Spanish debacle in the Champions League
Two days have passed since the elimination of the three remaining Spanish teams in the Champions League. Madrid was the first to fall. It was very difficult to overcome a very good team. The Madridistas were very hopeful after the good end of the league. The truth is that yesterday Guardiola's team fell against Lyon. After that, Atletico Madrid was the next one to succumb against Leipzig, which had no history in the Champions League. Atletico were clear favourites and in my opinion it was the biggest surprise.
To finish Barcelona fell in a very humiliating way against Bayer. The blaugranas had surpassed the eliminatory one against the Naples of simple way, but it was known that the Germans of Munich were one of the best equipment of the champions this year and the Barça arrived at its worse moment. The lack of rhythm of competition, the excess of some inopportune vacations according to some, alignments little fortunate, are some of the reasons for the elimination of the three equipment in theory of the best league of the world.
The three rivals of the Spaniards stood out for their desire, their intensity and their physical preparation. Atletico didn't notice it so much, but both City and Bayer seemed to be on motorcycles and Madrid and Barça on bicycles. As a result of this intensity, City made the mistakes of Raphael Varane. But he wasn't the only one to blame: Madrid didn't throw anything on goal. The City goalkeeper went almost unnoticed. The same happened to Barcelona, the high pressure of Bayer created many problems with losses in the most dangerous area. The German players always beat Quique Setién's players in anticipation.
This lack of preparation and intensity can be blamed on the untimely holidays that the players of the Spanish teams had. Some up to 9 days. In a league with the coronavirus in which the preparation has been very particular, to stop so many days to travel, to change the nutritional routine and to be in most of the cases in boats where by logic it is not possible to be trained, it was not most appropriate mainly seeing the days that they have ahead again of vacations.
In a week you lose your form if you don't follow the routine of training, feeding and resting. In addition, you can add to the excesses by being in a much more relaxed environment. The line-ups in all three games were heavily criticised. Madrid took a player out of the starting line-up who, as it turned out, was not 100%, Hazard. Moreover, the player with the most overflow in the team, Vinicius, was left out. Some people also think that in a match where Marcelo has to come back, he should have been from the game. When City scores it takes a long time to make changes. The most appropriate word to define Madrid's game was "impotence". The signings for next season will be Odegard, Hazard, Vinicius and Rodrigo. We'll see if it works. The Belgian won't have any more credit left.
Atletico played with a holding midfielder as a centre-forward and with the team's most unbalanced player on the bench. Llorente and Joao Felix. Besides Morata who in my opinion should have started instead of Diego Costa. In short, the red and white team came out very fearful and conservative. The entry of the Portuguese player changed Atletico and showed that he should have been a starter. The debate is whether Simeone has completed his time or has more credit after all he has achieved at Atletico in recent years.
Barcelona did not make a bet on youth. Clearly he should have bet on Ansu Fati and Riqui Puig. A midfield with Sergi Roberto. Vidal and a De Jong injured for several months to face a Bayer man from Munich is very risky. Barça's transfer plans not only this year but for several seasons now have been disastrous. The squad is clearly short and the Masia has disappeared. Replacing players like Xabi, Iniesta, Puyol, Dani Alves and especially Neymar is very complicated.
They are unique players but the reality is that the substitutes are not even close to the quality of the ones mentioned before and only with Messi and Suarez you cannot maintain the level. The humiliation of the Bayer will serve to finish the agony of this Barça of the last years. It will be necessary to summon elections and to make a deep remodeling of the directive, the technical body and the players. If not, I fear that Messi will leave the team of his life. It's not that difficult, Bayer did it to have a great team. He gave up the Ribery, Roben, etc. and signed well. Rejuvenating the squad with quality and complementing it with committed veterans, that's the key.
Sevilla FC qualifies for the final of the Europa League. Its virtues; the tenacity, the intensity, the preparation. Besides, Bono's great performances were added. The substitute goalkeeper who earned his place in the starting line-up and the renewal of his contract. United was better, but in football if you don't put it in you know... Let them tell Sterling, probably the best player in the Champions League who scored an incredible goal and his team, City, was eliminated. We will have to be satisfied with a heroic Sevilla with Bono, Banega, O Campos and above all Jesús Navas. What a great professional and what a great player at 34 years old.