managerial and coaching jobs on offer. England national team, Inter Milan, Chelsea, Aston Villa just to name a few vacancies that would be triggered by the availability of a name like Pep Guardiola. Alright, maybe the mention of Aston Villa in that context is a bit sensational but like sports manufacturer Adidas’ mantra goes, impossible is nothing.

So what becomes of Guardiola’s beloved Barca? Well apparently his assistant, Tito Vilanova has been officially ear-marked to replace him at the end of the season. Yes, Vilanova, another relatively unknown entity. Though if you’re keen you’ll have seen a constant figure seated next to Pep in the Barca dugout during matches. That’s the man. In fact, he’s the Barcelona official who was finger-poked in the eye by Jose Mourinho during one of those fiery, adrenalin-charged El Clasicos last season. Certainly his appointment represents continuity to his predecessor’s policy and is also a safe bet. Can he deliver? History has it that assistants don’t often soar as high as their bosses, when given the chance, but looking at Joachim Loew and Roberto Di Matteo for instance, maybe the tide is turning. 

From a football fan’s perspective, of course one would want to see Barcelona continue raising the bar in terms of style of football played and productivity that comes along with it. Then again this change in Barcelona leadership represents a paradigm shift of sorts to their rivals both at home and in Europe. It is the end of an era, yes, but it might as well be a sabbatical to recharge batteries with the aim of a more incisive stab in the future. Here’s wishing Pep Guardiola a fulfilling break. Do come back though.

Destination Munich

From sweet sixteen, to now just the great eight. The 2011-12 UEFA Champions League is now at the quarter final stage as the fight for a date with destiny in Bavaria come May intensifies. Today the draw was done and the die cast. Now we have a clear picture of how the final might look like. How about we go through the ties one by one and see what to expect, shall we?

APOEL Nicosia v Real Madrid

A walk-over? The easiest fixture of the lot? In all honesty with the form that Real Madrid have exhibited so far, it’s hard not to view this fixture that way. Take nothing away from APOEL though, they’ve been worthy of dining on European football’s high table. Indeed the Cypriots showed plenty of tenacity, grit and character by overturning a 1-0 deficit against seasoned campaigners Olympique Lyonnais to proceed. They are now up against arguably the best club in the world this season, nine-time champions, Real Madrid. For Madrid and manager Jose Mourinho, this is a trophy they really want to have for keeps considering it would be a record tenth title. Iker Casillas is as evergreen as ever, Cristiano Ronaldo is taking no prisoners and Kaka is rediscovering his magic touch. And of course, Mourinho is still The Special One. APOEL can only thank the gods for orchestrating a dream trip to the Santiago Bernabeu, but really there is where it all ends. Madrid should comfortably get past this one in to the semi finals.

SL Benfica v Chelsea

Very few (including the writer) gave Chelsea a chance of making it to the quarters especially after they were dismantled by Napoli in the first leg in Naples but they pulled off a classic come back at the Bridge to book a place in the last 8. Benfica too staged a comeback albeit a less spectacular one to overcome Zenit. This tie really is one that can be rated 50-50, could go either way. The Blues showed some quality and determination against Napoli but in all honesty their season has been indifferent. Under caretaker manager and legend, Roberto Di Matteo there have been signs of them coming back to feared unit that they have been in recent years. In Benfica, they face one of the silkiest and slickest teams in Europe. The Portuguese outfit has the talent and guile to hold their own against Europe’s best. Key to them winning will be getting the best out of Alex Witsel, Nicolas Gaitan, Jarvi Garcia and Oscar Cardozo in the home leg at the Estadio da Luz. Chelsea meanwhile are embroiled in the scrap for 4^th spot in the Premier League and that might prove to be their undoing. Still, they have the experience and pedigree to get the better of Benfica.

Olympique Marseille v Bayern Munich

Can the Big Red Machine be stopped in their powerful march to the coveted home final appearance? Indeed it seems as if that is what serves to drive on Bayern Munich if their unbelievable 7-0 demolition of Basel at the Allianz Arena is anything to go by. Marseille on their part will feel they are competitive enough to match, if not to beat the Germans after snatching victory from former champions, Inter. It is fair to say Bayern’s attack at the moment is the most fearsome in Europe and if they click into gear, OM will be skinned in a bloodshed that could get ugly. Didier Deschamps’ men have done well to get to where they are but you get the feeling they just won’t match up. The likes of Loic Remy, Andre Ayew and Brandao are not prolific enough compared to Arjen Robben, Thomas Mueller, Franck Ribery and of course, Mario Gomez. Super Mario is in the form of his life and if there’s anyone who’s going to have the most say in this, it is him. FC Hollywood (Bayern Munich) marches on to the next reel of the Champions League installment.

AC Milan v Barcelona

In what is the undisputed stand-out tie of the draw, the two giants of the European game meet yet again in the competition this season. In the two occasions they met in the group stage they treated us to sumptuous football of the highest order and definitely similar if not better is expected this time round. The Catalans are increasingly looking like they could be the first team to successfully defend their title, with some celestial displays they’ve doled out so far. Milan have every reason to be concerned as while they were holding on for a 3-0 loss at Arsenal, the Blaugrana were demolishing Leverkusen 7-1 with Lionel Messi pulling off a perfect virtuoso 5-goal haul. Can the Rossoneri defense keep up with the ruthlessly marauding little man from Argentina? At their best, Milan have proved that they too can get it and get it right courtesy of the Robinho-Ibrahimovic-Prince Boateng triumvirate. The spectacular specials of Prince are well documented including that wonder goal against the same opponents at the San Siro. If Iniesta, Xavi and Fabregas pulls the strings in midfield as normal and Messi bangs them in like only he knows how, it will be Barca proceeding to the semis.

Yes, so that’s it. The semi finals should most likely take this shape: Bayern Munich v Real Madrid and Chelsea v Barcelona. As much as I would like to predict the outlook of the final, let’s not get ahead of ourselves.

The Dug Out.   

Champions League Reminisces

Tonight marks the return to our screens of Europe’s premier club competition, the UEFA Champions League. We are now at the round of 16 knock out stage as we edge ever closer to that May final in Munich at the Allianz Arena. Much as The Dug Out would very much wish to make predictions on the various ties, this piece is all about reminiscing past finals in the hope that this years’ edition will trump all the others. So here goes The Dug Out’s past Champions League final experiences.

2000 – Paris (Stade de France)

Yes, yes I know you would have wanted The Dug Out to mention the 1999 final, but sadly, he was too young to know what was going on. So, on to the final at the Stade de France in Paris. Three Spanish teams, Real Madrid, Valencia and Barcelona made it to the semis with Bundesliga powerhouse Bayern Munich completing the quartet. Real beat Bayern while Valencia dazzled Barcelona to set up an all-Spanish final. For the night, The Dug Out was for Valencia and it duly turned sour as Real Madrid pulled off a vintage display to crush Los Che 3-0 in a disappointingly one-sided final. Fernando Morientes, Steve McManaman and Raul got the goals to secure the Los Merengues their eighth European triumph. And that’s the sour tale of The Dug Out’s maiden Champions League experience.

2001 – Milan (San Siro)

One year later and The Dug Out was now battle-hardened by the previous year’s disappointment and all the more hooked to the riveting saga that is European football. Once again Real Madrid, Valencia and Bayern Munich had made it to the semis, to be joined by the surprise package representing English interests, Leeds. This time round, the Germans would get the better of Madrid, while Valencia edged past Leeds to make a second successive appearance at the finals.The Dug Out though, would not risk tagging along with the Spaniards again and joined the Bayern bandwagon in what would be a bond that would prove to last the test of time. The final itself at one of Europe’s foremost cauldrons proved to be an all-time classic.

Valencia took the lead through the penalty spot only for Bayern to spurn one of their own, courtesy of Mehmet Scholl. The Germans though showed their resilience and in the second half were rewarded when Captain Stefan Effenberg converted another penalty. The game went on from end to end but no defense could be breached. It went to post match penalties past midnight and still the young The Dug Out would not catch sleep. The great Oliver Kahn made the saves to hand Bayern their fourth title and grant The Dug Out his maiden final joy, though he felt pity for the second-time unlucky Valencia.

2002 – Glasgow (Hampden Park)

That Zidane goal. Yes, this is the final in which the great French playmaker Zinedine Zidane etched his name in our hearts and his image in future Champions League highlight reels with that sublime left-footed volley past Hans Joerg Butt in the Leverkusen goal. At this point, The Dug Out had already developed a liking for German teams and duly sided with Bayer Leverkusen in this one, with the Germans having impressively claimed the scalps of Liverpool and Manchester United en route the final. It was to prove another bitter pill for The Dug Out to swallow though as Raul and Zidane cancelled out Lucio’s goal to ensure Real Madrid clinched their ninth title. Great final though, the result notwithstanding.

2003 – Manchester (Old Trafford)

Who would have thought it? A final staged in England yet the trophy contested by two Italian giants! It was the season when the Serie A teams awoke from their slumber to take their place among Europe’s elite with Milan, Inter and Juventus making it to the semis alongside perennial contenders Real Madrid. In the semis, AC Milan bizarrely came tops courtesy of the away goals rule in their two legged derby while Juventus clinically dispatched the champions with sheer class and brilliance.

So there it was, an all-Italian final pitting The Rossoneri against The Old Lady of Turin. Somehow The Dug Out had done his best to hype this final, wildly rooting for Milan. The match itself strangely was an anti-climax, a typical tactical Italian display which sent The Dug Out to sleep in the first half only for him to wake up to its drab continuation in extra time. Inevitably it went to penalties and AC Milan managed to hold their nerves to win the title. A second win for The Dug Out.

2004 – Gelsenkirchen (Veltins Arena)

For the first time since the turn of the century, The Dug Out failed to watch a Champions League final. By some twist of fate, the power company disconnected their house’s meter and since The Dug Out was  in his final year in primary school, the dad wouldn’t fix the electricity just so he could focus on the exams and so the final was missed. That aside, it was a final of the dark horses as FC Porto came up against AS Monaco. The Dug Out badly wanted a fairytale triumph for the Principality side but as it turned out Porto cruised to a 3-0 victory with Jose Mourinho announcing his grand installation to the big stage.

2005 – Istanbul

This was possibly the greatest European final of all time and funny enough (or maybe not), The Dug Out missed this one too, making it two in a row. Hewas just a first former at this top high school which strangely enough did not allow for watching of midweek games. The match was between AC Milan and Liverpool, who were having a rather wretched domestic run and only very few fancied them to pull off an upset. So after night preps, The Dug Out and a few friends gathered round a radio for the live commentary of the game and yeah, with Milan cruising 3-0 at half time, everybody duly went to sleep as it was a ‘done deal’. Let’s just say we woke up the next morning to news of the then British Prime Minister Gordon Brown congratulating Liverpool on their unbelievable effort in winning their fifth European title. They had turned it round by equalizing in dramatic fashion then finished the job in the post-match penalties. The Dug Out has perpetually cursed those who were responsible for him missing that great final. At times he thinks that it might be the sole reason for him missing a place in heaven when the time comes. Oh, and for the record, he was for the losers of the day. 

2006 – Paris (Stade de France)

No football match has ever meant to The Dug Out as much as this one did. It was as he had always dreamed it. His beloved Arsenal taking on Barcelona, whose style he’d always admired. And this time The Dug Out was determined to watch this one at all costs, school rules permitting or not! By this time the rules had been relaxed a bit to allow the senior boys to watch the match at a dormitory recreation room. Since The Dug Out was still just a junior he wouldn’t be granted access to the room and instead had to watch through the window from outside. Yes, that’s how much it meant to him.

It was the purists’ final, with both teams known and revered for their commitment to playing the game beautifully and aesthetically. Arsenal boasted the meanest defence, while Barcelona had the most devastating attack. Something had to give. Around 10 minutes into the match and the Arsenal keeper, Jens Lehmann was given his marching orders. Rather than stifle Arsenal’s resolve, it spurred them to taking the lead through a Sol Campbell header. What followed was tension at its best as Arsenal fought to hold on to the lead. Inevitably it was always going to be too much as Barcelona’s numerical advantage told. They got the two goals they needed to deny Arsenal and The Dug Out what would have been the sweetest of victories. The Dug Out sobbed his eyes sore to sleep. It was cruel. Very cruel.

2007 – Athens

In all honesty, The Dug Out quite enjoyed Milan’s ruthless demolition of Manchester United in the semifinal second leg than the final itself between the Italians and Liverpool. These are the sides that two years ago had produced that dream final in Istanbul and so another cracker was always expected. The Dug Out managed to leave preps in time to catch the second half of a rather tactically cautious final. Needless to say, he wanted and craved for revenge. As it happened two Pippo Inzaghi goals proved enough to hand the Rossoneri their seventh title, despite that late Dirk Kuyt goal which would fail to trigger another famous come back. The Dug Out was only too happy to have broken a three-match losing streak in the finals.

2008 – Moscow (Luzhniki)

Again this was a cracker of a final and indeed the first all-English final. Manchester United was taking on Chelsea and if the recent encounters between the sides was anything to go by, this was going to be an explosive affair. And true to form United took an early lead through Cristiano Ronaldo only to be pegged back minutes to the interval by a Frank Lampard goal. The second half was marred by some quality end to end attacks and close misses by both teams but none could get the winning goal. So once again penalties would decide the destiny of the trophy and you should have seen what a nervous-wreck The Dug Out had become, clad in the Chelsea colors.  There’s no need to go over John Terry’s horribly taken miss that handed Sir Alex Ferguson’s men their third European victory. Another loss for The Dug Out.

2009 – Rome (Stadio Olimpico)

Manchester United had done well to make another appearance in the final in their bid to become the very first team to successfully defend the Champions League title. Their opponents were Barcelona, an irresistible force that had always turned on the style in their demolition of one team after the next. The Dug Out only knew better and rooted for the Catalans, very confident of victory. It would prove to be another one-sided final as goals from Samuel Eto’o and Lionel Messi sealed the deal.

2010 – Madrid (Santiago Bernabeu)

This final was of great significance to The Dug Out in that the protagonists, Inter Milan and Bayern Munich, were teams that he had always loved and supported. So in a way the outcome did not bother him as such. Inter, guided by Jose Mourinho had finally emerged from the shadows of their more illustrious city rivals and were ready to conquer Europe once again. Bayern on the other hand had once again exhibited the famed German efficiency and were looking to once again be at the summit of the European game. The match itself at one of the continent’s grandest venues quite wasn’t the classic we were dying for. Bayern had the most possession but Inter were defensively sound and ruthless on the counter, typical of the Mourinho sides. Two clinical Diego Milito strikes in either half were enough to bring back European glory to the blue half of Milan. In as much as The Dug Out may have wished for the Germans to win, he was happy for his beloved Inter. Forza Nerazzuri!

2011 – London (Wembley)

This was a repeat of the 2009 final and The Dug Out would not expect anything different in terms of the outcome. There was talk of the ‘home’ advantage working in Manchester United’s favor, but only the wildly deluded would bet against the deadly Barcelona carousel. All through the season Barca had been as close to perfection as any footballing side could possibly be. For The Dug Out it was just a matter of what margin the Catalans would win this one. Despite United giving as much as they got in the initial stages, Barcelona would fully assert their dominance on proceedings, completely outplaying and out passing the English to submission. Even though United’s Wayne Rooney scored to make it 1-1 at some point, Pedro, Lionel Messi and David Villa did the necessarily to ensure that Barcelona side had a right to stake their claim as the best football team ever witnessed. The Dug Out on his part was more mesmerized by the celestial display than the result. It was a great night of football.

As we draw closer to that night in Munich later this year, The Dug Out is looking forward to another great final as his topsy turvy love affair with the tournament continues. And as the majestic UEFA Champions League anthem plays in the background, long live the Champions League.