Madrid's recycling midfield triangle. The first of four meetings between these sides produced a magnificent game, but it was always going to be about how Madrid responded to Barcelona. It's a shame then that Madrid were brought down to ten men and we didn't see the fullness of Mounrinho's second-half tactical shift. Jose deployed a new formation yesterday evening, placing a tight triangle made from two defense midfielders and a center back smack in the middle of Barcelona's attack. Alonso, Khedira and Pepe–yes, Pepe–rotated defensive and attacking duties amongst themselves, working in tandem to break up the passing game from Iniesta and Xavi, and when they won the ball one of them would spring forward into the attack. Very often it was Pepe, and though it seemed odd at first to see the holding back pushing into the opposing side's penalty box, it soon became evident
Is this the man to unlock Barça's defense? There are a number of matches worth watching this weekend: the Manchesters facing off Saturday in the FA Cup semifinal is certainly worth your time, as are Udinese at Napoli and Arsenal hosting Liverpool on Sunday. But these games pale in comparison to the first of four el clásicos taking place over the next three weeks. Saturday's match at the Bernabéu won't have quite the impact on the league table that Madridistas would've hoped for at the beginning of the season (specifically after that 5-0 spanking at the Camp Nou), but even with the league gone and the teams meeting in the Copa del Rey final next wednesday you can expect a full-blooded affair. Mourinho went full psychological battle this afternoon when he sat silently next to his assistant during a press conference, refusing to answer any questions himself. A classic tactic
Chelsea travel to Manchester today to play in the only quarterfinal match that remains winnable by either side. The Londoners head into Old Trafford a goal down and perhaps lacking the confidence to steal it back. It doesn't help matters that their floppy-haired central defender David Luiz is cup-tied and cannot play, nor that the £50M man up front can't seem to find the back of the net. United are, well, United. They persevere. Even without key components of their team for long periods this season (Valencia, misfiring Rooney, Ferdinand) they've managed to reach the FA Cup semifinal, the quarters of the Champions League, and are sitting 8 points clear at the top of the Prem. Chelsea, who are usually bigger and faster than the teams they come up against, weren't able to convert their extra inches into goals, and looked a little slow in attack during the first leg.
Luiz Adriano breaks through the Barca defense, but nothing ever came of his thrusting movement. This first leg of Champions League quarter finals has produced some wonderful football. We saw crafted, powerful and improbable goals, comebacks and wins away from home, and a very entertaining match in Barcelona whose score doesn't give enough credit to the visiting Ukrainian club Shaktar Donestk. I was particularly excited for this match-up. I really thought the Brazilian carnival would produce a shock result in Barcelona, or at least stick a few into the net in a high scoring affair that would give them a chance in the return leg. But fortune wasn't on the side of "wily old cat" Mircea Lucescu's boys, and while they did produce some lovely attacking movement and held the ball nicely, they couldn't finish as calmly or often as the home team. A couple months
We've been keeping an eye on "Las claves de Johan Cryuff"--the weekly column Cryuff writes for the Barcelona newspaper El Periodico. This week's column is primarily about how the dynamic for the rest of the season has changed for Real Madrid and FC Barcelona, following Madrid's loss to Sporting Gijon last Saturday. But with the headline ("¿El Shakhtar? Un señor equipo" / "Shaktar? A real team") and in the concluding paragraphs, Cryuff warns the Barcelona faithful not to look past their Ukrainian foes in today's Champions League quarterfinal matchup: Los ucranianos son singulares. Yo diría que únicos. Son dos equipos en uno: portero, defensas y mediocentros del país más algún europeo de calidad (el más destacado, el croata Srna, buen carrilero); centrocampistas ofensivos y delanteros brasileños. Muchos y con talento. Dos conjuntos en uno que su técnico ha sabido convertir en un señor equipo, sólido atrás y peligroso delante. El peor
Why do I do it to myself? Why do I convince myself that maybe this time it will be different? What, in a lifetime of supporting Spurs, lead me to a point where I could write this and think it was rational to predict we might win? I spent a lot of hours, not that long ago, comparing Tottenham to The Wire, and yet, somehow, I failed to learn my own lesson. I could probably re-watch that whole series and think that this time Frank Sobotka will be alright, that Michael and Dukie have a bright future coming and that Wallace is will enjoy a life in the country. But that's not way it happened. And Spurs were never going to go to Madrid and win - how did I convince myself they might? From the moment Adebayor (of course it had to be an ex-Arsenal play to inflict the
On Tuesday, Tottenham head to the Bernabeu to take on Real Madrid in the quarter-finals of the Champions League. Wow, I did not think a couple of years ago I would be able to type that - from away defeat to Grimsby in 2005, to taking on the most successful team in the history of the most prestigious European club competition. Anything from this point on really should be a bonus for Spurs fans - but it's hard to look at the game and not see a marvelous opportunity to progress even further. Van der Vaart returns to play against the club who sold him just 7 months ago First of all, there is some debate as to who will actually be lining up for Real in the first leg: Ronaldo was "definitely out" but looks likely to start; Benzema is perhaps going to miss out;
It's an action-packed week in Europe, with quarterfinal fixtures in both UEFA club competitions--Champions League and Europa League. The Champions League gets all the attention of course, with the eight remaining teams playing the first leg of the quarterfinals on Tuesday and Wednesday. On Tuesday, Spurs make the trip to Spain to play Real Madrid, and defending champions Inter Milan host surprising Schalke. On Wednesday, it's a battle of English rivals at Stamford Bridge--Chelsea versus Manchester United; while another surprise quarterfinalist, Shakhtar Donetsk, make the long trip from eastern Ukraine to play ball-hogging Barcelona. They'll all turn around and play the return legs next week (April 12-13). But after gorging on those four matches Tuesday and Wednesday, don't neglect the Europa League quarterfinals--all eight (1st leg) fixtures will be played Thursday, with a bunch of interesting clubs on display: three from Portugal (Porto, Benfica, Braga); two from the Netherlands (Twente
