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 are needed to play well, and it all starts with defense. It is not Manchester United philosophy of playing football however, they are pushed by the fans and media to create chances and play with more than 70% of possession all the time, bit like Barcelona. Manchester United are able to win, but they just cannot be dominant in terms of possession all the time. Sometimes is far better to take the step back, wait and take the opportunity, when opponents lose the ball. The best teams play with the plan, they are not chaotic, they play with confidence and patience. They don’t panic, while they are on the back foot and under pressure, without the ball and they have to defend. The current manager, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is talented and he should be supported by the fans and media, not only the board to get the job done. I still think Manchester United need to go to transfer market and sign defenders, but the key is mentality and commitment of current lineup. Red Devils are able to win Champions League, if they will be able to use the speed and fitness of their players, like Rashford and Martial. The technical qualities and experience are there, but Manchester United shouldn’t be impatient while they need to defend, close down and make interceptions even against mid-pack teams in Premier League. They are inconsistent recently, winning and losing, but the potential of the team is undeniable. I’m impressed that after the own goal of Martial, they were doing everything to win and finally Marcus Rashford took the opportunity to score. I think Pogba is the role player, not the play maker. Manchester United are better with Fernandes, Telles, Rashford, Martial and Fred, setting the tone and simply taking the responsibility in terms of buildup, setup and game than with Pogba, as playmaker. Luke Shaw played absolutely magnificently against Paris Saint-Germain, but Marcus Rashford is the world class quality player – United should build the team around Marcus, not Pogba and they need defenders to be signed in incoming transfer window. Cavani will help, but defense is the most important thing in football nowadays. To be able to win, first thing you need to have is defense, not offense.
Paris Saint-Germain disappointed, they were on the back foot. Neymar and Mbappe were not able to break the lines and score, their individuals skills are not enough to win in Champions League. They should turn things around, but I think they need to be better in terms of sharpness and fitness. They need play maker in my opinion, but their main issue is the game sharpness, they need to be focused all the time, they just cannot be sloppy and careless. They were a bit too slow against Manchester United. They are vulnerable. It’s too easy to break the lines of PSG recently. It can only be fixed on the training ground and by playing in Champions League under pressure. They will improve. I don’t expect they will be losing 1:2, like against Manchester United last Tuesday.
Barcelona won their fixture against Ferencvaros, but I have to say they are dependent on Messi. Others need to take responsibility. I think Fati, Messi and Coutinho should play as forwards, one of the goal of Barca was scored by wonderful play of Messi, Fati and Coutinho – they should play as one formation, not between lines all the time. They need replacement for Sergio Busquets. Pjanic is learning Barca’s style, Sergi Roberto is the role player these days, Dembele is not new Neymar. Barca need player like Xavi. It is the main challenge Barca face – they need the balance between offense and defense to control and manage the game. They need players like Busquets and Xavi, playing behind forwards and covering the team. They need someone, who would be setting the pace, slowing things down and manage - they need to be balanced in midfield. I think Leo Messi should not be playing this particular role, his dribbling and passing abilities are better used closer to the goal of the opponents. Barca scored five times, Ferencvaros once.
Juventus won their fixture against Dynamo Kyiv in the capital of Ukraine. They were playing with patience, Morata took the opportunity to score twice. The lack of quality was the deciding factor, Dynamo were not good enough and they were beaten by more experienced and confident Italian team. On the other hand, Juventus would struggle, if they were under pressure. The team is in transition and Andrea Pirlo needs time to build the team capable of winning the Champions League. They are well disciplined in defense, but powerless in offense, however they are experienced and it helps them to win against weaker teams. It will be harder against Barcelona next week. Dynamo Kyiv are learning the European football.
Lazio played very well against Dortmund, setting the tone and pace from the very beginning, scoring first two goals in first twenty five minutes of the game. They were playing with passion and desire to win from the start to finish and German team could not do anything about it.
Tomorrow I will sum up Bayern, Liverpool and Manchester City fixtures, I enjoy Champions League – it delivers.
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 are needed to play well, and it all starts with defense. It is not Manchester United philosophy of playing football however, they are pushed by the fans and media to create chances and play with more than 70% of possession all the time, bit like Barcelona. Manchester United are able to win, but they just cannot be dominant in terms of possession all the time. Sometimes is far better to take the step back, wait and take the opportunity, when opponents lose the ball. The best teams play with the plan, they are not chaotic, they play with confidence and patience. They don’t panic, while they are on the back foot and under pressure, without the ball and they have to defend. The current manager, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is talented and he should be supported by the fans and media, not only the board to get the job done. I still think Manchester United need to go to transfer market and sign defenders, but the key is mentality and commitment of current lineup. Red Devils are able to win Champions League, if they will be able to use the speed and fitness of their players, like Rashford and Martial. The technical qualities and experience are there, but Manchester United shouldn’t be impatient while they need to defend, close down and make interceptions even against mid-pack teams in Premier League. They are inconsistent recently, winning and losing, but the potential of the team is undeniable. I’m impressed that after the own goal of Martial, they were doing everything to win and finally Marcus Rashford took the opportunity to score. I think Pogba is the role player, not the play maker. Manchester United are better with Fernandes, Telles, Rashford, Martial and Fred, setting the tone and simply taking the responsibility in terms of buildup, setup and game than with Pogba, as playmaker. Luke Shaw played absolutely magnificently against Paris Saint-Germain, but Marcus Rashford is the world class quality player – United should build the team around Marcus, not Pogba and they need defenders to be signed in incoming transfer window. Cavani will help, but defense is the most important thing in football nowadays. To be able to win, first thing you need to have is defense, not offense.
Paris Saint-Germain disappointed, they were on the back foot. Neymar and Mbappe were not able to break the lines and score, their individuals skills are not enough to win in Champions League. They should turn things around, but I think they need to be better in terms of sharpness and fitness. They need play maker in my opinion, but their main issue is the game sharpness, they need to be focused all the time, they just cannot be sloppy and careless. They were a bit too slow against Manchester United. They are vulnerable. It’s too easy to break the lines of PSG recently. It can only be fixed on the training ground and by playing in Champions League under pressure. They will improve. I don’t expect they will be losing 1:2, like against Manchester United last Tuesday.
Barcelona won their fixture against Ferencvaros, but I have to say they are dependent on Messi. Others need to take responsibility. I think Fati, Messi and Coutinho should play as forwards, one of the goal of Barca was scored by wonderful play of Messi, Fati and Coutinho – they should play as one formation, not between lines all the time. They need replacement for Sergio Busquets. Pjanic is learning Barca’s style, Sergi Roberto is the role player these days, Dembele is not new Neymar. Barca need player like Xavi. It is the main challenge Barca face – they need the balance between offense and defense to control and manage the game. They need players like Busquets and Xavi, playing behind forwards and covering the team. They need someone, who would be setting the pace, slowing things down and manage - they need to be balanced in midfield. I think Leo Messi should not be playing this particular role, his dribbling and passing abilities are better used closer to the goal of the opponents. Barca scored five times, Ferencvaros once.
Juventus won their fixture against Dynamo Kyiv in the capital of Ukraine. They were playing with patience, Morata took the opportunity to score twice. The lack of quality was the deciding factor, Dynamo were not good enough and they were beaten by more experienced and confident Italian team. On the other hand, Juventus would struggle, if they were under pressure. The team is in transition and Andrea Pirlo needs time to build the team capable of winning the Champions League. They are well disciplined in defense, but powerless in offense, however they are experienced and it helps them to win against weaker teams. It will be harder against Barcelona next week. Dynamo Kyiv are learning the European football.
Lazio played very well against Dortmund, setting the tone and pace from the very beginning, scoring first two goals in first twenty five minutes of the game. They were playing with passion and desire to win from the start to finish and German team could not do anything about it.
Tomorrow I will sum up Bayern, Liverpool and Manchester City fixtures, I enjoy Champions League – it delivers.
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