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Showing posts from October, 2020

Portuguese Grand Prix has been sensational. Portimao is one of the greatest circuits in motorsport

Last Portuguese Grand Prix has delivered. We had action packed race from start to finish. Sainz, Perez, Hamilton, Raikkonen and Leclerc made this race very special. The layout of the circuit fits F1. Racing is possible, when you can follow somebody else in front of you and fight side by side for the position on the track. Perez and Ocon made it happen. McLaren’s Sainz has taken the lead over the fierce opposition, while it was drizzling at the opening lap, then he was overtaken by Mercedes and Max, but he proved, he has got what it takes to lead the Grand Prix. He doesn’t have right equipment right now, but McLaren are improving all the time. The track is flowing, with undulation changes, which provide great entertainment and it requires skills from drivers to race. Hamilton won the race, he won for ninety second time in his career passing the great Michael Schumacher 91 race wins record. History has been made in Algarve at Portimao, Portugal. F1 needs changes to be made in terms of ae...

Barcelona lost El Clasico. Real were far better than Catalan club

Barcelona disappointed their fans around the world losing El Clasico, the greatest game in European football. I’ve been following the coverage in Polish CANAL+ and during the match I thought the referee made several mistakes leading to Real victory over Barcelona on bizarre La Liga fixture without fans allowed to enter the stadium for the first time in El Clasico. This kind of fixture is pure emotion, not football match. While I had been following the game, I thought, the rivalry between Barcelona and Real is the most important thing on the planet, not politics, or pandemic. However, I analyzed all decisions made by the referee and I have to admit, those decisions were correct, but inconsistent and it is the major issue of La Liga. Fati equalized the game after opening goal of Valverde, nextly Ramos scored and Modric. Barcelona 1:3 Real at Camp Nou. Barcelona were sloppy, careless with the ball, they were losing the possession all the time. Midfielders were performing poo...

Bayern, Liverpool and Manchester City are the main contenders for 2021 Champions League title

Bayern torn apart Atletico Madrid with ease, Liverpool have done just enough to win in Amsterdam, Man City have shown the character against Porto. Bayern have been supreme over Atletico. The Champions of Europe played with ease and they won 4:0 against poor performing Atletico. I love Spain and I just don’t understand, how is it possible that Atletico could play so poorly and without self esteem and confidence under Simeone, who pays attention to tactic, work ethic and discipline like any other manager in Europe over ten years now in Atletico de Madrid. Bayern could score more than four times, but they still overplayed Spanish side scoring four times. The Champions of Europe have been managing the match, like the entire season. They are on the way to win everything this year once again. Their defense is supreme and they work throughout the entire ninety minutes in defense, intercepting the ball quickly, closing down opposition immediately, when they lose possession and they create ev...

Champions League delivers!

We had great first matches of the group phase in the Uefa Champions League on Tuesday and Wednesday.  Manchester United and Paris Saint Germain fixture was absolutely incredible and it didn’t disappoint. Red Devils played much better than recently in Premier League, for some reason they are far better on the European stage playing tough fixtures against very best teams in Europe, than in domestic league against Palace and Spurs. The quality of Manchester United squad is undeniable. Red Devils can control the game, they are very good in terms of management of the match and setting the tone. However, it happens only when they are playing with work ethic, discipline and when they counter attacking. They’ve got Rashford, Martial and Fred and the only way Manchester United should play is counter attack, it is a right set up for this team, the same thing we could see while Jose Mourinho was the manager and Manchester United played against Juventus in Italy. Commitment and consistency...

Barcelona in transition. Painful experience

Well deserved Getafe win against FC Barcelona. The club from Barcelona is on the back foot. Barcelona lost for the first time since Ronald Koeman took the club as the manager and it was well deserved win for Getafe. Koeman, the board and fans should be concerned, Barca are on the back foot, unable to create chances and it will not change overnight. Getafe played with desire to win, I’m impressed that they were able to close down Barcelona every time they lost possession. Throughout the entire match, Getafe had Barcelona under control, Getafe were creative, imaginative, well organized, their football is based on work ethic and tactic. However, they are mid-pack team, not front runner and Barcelona were powerless to change dynamics of the game, despite Barca have more high quality players in the squad. Barcelona need better midfielders and develop style of playing football. Back in late 2000s, they played tiki-taka football. Currently, they are completely dependent on individual sk...

City win their fixture against Arsenal, Liverpool draw with Everton, but Van Dijk is injured

Thrilling fixture between Everton and Liverpool provided great entertainment as always, but I’m bit disappointed because of bizarre decision made by the referee after VAR review of late goal scored by Henderson, which has been disallowed. Officials have seen offside, but even after many replays, I just cannot see nothing wrong, like journalists. Question mark over VAR under current regulation is not something Premier League needs right now. However, Everton played like the champions, they are leading English Premier League right now and it is well deserved leadership. Ancelotti have established team, which is capable of winning every single time and push Liverpool and others to absolute limit. The only one weakness, I can see, is goalkeeper, Pickford, bit insecure almost every time he plays. He seems to be under pressure, but the rest of the team is absolutely brilliant. They play with desire to win and they are disciplined in terms of tactic. The work ethic is in this team. They def...

Classic Champions League. 1998 group stage match between Manchester United and Barcelona at Old Trafford in Manchester

I was 11 in 1998. I remember 1998/99 Manchester United season very well. They won everything, the treble, Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League. Beckham, Giggs, Scholes, Yorke, Cole, Keane, Neville, Irwin, Johnsen, Berg, Stam, Sheringham, Solskjaer and Schmeichel were unstoppable. 16th September 1998. Alex Ferguson’s Red Devils faced all star FC Barcelona at Old Trafford, the “Theatre of Dreams”. Manchester United have been playing absolutely magnificently against FC Barcelona, setting the tone and pace from the very beginning of the game. Young Xavi, Puyol and also Enrique, Rivaldo, Figo, Anderson, Zenden, Giovanni were slightly subdued, bit on the back foot from the start, although they found the way to push Manchester United to limit and draw the game at the “Theatre of Dreams”. It is the game I will always remember. Classic Champions League fixture between absolute top teams in the European football. The highest quality, you can imagine. Counter attacks, crosses, one tou...

F1 is broken. Engine regulations killed the sport

The current engine regulations were set to make tech progress and tech transfer from racing to road cars. It doesn’t work however, although Mercedes team principal tries to prove it actually does work. Formula E and Tesla have much bigger impact on road cars than F1 1.6 litre V6 engines with kinetic and heat energy recovery systems. They raise awareness of people, not F1 hybrid engines.  The F1 tech is far too expensive and complex and it should be simplified. Recently, Honda announced, they are leaving the F1 by the end of 2021. Japanese manufacturer will stay however in motorsport, but they will focus on American Indy Car series.  The F1 set up the engines rules, which discourage engine manufacturers to enter into the F1. The tech is far too expensive. It required massive investments to be made over the years and it is not relevant to current automotive industry. There is no tech transfer from F1 to road cars.  Even WEC and Le Mans LMP1 cars have less sophisticate...

Lewis Hamilton equals Michael Schumacher's record of wins. 91 wins

I have never thought, Michael Schumacher’s record of winning will be ever beaten, but since 2014 Mercedes are dominant force in the F1, they have opposition under control over many years now and due to current power unit regulations, it is highly unlikely to change in 2021 and beyond. Lewis was the winner, as the rookie Lewis Hamilton won his first Grand Prix in 2007. He crossed the line first in Gilles Villeneuve’s circuit in the city of Montreal. It was chaotic race. Robert Kubica has been taken to hospital after huge crash, thankfully, he recovered quickly and came back to racing. Hamilton has been fighting for the championship since the very beginning, in 2007 he lost the title in China due to his mistake and mistake of his team, McLaren. He was trapped in gravel in pit lane entry, he had no grip. Fans remember that very well, but it has to be said, Lewis has capitalized his opportunity to drive for the top team. At that time, McLaren with Alonso and Hamilton were the top team,...

Lebron James wins NBA championship with third different team. Lakers lift 17th championship. Mamba Mentality

Los Angeles Lakers win 17 th  championship after dominant victory over Miami Heat. Under difficult circumstances Lakers get the job done. Pandemic made life difficult for NBA and under unprecedented circumstances playing in Orlando, Lakers clinch the title. It is the winning mentality. It is a grit. Despite the negativity, Lakers are able to play far better than the opposition. Lakers had all under control Portland Trail Blazers, Houston Rockets, Denver Nuggets and Miami Heat were not able to stop Los Angeles Lakers. Marc Vogel’s team was too good for them. Even mighty Rockets with Westbrook and Harden were not good enough, which surprised me the most. Rockets have been built around James Harden, offensive player, one of the greatest in recent two decades. However, Lakers have done more team work and their approach to the entire season was better. The competition has been fierce in latest season. Top teams with 2 stars, no all star team like Warriors before, dominating the en...

Iga ÅšwiÄ…tek is 2020 Roland Garros Champion! History in the making!

I’m proud of being Pole more than ever before .  19 year old Pole, Iga ÅšwiÄ…tek has made history in Paris winning the Roland Garros . Iga ÅšwiÄ…tek won final against Sofia Kenin. It was hard to watch to me. I’m not tennis fan, but it is tough to follow and not be nervous. Nail-biting, on the edge all the time… Who would have thought … Credit to American Sofia Kenin, she was playing hard and put the Champion under pressure, but Iga was better and better and relentless, playing with uncompromising style you expect from the Champion. She wasn’t there to yield.  She was there to win .  She plays with passion, energy and desire to win . She was imaginative, creative and she was playing hard.  She was taking risks and she was playing with massive confidence, which impressed me the most . Character building and winning.  Hard work pays off . Mental strength   19 years old is not only talented, but  hard working and confident . Iga wasn’t under pressure, ...

Levante 0:2 Real Madrid. Los Blancos are lucky

Real Madrid won against Levante last weekend scoring 2 goals, Vinicius and Benzema took their opportunities to score. However, Levante could and should have won this game. Zidane makes what he possibly can to win and it works. Real Madrid don’t play spectacularly, but they are effective and good enough. Tactics pays off. They are solid considering defense and they are able to take advantage in the counter attack. The team chemistry is there, but the team based on Vinicius, Modric and Varane at the back seems to not be good enough to win in Europe. They are in race for La Liga title once again and it should be enough for Zidane and the club president. Real were passive on the transfer market. They let Gareth Bale to return to Premier League, I don’t think they could replace him so easily. We know Zidane and Bale were conflicted and finally Welshman left the club after 7 years and 4 Champions League titles. However, Real have not made impact on the market and team itself signing pl...

Robert Lewandowski 4:3 Hertha Berlin. Robert Lewandowski has world at his feet. Literally

Polish central forward has been carrying the entire Bayern team recently giving all Polish and German fans something to smile about. Bayern played not well against Hertha Berlin last weekend. The Champions of Europe struggle due to congested calendar and injuries. Leroy Sane could not play, Boateng and Tolisso are not good enough to play under Hans-Dieter Flick team. They need to be sharper and focused, keeping their opponents at bay. Bayern need central defenders and midfielders capable of defending all the time. Davies and Richards need more time to live up with the expectations. They signed Costa and Sarr, but I cannot help thinking they need world class players, like Sane, but in defense. They need acquisitions to be made. The calendar is congested and fitness will play crucial role this season. Bayern could not rely only on Robert. He needs more from his teammates, Gnabry cannot be so selfish, he should pass the ball, not shot all the time. Character building game for Hertha...

Aston Villa 7:2 Liverpool. History in the making for Villa fans. Wake up call for the Champions of England

Shocking result at Villa Park. Aston Villa won 7:2 against the champions of England, FC Liverpool. Watkins scored hatrick in first half. Liverpool defense has been dreadful in this game for the entire 90 minutes. Villa created chances and they have taken the advantage over powerless Liverpool and won in such a dominant fashion. It was great day for Villa fans and Premier League fans, apart from Liverpool and Manchester United supporters. Both teams lost their games conceding 7 and 6 goals in their fixtures respectively. You will never see something like that in one day in any other league in Europe. Two top teams lose their matches allowing their opponents to score 7 and 6 goals. Premier League is the most unpredictable league in Europe. It is the greatest entertainment you can possibly imagine. Unpredictability is the best word to describe Premier League. Teams, which are not attacking the game and making challenges from the beginning are punished and demolished. You cannot underest...

Barca 1:1 Sevilla. Barca, Real Madrid, Sevilla and Atletico fight for the La Liga title in 2020/21 season

Barcelona and Sevilla played a decent game of football last night at Camp Nou. Both teams created chances to score more goals and win, however both teams have been playing better considering defense. Barcelona closed down Sevilla quickly, they were cautious over the entire game. Despite the best efforts, they lost the goal due to set piece. However, they responded quickly and Coutinho scored. Barcelona will be the winning force, if they will be able to press hard their opponents while they don’t have the possession. Interceptions lead to goal scoring chances. Koeman laid the foundations for new Barcelona. They are improved in defense. Well disciplined and hard working Barcelona will be improving all the time in offense as well, having players like: Messi, Fati and Griezmann. Frankie de Jong plays like the captain with years of experience. However, Barcelona president needs to go to transfer market. The club needs number 9. There is no player in the box, like Luis Suarez ready to pl...

Who is the greatest driver of the F1? Michael Schumacher, Lewis Hamilton, somebody else?

Michael Schumacher announced 8 years ago, he wants to retire from the F1. Recently, his son Mick has been given the opportunity to test 2018 Ferrari car at Fiorano. Lewis Hamilton is very close to equal Schumi’s record of wins and number of titles, furthermore, he will break those numbers. Who is the better, Michael or Lewis? Maybe somebody else. Many fans will give you the answer Juan Manuel Fangio, Jim Clark, Niki Lauda, Ayrton Senna, Gilles Villeneuve, Fernando Alonso and Max Verstappen are far better than Michael Schumacher and Lewis Hamilton. They are right in my opinion, stats should not be determining factor. Racecraft under treacherous rainy and windy conditions is better than stats. All drivers I mentioned were, and two of them, still are absolutely supreme under rainy conditions, when the grip is not there anymore and driving skills are determining factor considering the success and failure.  Don’t get me wrong, both Lewis and Michael have been great in wet, but Fangi...

Brilliant football match at Elland Road. Leeds 1:1 Manchester City

Leeds United and Manchester City played absolutely magnificently yesterday at Elland Road, both teams were attacking all the time. The intensity of this game was absolutely incredible. The spectacle was absolutely special. Guradiola and Bielsa love high pressing football and it fits perfectly to Premier League. Both managers are capable of improving their players. We can clearly see that while we analyze the progress, which has been made by Manchester City’s forward Raheem Sterling under Pep Guardiola management and the entire Leeds United team under Marcelo Bielsa. The former Valencia player, Rodrigo has been brilliant in this fixture, making the difference immediately, when he came from the bench. Tactics was perfect. City had the advantage over Leeds under rainy and windy conditions in first 30 minutes, but afterwards Leeds played far better and with high intensity, particularly in defense and it was effective tactics. Leeds had the upper hand over the former champions over the ...

Blaugrana should be competitive in La Liga in 2020/21. Barcelona made some progress

Barca won against Celta in rainy and windy Los Balaidos in Vigo in fixture which is always tough to Barca. Bluagrana were solid in defense however and it is something positive and promising considering their chances in La Liga and in Europe in coming season. Credit to coach Ronald Koeman, Barca’s mentality is much different than last year. They are proactive in defense, trying to take the ball back, when they lose the ball and interception is made. They close down much quicker than a year ago. Work ethic and discipline are there. It is much tougher to break Barcelona’s formations. They are well organized and despite clumsy challenges of Pique and Lenglet they are competitive playing one man down. It is promising, however we need to wait, how will they perform against Sevilla and Real Madrid next weeks to assess them properly. Fati, Messi and Coutinho seem to understand each other very well and play one touch football. Ansu Fati is the rising star of Spanish football. 17 years old S...

Honda will leave the F1 by the end of 2021. What does it mean to F1?

Honda will not be any longer in F1 after 2021 season. It is the breaking news for all F1 fans, whether they support Japanese manufacturer and teams or not, because it has massive impact on the entire F1 and the future of the sport. Incoming CEO of the F1, Stefano Domenicali will face challenges in years to come to make F1 more competitive under pandemic, economic meltdown we are seeing in F1 and expensive hybrid technology introduced to the F1 back in 2014. Due to pandemic, the F1 needs to operate in completely different environment than in 2019. Global brands and manufacturers like Mercedes, Ferrari, Renault and Honda made massive investments over the years to make the hybrid power units introduced to F1, and even more importantly, developed – it is a massive research and development business, in favor of the biggest engine manufacturers, like Mercedes, Ferrari (Fiat-Chrysler was the parent company until 2016), Honda and Renault. The engine regulations had not been changed even oth...