2017 Champions League final: A battle of 2 legacies

One team has a 21 year Champions League drought.
The other is a win away from a dynasty.
That is the battle between Juventus and Real Madrid. It will either be the reclamation of a great club or the coronation of one of the greatest sides ever. If Juve win it, they will be the 2nd Italian side to win a treble. More importantly it will be the final trophy they need to fully recover from the Calcioplpili scandal in 2006. That infamous match-fixing took Juvw to Serie B, stripped them of 2 league titles and left them needing to rebuild for nearly a decade. They have won 6 straight Serie A titles but Italy isn’t the strongest league anymore. Winning the league is customary to Juve that Allegri told the players to hold off on celebrate until after the final. The CL is their goal, their obsession. They need it to affirm their greatness. They lost the last CL final in 2015 to another Spanish giant: Barcelona. Buffon even admitted that he thought it would be his last chance to win it. But it isn’t, Biffon has one more shot with his best ever side. A team that allowed 3 goals eh route to the final. A team that destroyed Barca 3-0 on Turin. Took out Monaco 4-1 on aggregate. A team at its peak, double winners 3 straight years. The best defender in the world. Bonnci, Barzagli, Chiellini the BBC as a back 3 are the browns and spine of Juve’s team. Bionic I is maybe the best passer on Juve’s team, he starts and dictates play as well as any midfielder he also reads the game very well and rarely makes defensive lapses. Chiellini is big and strong and has great aural ability. Barzagli does all the little things defensively. As a tandem they have been exceptional. So have the full-backs led by Dani Alves who at 35 is having an outstanding season. He has 2 goals and 4 assists in the knockout stages of the CL. The midfield of Khedira, Pjanic, Marchisio are solid and creative. The front four with.Cuardado, Dybala, Manzkudic, and Higuain are stylish, effective and clinical. They work hard and help the team defensively. This is a complete team, there aren’t many weakness. They have a good bench full of players that can change a game. They have a manager in Allegri that researches opponents and switches formations. Juve can play a 3-5-2, a 4-2–3-1, a 4-4-2, a 4-5-1. Their tactical versatility helped get them here. But they face their toughest challenge in the final: Real Madrid

Real Madrid are current European and world champions. They won La Liga for the first time in 5 years. This team is so dominant in Europe that Zidane had to make La Liga the target so the players would focus on domestic matters. This is Real’s 3rd final in 4 years. They won their 10th CL in 2014 and won the 11th last season. They have made the semi-finals of the completion a record 7 years in a row. They play stylish attacking football, use set-pieces to their advantage, and they never quit. They score late often, they never know when they are beaten. The team is full of veterans and players who won the CL. The entire expected starting 11 played in last year’s CL final. The defenders (Ramos, Marvelo, Carvajal played in 2.) Modric allayed in 2, Benzema played in 2 and the star man Ronaldo played in 4. They have all won the CL as a team. This is something that isn’t new to them. Ramos, Marcelo, Bale, and Ronaldo all scored on q final. Vasquez scored a penalty in last year’s shoutout. They can handle big moments. Real knocked out Napoli, Bayern Munich and rivals Atletico Madrid just to reach the final. The team has scored 32 goals in 12 games, more than any other team. They faced great defenses and ripped them apart scoring 4 goals past Bayern Munich, 3 goals past Atletico. Their offense hasn’t been shutout since the CL semi-final last year, 63 games ago. That’s a record for any side in Europe’s top 5 leagues. They have an incredible midfield with Kroos and Modric the brains of the operation. Casemiro the brawn and muscle. Isco the artist and dribbler. They can control marches and take over with this quartet of brilliant players. Real have the best full-backs on the planet. Carvajal who is superb defensively and cruises very well. Marcelo who is a special player and is arguably Real’s most persistent offensive weapon. Varane and Ramos are good center-backs. But Ramos is best known for his leadership and goals. Ramos has scored 10 goals this season and has netted in 2 finals. He’s the most clutch player on the team. Benzema has a great record on the CL, he scores a goal in every 2 games. His assists and link-up play are vital to connect the midfield and attack. Cristiano Ronaldo is the STAR of the team scoring 10 times in the CL this season, including 2 consecutive bat-tricks against Bayern and Atleti. He can win a game by himself and so often has been Real’s savior. But this team isn’t under the pressure that used to gnaw them. This group has won the CL twice together. They already win the league. The pressure is off to an extent. What these Real players are playing for is q place in history. If they win the CL they will be the first team to repeat as Champions League winners in the modern format. In addition they will won 3 CL in 4 years which hadn’t been done since 1974-1976 Bayern won 3 in a row. This Real side is a win away from being a dynasty and making Real the unquestioned kings of Europe and ruining Barca’s uncontested claim of baking the team of this era. Even that great Barca team that Pep led to a treble never won 3 CL in 4 years. They never won back to back CL’s. Real would usurp Barca and re-establish their European hegemony. Significantly it will be Real’s first league and European double since 1959. Despite having 11 CL’s they have only done the ditblebtwice. In fact the last 7 triumphs these are the league finishes: 2nd, 2nd, 4th, 5th, 3rd, 3rd, 2nd. So Real need to put that right. But both Real and Jive face historical challenges.

Juve have underachieved massively in the Champions League. They have only won the competition twice, losing 7 finals. They lost the last four finals, 3 of them as favorites. One of them to Real Madrid in 1998. Juve with Zidane at his prime failed to break down the white wall and a Mijatovic strike handed Real their 7th CL. Juve have frozen in the biggest stage far to often. As for Real they have been knocked out by Juve 3 times since 2003. The last time Real lost a European tie was to Juve who won 3-2 on aggregate in the semi-final in 2015. Juve prevented Real from repeating as CL champions 2 times this century. Juve’s last CL win came against Ajax in 1996, that Ajax side was also the current CL winner having beaten Milan in 1995. Italian sides have won the CL every 7 years since 1996 where Juve won, 2003 Milan wok, 2010 Inter. Juve never won the CL in the current format with their home Kit. Real gave only won one CL not using their traditional white kit. Buffon has never won the CL losing 2 finals, Ronaldo has won 3 of 4 finals 2 of them on penalties. Real could be the first team to win 12 CL’s. Juve could be the only Italoan side to win 2 straight doubles and a treble. This CL final is one for European royalty. The Old Lady vs. Los Blancos. May the best team win!

In defence of Jose Mourinho: Why his first season at Manchester United should be regarded as a success.

Imagine you take over a corporation where the greatest CEO ever retired 3 years earlier. The company has been in decline ever since. Lower performances, higher spending, no longer the kings of your industry. Then imagine every choice you make being compared to the old way things are done, to the CEO who’s never coming back, and have to deal with hat pressure. The pressure that got the previous 2 CEO’s fired. That was the scenario Jose Mourinho walked into after a disastrous season at Chelsea. He was chosen to rebuild United and in many ways he succeeded

Let’s begin with the negatives. Man United finished 6th in the league, 24 points behind champions Chelsea. However they finished 4 points higher than they did the previous year. They had a 25 game unbeaten streak. Yes they had a bad league campaign but they focused near the end of the season on the Europa League. They might have finished higher if they took the league seriously. But Mourinho made a calculated gamble. Try to finish 4th when you may have better teams than you or giving up and focus on the el. City, Arsenal finished above them the year before. Liverpool were more stable with Klopp. Or being a heavy favorite against Celta, Ajax or Lyon try to win a trophy and get an automatic berth in the Champions League. The choice was clear try: win the Europa League.

United knocked out Saint-Ettiene, Rostov, Anderlechr, and Celta en route to the final. Man United then put on a tactical masterclass, allowing Ajax to have sterile possession and hitting them in the break. The first goal by Pogba started off due to United’s pressing after an Ajax throw-in. Pogba then hit a deflected strike for the crucial goal. United were comfortable allowing Ajax to keep the ball in the defensive third. When Mikithryian added the second the final was as good as over. Ajax never created much of anything and United won 2-0. Job done. United won the Europa League being a Mourinho team. Solid, pragmatic, clinical and winners. That final personified what Mourinho was brought to do: to revive United. Pogba and Mikithryian were his signings, both scored on the final. Ibrahinovic United’s top scorer was his signing too. Bailly who had been excellent throughout the year was also a Mou purchase. His signings delivered. Pogba and Mikithruiab in the Europa League, Ibrahimovic in the EFL cup final with two goals and the Community Shield with the winner. United won 2 major trophies in a season for the first tine since 2008-09. The EFL Cup and Europa League may not be the biggest titles but they are important. Under Moyes and Van Gaal the previous 3 years the team missed out on the CL twice and won a solitary FA cup. Mou in one year took United to the CL and won 2 trophies. He’s the first United manager to win a major trophy In his first season. Not even Sir Alex Ferguson did that. He didn’t inherit the United team of the past glories, this team needed a rebuild. A new era, and he’s the man for that job.

The idea that Man United are a club that “should” be playing a certain way is a fallacy. Mourinho attempted to play an attacking style using Mata, Mikithryian, Ibra, Rooneu together earlier in the season. It didn’t work they didn’t score enough goals. They weren’t that dangerous, the talent was t there. Mou had to be more defensive to negate their offensive shortcomings especially when Ibra got hurt. United became a more cautious side but a more successful going on a long unbeaten streak in the league beating eventual champions Chelsea 2-0. They won 2 titles and had better seasons than City, Liverpool, and Arsenal. Now there’s work that Mou needs to do, they need more talent. They need to play better and take their chances. But United fans have hope for the first time since Ferguson left that the club is in the right hands. For Manchester United, for Jose Mourinho that can be deemed as a successful season.

Real’s 33rd league title down to mental toughness, squad depth, and Zidane’s focus on La Liga over the Champions League

Real Madrid ended a 5-year La Liga drought with a massive 2-0 win over Malaga. They beat Barca to the league title by 3 points. But this team isn’t supremely dominant in any level that can be measured. They drew and lost to Barca in the league. They have the second best attack behind Barca. They have the 4th best defense behind Barca, Villareal, and Atleticp Madrid. But they won the league because they had the mental toughness and squad depth needed to win the title.

Real Madrid won many games throughout the season with their backs against the wall. Late winners against Bilbao, Betis, Valencia at home were crucial to their title hopes. Miracle comebacks were commonplace as well, down 1-0 to Barca at Camp Nou Sergio Ramos headed in Modric’s free-kick to salvage a vital point for Real. The next week against Deportivo, Real were 2-1 down with 10 minutes left, Mariano headerd/shouldered home an equalizer from Lucas Vasquez’s

croos. Then up stepped Captain Fantastic Ramos with another header to win the game 3-2. But the biggest comeback was yet to come. Down 2-0 to Villareal away from home after 60 minutes the situation looked bleak. But goals from Bale, Ronaldo, and super-sub Morata helped Real win a game that lesser teams would have lost. 3 days later Las Palmas came into the Bernabeu and were up 3-1 with a man advantage and looked destined to win the game. But Real refused to buckle, Ronaldo scored twice in 2 minutes to save Real a point. The final big comeback was on Gijon where Sporting fighting for their lives took the lead twice, only to be pegged back by Isco and Morata. In a 2-2 game with the pressure on Isco scored a magnicfgient long-range strike to help Real win. Another last-minute winner and this was no fluke Real scored 17 goals in the 90th minute or later. This team had the mentality of champions. Whether it was in the Bernabeu on the road there was no mountain to steep to climb. They only lost 3 times all season, earned 47 points away from home more than any other side, scored in every single game. They held their nerve after losing the clasico winning the next 6 games to clinch the league title. No team in Spain had their consistency or mental toughness throughout the 2016-17 season. No one had their depth as well.

This was a title built on a great squad not just 11 players

. 20 players had contributed 1,000 minutes or more in the season, no other team previously had that many players contribute that much. 1,000 minutes is

more than 10 games worth of action. That’s a big contribution. Lesser players like Mariano, Danilo, Casilla, Contreao, Kovacic made massive contributions to the team. Kovacic scored the winner against Sociedad at home, Mariano had the crucial equalizer against Depor, Danilo came in after Carvajal’s injury and did well. Casilla started a lot of games due to Navas’s injury and filled in well. Contreao started a few games down the stretch to rest Marcelo. Lucas Vasquez, Asensio, Nacho had their roles expanded greatly this season. Lucas at times being a regular replacement for the injured Bale. Nacho filled in a CB, LB, RB and was superb throughout the campaign. Asensio scored key goals and was revelation throughout the season. Pepe contributed a few goals and played well even with his injuries. Kroos, Modric, and Casemiro were pillars in the midfield. Kroos being second in La Liga in assists. Casemiro being a defensive rock and scoring a crucial winner at Bilbao. Modric with his intelligence and his performances in big games. James scored 10 goals and provided plenty of assists as a sub and spot starter. Marcelo had a fantastic season scoring the winner against Valencia at home and providing 10 assists. Carvajal provided plenty of assists as well and defended superbly. Varane defended at a high level especially down the stretch. Sergio Ramos scored 7 goals in the league including winners against Deportivo, Betis, Malaga, an equalizer vs . Barca and defended very well. Isco had the best season of his career and Real didn’t lose a game in which he played. Keylor Navas despite his errors came up big down the stretch making vital saves against Atletico, Barca, Sevilla, Celta, Nd Malaga in the last few months. Morata even being relegated to a backup striker scored 15 goals including crucial winners vs. Bilbao and Villareal and a hat-trick at Leganes. Benzema chipped in with 11 goals including winner against Alaves at home and 2 goals at Eibar and the goal that sealed the game at Malaga on the final day. Bale who has injured for the most of the season still scored 8 goals, including winners against Sociedad away, Leganes at home, and an equalizer against Eibar. The star man Cristiano Ronaldo netted 25 times including crucial goals against Atletico, Alaves, Gijon, Betis, Villareal, Sevilla, Celta, and Malaga to help Real win the league. He performed so well down the stretch because Zidane didn’t need to play him at all times. He rested in 6 of the last 8 away games, saving his legs for the final stretch run. He scored 14 goals in the last 9 games for a reason. Modric, Marcelo have also benefited from these rotations. They are both peaking at the right time. Zidane with the squad he has did a superb job of keeping his players happy while being successful. The “B-team” won the last 6 games they played. Games without CR7 the team has 8 wins and 1 draw in the league. That is why Real are champions they had contributions from every player that was decisive. 1-20 the squad is what won them the league. Real don’t just have the best first 11 they have the best squad in Spain.

Zidane also deserves a mention as he made the league a priority this season. Unlike so many Madrid managers who took the league for granted (Mou, Ancelotti, Benitez) he made the league title THE MAIN OBJECTIVE. Instead of chasing the Champions League like so many previous managers did. He put that obsession aside and made the league the target. The players gave everything to win every point possible. Instead of just getting up for the CL games or big games in the league, every game mattered. They took the league seriously for the first time in years and it paid off. 93 points is the 3rd highest points total in Real’s history. Ending Barca’s Spanish hegemony was vital to Zidane’s project. To build a great team you need consistency, the league measures that the best. That’s why to Zidane it was winning La Liga not the CL that was the “best day” in his professional life. Because it gives this team their platform to win more leagues. To try to begin Real’s new era of stability, consistency, and success. Zidane built this team in his image to win and play attractively and they are champions of Spain again. With him at the helm maybe winning the league can be a regular occurrence once again for Real Madrid.

Conte’s Chelsea: The triumph of the 3-5-2 and excellent man-management

Antonio Conte doesit, he won the league with Chelsea. Not by a point, not on the last day, not by getting 84 points, but by dismantling the field. His Chelsea side tore the Premier League apart and made it into their own personal playground. Winning 13 games in a row, setting a record for most wins on a season. But they did it with substance and flair with a simple formation change.

Arsenal 3-Chelsea 0 was the score. Ozil and company had ravaged Chelsea’s 4-man defense for 60 minutes, Conte then switched to a back 3. The rest was history. Chelsea after that win the next 13 games allowing 2 goals and all but won the league in that run. Using Azpiplueta, Cahill, and David Luiz as the 3 Center-Backs Conte had the base for his team. Cahill even chipped in with 6 goals. David Luiz who was a loose-cannon defensively played his part and stayed restrained. The most important part of the 3-5-2 was the wing-backs. Moses and Alonso week amazing as they were athletic, strong, defensively solid and good offensively. Alonso scoring timely and important goals and Moses with his pace and trickery caused tactical mismatches against PL sides. The other teams couldn’t adapt to it. In fact when Chelsea suffered a humbling 2-0 loss to Manchester United Alonso was out with injury. United were able to slow down Hazard as he could no longer switch positions with Alonso as he likes to do to pick up pockets of space. Mou hailed as a tactical genius after the win was more lucky than good, as Alonso being fit would have reduced the effectiveness of Herrera’s man-marking on Hazard. The wing-backs allowed Hazard to have a freedom he never had at Chelsea. Exchanging positions with Moses, Alonso he caused havoc and had his best ever season. The mode field was solidified with Kante who was immense in shielding the back 3. Matic recovering his 2015 form was a great foil to Kante. Pedro and Willian were excellent wingers who along Hazard caused nightmares for PL defenses. Diego Costa’s great season up front with 20 goals was vital to Chelsea winking the league, especially during the 13 match winning run.
Conte’s 3-5-2 spawned the title but his relationship with the players mattered. After a disastrous 10th place finish not many expected Chelsea to finish 4th let alone win the league. But by keeping the squad happy by appeasing Costa, convincing Fabregas to a be a sub, giving Terry a lesser role but making him feel important this allowed the squad to have a belief that they could win titles. Against West Brom that spirit was evident, with the match looking like it would end 0-0, Conte sent on Bautshayi for Hazard in the hopes for a winner. Bautshayi had only scored a handful of goals all season and Hazard had been the star offensive player. But Bautshayi turned in a cross by Azpliceuta to score the winner. Chelsea wrt champions of England again, thanks to the genius of Conte. His tactical bravery and man-management helped the Blues return to the summit of English football.
Now for Conte the goal is to win the double. Only Arsenal stands in his and Chelsea’s way of ending a magical season on another high.