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Augusto Batalla: The Argentine stopper that might provide a long-term solution for Real Madrid

  By O-Posts Team | July 17, 2024 - 17:51 | , , , , , ,
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He might not be much of a household name given he is yet to make his senior debut at club level yet, but if River Plate and Argentina’s young goalkeeper Augusto Batalla makes the strongly rumoured switch to Real Madrid then expect to hear a lot more about the 19-year-old.

 

Who is Augusto Batalla?

Born in the neighbourhood of Hurlingham, just west of Buenos Aires, Batalla has been part of River Plate’s youth sides since childhood and despite not appearing for the first team yet is considered by coaches in Argentina to be a player of enormous potential after starring for the Albiceleste under-17s and under-20s.

In 2011, having already caught the attention of coaches whilst playing for River, Batalla travelled to Uruguay for the under-15 South American Championship under the guidance of Miguel Angel Lemme. This was the beginning of a long running connection with the Argentine youth sides and although La Albiceleste could only finish third, Batalla had cemented his position as the number one.

It was in 2013 when Batalla really made scouts take notice when he and has teammates from the under-15s stepped up to under-17 level and lifted the South American Championship on home soil. A month later, River travelled to Spain for the under-17 World Club Championships and it is reported that it was in this tournament that Madrid first began chasing the youngster’s signature.

Real Madrid actually defeated River in the group stage but both sides qualified for the knockout stages where River then defeated Barcelona and Atletico Madrid en route to being crowned champions. Batalla kept clean sheets in both matches and was the penalty hero in the semi-final against Barcalona before being named the goalkeeper of the tournament.

Later in the year Argentina under-17s travelled to the United Arab Emirates for the World Cup but lost in the semi-final to a strong Mexican side. However, that was not to be the end of Batalla’s success in national colours as this January, the under-20s captured the South American Championship.

With three clean sheets from the five matches in the final round, Batalla was of huge importance to the side and although World Cup disappointment followed, the 19-year-old has been earmarked for future success having come through all the youth sides.

 

Are Madrid really looking to tie up a deal?

According to Spanish newspaper Marca, Real Madrid have been tracking Batalla since witnessing his display in the Club World Championship for River in 2013 and a deal has been strongly rumoured ever since.

River president Rodolfo D’onofrio confirmed this link earlier this year and was quoted as saying: “The contract hasn’t been signed yet but in June, Batalla will to to Madrid on a one-year loan, with an option to buy for a large sun.”

This deal hasn’t yet been finalized but the interest is very real. River, like all Argentine clubs, are in desperate need of money as the monthly costs of running the club sees them run at a loss, only to be balanced by player sales.

As much potential as Batalla may have he is yet to have any impact at first team level. The number one spot is filled by the hugely reliable Marcelo Barovero and with the reported figure being touted as high as €10 million it is little wonder that D’onofrio is willing to let Batalla go.

There are few clubs in world football who are able to spend that type of money on a promising young player, who will not be considered for the first team for a number of years but Real are one of them.

 

What will Batalla bring to Madrid?

Well, at this point Batalla will bring nothing more than potential as he will make no impression on the Real Madrid first team for a little while. The idea is that he would go straight into Zinedine Zidane’s Castilla squad alongside the talented Norwegian talent Martin Odegaard but the hope would be that with the correct development, Madrid would have a top goalkeeper for many years.

At six feet two inches, Batalla is not the tallest goalkeeper but is an agile shot stopper and a decent enough penalty box presence at youth level.

With the reported interest of Real Madrid such common knowledge, Batalla’s under-20 coach Humberto Grondona said in January: “Real Madrid are guaranteed a goalkeeper with a brilliant future. Augusto has everything he could need to go continue making progress. It is not just that he has the footballing qualities that make him stand out from the rest, but also that as a person he is very mature for his age.”

Of course, signing any young player comes with no guarantee but Grondona is correct in saying that Batalla has all the tools to be a top goalkeeper.

A move to Real would be a testing one, but would be a wonderful place to develop to the level of world class that Madrid and Argentina would be hoping.

 

Written by Peter Coates

Follow Peter on Twitter @golazoargentino

You can check out more of his excellent work on Argentinian football through his website, Golazo Argentino

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Iker Casillas: A Tribute to a Real Madrid Legend - Why Did It End Like This?

  By O-Posts Team | July 15, 2024 - 17:19 | , , ,
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After 25 years, the Real Madrid chapter of the Iker Casillas story has finally come to an end. Unfortunately, this particular football tale did not finish with the ending that it deserved. And what should have been a glorious departure after a trophy-laden career, ended with a quiet exit through the back doors of the Bernabeu.

The last days of Iker Casillas could not have been more different to those of Xavi Hernandez, who recently left arch rivals Barcelona amid a fanfare of unbridled appreciation. So why did it end in such a bittersweet way for the man they called ‘The Saint”?

In truth, the Casillas story was allowed to go on far too long. There is normally a right time to leave; an optimum moment when you call it day and everyone involved agrees that the time is right, and for the former Real Madrid goalkeeper, that time had long since past.

From the moment that the club legend became the central figure in a dressing room soap opera that began following the arrival of Jose Mourinho in 2010, the writing was on the wall. After being dropped to the bench and with most of the fanbase still on his side, Casillas could have left in the summer of 2013 with his head held high and with Mourinho painted as the pantomime villain.

As it happened, Mourinho was the one to leave that summer and Saint Iker remained, bound by his loyalty and affection for a club that had been his home since 1990. With the Portuguese coach gone, Casillas probably thought that it would be business as usual in the Spanish capital but he soon discovered that he had another adversary to contend with - his form.

Despite his vast experience, the keeper did not always react well to pressure and criticism from the fans. The events that occurred under Mourinho led to a few dissenting voices amongst the fans and the Madrid man was desperate to get the crowd back on his side. However, a string of mistakes in front of goal the following year had exactly the opposite effect and the questioning voices grew louder. Of course, every mistake made at Madrid is a high profile one and with each fumble or failed attempt to punch the ball, the more intensely his performances became scrutinised.

Once the Madrid fans, the Spanish press and certain members of the clubs hierarchy started to doubt the captain of the world’s biggest club, there was only going to be one outcome.

And so it became that Real Madrid said goodbye to a servant of 25 years via a message on their website and the humble player left the stadium quietly and tearfully in the dead of night. Since the completion of his transfer to Porto, Real Madrid have made efforts to arrange a tribute match between the two clubs. This has been seen as a token gesture by some cynics, who have criticised the way that the club handled the whole episode. However, club president Florentino Perez has insisted that they always wanted to arrange a proper send-off but that the player himself wanted a low-key exit.

While the story did not have the happy ending it deserved, and with many fans seemingly glad to see the back of a man who was once seen as a hero, his achievements should never be forgotten. During the Galactico era at Real Madrid, the lad from Mostoles provided that vital local connection to the fans. And as an ever-present in the golden generation of Spain’s national team, Casillas was a major force in uniting a dressing room made up of the countries fiercest rivals.

During all this, he accumulated a haul of trophies that would be the envy of most footballers that have ever played the game.

Here are just a few examples of his major achievements as a professional:

Real Madrid:

  • La Liga: 2000–01, 2002–03, 2006–07, 2007–08, 2011–12
  • Copa del Rey: 2010–11, 2013–14
  • Supercopa de Espana: 2001, 2003, 2008, 2012
  • UEFA Champions League: 1999–2000, 2001–02, 2013–14
  • UEFA Super Cup: 2002, 2014
  • FIFA Club World Cup: 2014
  • Intercontinental Cup: 1998, 2002

Spain:

  • FIFA World Cup: 2010
  • UEFA European Championship: 2008, 2012

Individual:

  • FIFA World Cup Golden Glove: 2010
  • FIFA World Cup Dream Team: 2010
  • UEFA Euro Team of the Tournament: 2008, 2012
  • UEFA Team of the Year: 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012
  • FIFA FIFPro World XI: 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012
  • La Liga Best Goalkeeper: 2009, 2012
  • Zamora Trophy: 2007–08
  • Best European Goalkeeper: 2010

 

Written by Neil Morris

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David De Gea: Can he live up to the price tag?

  By O-Posts Team | July 2, 2024 - 19:25 | , , , , ,
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Manchester United goalkeeper David De Gea’s proposed move to Real Madrid looks set to drag on as the clubs remain at odds over the financial details of the deal. With pre-season just around the corner, the former Atletico Madrid man was not expecting to have to report back for duty after previously saying his goodbye to staff at the club’s Carrington training ground.

Spanish newspapers are reporting the transfer as inevitable but reports in Manchester have suggested that there is still a chance that he could remain at the English club. If the move does go ahead, De Gea will become the most expensive shot-stopper in La Liga history with a fee of €35-40m expected.

This would smash the previous record of €16m that his old club paid to Benfica last summer for the services of Jan Oblak. He would become the second most expensive keeper in world football behind Gianluigi Buffon.

So, does the 24-year-old deserve such a huge price tag? As always, it’s hard to tell just by looking at the stats; for example, a tally of 11 clean sheets in the 2014/15 season does not look that impressive when compared to the 23 achieved by Claudio Bravo at Barcelona or the 21 recorded by Manuel Neuer at Bayern Munich.

However, when you consider that De Gea made 78 saves compared to the 59 made by Bravo or the 48 made by Neuer, you realise that the Manchester United player was much busier than his rivals.

Much of this could be put down the relative weakness of the Manchester United defence when compared to Bayern Munich or Barcelona, or the more attacking nature of the Premier League. However, his figures are almost identical to those of the man he is due to replace.

At Real Madrid, Iker Casillas kept 12 clean sheets and made 77 saves, his save per goal ratio was 2.20 compared to 2.17 for the Man United player, and their goals conceded and distribution stats were virtually identical

Figure 1: Stats courtesy of Squawka’s Comparison Matrix

The conclusion that can be drawn from this is that De Gea is currently performing at the same level as a world class keeper who is clearly experiencing a decline in performance at the age of 34.

However, he has yet to reach the level of some of his contemporaries who are currently playing at their peak. Given his age, and with a high quality defence in front of him, it seems reasonable to suggest that De Gea can only get better.

From that point of view, the move is a sensible one for the team from Madrid, and if he does progress to the level expected and remains at the club for many years, then the price tag will certainly be justified.

 

Written by Neil Morris

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Sergio Ramos: Is he the right target for Manchester United to pursue?

  By O-Posts Team | July 1, 2024 - 15:27 | , , , ,
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The rumour mills have been going wild this summer with rumours of a blockbuster transfer on the cards.

Sergio Ramos, the world class defender with an appetite for the unpredictable, is rumoured to be Louis van Gaal’s latest big money signing.

But would it work? And what would the implications be for Real Madrid?

 

What would happen with Madrid?

If Ramos were to move to United, who would Real Madrid get to replace him?

Many people have stated that Raphael Varane could be ready to make the step up, a notion I do not share, but either way a centre back would need to be signed as a backup.

I think this would be a disappointing piece of business for Real Madrid, as I cannot see them being able to buy anybody who is as good as Sergio Ramos and they would be losing a leader in the dressing room.

In my opinion, Raphael Varane is not ready due to his lack of confidence on the ball. Yes he has pace and defensive quality’s in abundance, but he can be mistake prone.

Also, a defence with Pepe and Varane would lack balance and a ball playing defender, which is something that Sergio Ramos clearly is.

So in my opinion, this would be a bad piece of business for Real Madrid and they should keep Ramos no matter what.

 

Pros

Sergio Ramos is still one of the best defenders in the world today, so it’s safe to say a lot could go right with this transfer for Manchester United.

He is very confident on the ball, something Man Utd’s defence severely lacks and is a leader another thing Man Utd need at the back right now. He is also one of the best scoring centre backs in the whole world, which is always a positive.

These are reasons United fans should be excited for his possible arrival.

Now, let’s look at what they should be weary off.

 

Cons

First of all, we all know Sergio Ramos has the capability to lose the plot on numerous occasions, and I do think he would get caught out with this more in the Premier league than in Spain.

Reason? Very simply put: it happens a lot more in Spain.

If a referee had to book a Diego Godin or a Pepe for every little foul, or shirt pull or small headbutt every big game would get abandoned, but this type of behaviour happens a lot less in England and, therefore, will get picked up on a lot more by referees and could see Ramos getting sent off and banned more often than not.

 

Is it smart for Ramos to leave the Bernabeu?

If I was Sergio Ramos, I would NOT be leaving Real Madrid this summer.

Here are the reasons why:

  1. They finally have a Spanish manager. Finally, a manager who will respect Ramos for all he has done for Spain’s footballing reputation.
  2. He is now at a club where, to put this bluntly, he is getting away with hell.

The amount of times Sergio Ramos got idotically sent off or stupidly banned is hard to count, but this club has stuck by him all along. Of course, there have been arguments along the way but that is to be expected with some of the behaviour Ramos has shown in the past.

 

What are the chances of this transfer occurring?

In my honest opinion, I cannot see this one happening in the near future. To me, Sergio Ramos would rather stay in Madrid and sunny Spain than come over to England.

Also, I cannot see Madrid letting go of him easily and Man United will probably be put off by the asking price Madrid will place on the 29-year-old.

But if Man Utd do get him, it would be one hell of a statement of intent.

 

Written by Jamie De Geir

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Ancelotti departs as Florentino Perez fails once again to realise he’s the one at fault

  By O-Posts Team | May 26, 2024 - 17:51 | , , ,
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12 years have passed since Florentino Perez cited exhaustion as his reason for severing ties with Vincent Del Bosque, just a day after the curtain fell on the title winning campaign of 2002-03. 10 managers have since sat in the dugout of the Santiago Bernabeu and they have now all been sacked or eased out, Carlo Ancelotti completing a full house after being shown the door in similar fashion to Del Bosque, a day after the most recent La Liga season drew to a close.

Ancelotti however did not manage to win the league, but he did manage to deliver a Champions League, the one prize Real Madrid have been coveting above all since Del Bosque’s contract was not renewed. The now Spain-manager won the European Cup twice during his time in Madrid and since he departed they failed to make it any further than the quarter-finals, falling at the second-round stage in six successive seasons between 2004 and 2010, before Jose Mourinho took them to three straight semi-finals.

An historic tenth trophy, or La Decima, was finally obtained by Ancelotti last season with the 4-1 victory over city neighbours Atletico in Lisbon but that, plus the Copa Del Rey trophy he won by beating Barcelona earlier on in that campaign, has not been enough to save the Italian from the president’s knife. “My appearance will be very brief” said Perez in Monday evening’s press conference before he confirmed Ancelotti’s fate while reiterating, possibly in an attempt to persuade himself, that it wasn’t an easy decision for the board to arrive at.

A few minutes later and it was over and Perez’s attempts to look sincere, or the head of a “top global institution” as he put it, were thinly-veiled to the extreme. There was no difficult decision. Ancelotti finished his second season in charge without the honour of a trophy and once that happens there is simply no way back.

Manuel Pellegrini was sent packing after achieving Madrid’s highest-ever points tally of 96 in 2010, while Jose Mourinho’s failure to win a trophy in the season after he won La Liga in 2012 would accelerate the Portuguese’s exit. Similarly to Ancelotti, both lost out to the Barcelona that has been blessed with the extraordinary talents of Lionel Messi but with Perez’s presidency there is no mitigation; fail to win and you’re gone.

Carlos Queiroz, Jose Antonio Camacho, Mariano Garcia Ramon, Vanderlei Luxemburgo and Juan Ramon Lopez Caro were all dispensed as Perez sifted through four managers in the last two years of his first presidency spell. Though the ruthlessness wasn’t just consigned to Perez, with Roman Calderon firing Fabio Capello and Bernd Schuster despite both delivering league titles. It is under Perez particularly however where the madcap hire ‘em fire ‘em policy is intensely fuelled.

Perez is synonymous with the Galactico policy that he initially embarked upon in his first stint as presidency, signing Luis Figo, Zinedine Zidane, Ronaldo, David Beckham and Robinho and although Calderon continued to deliver the big names, the likes of Lyon’s Mahamadou Diarra and Fabio Cannavarro and Emerson from the Juventus that was engulfed in scandal and relegated from Serie A in 2006 didn’t hold the same sway as Perez’s captures.

Calderon promised Cristiano Ronaldo and Kaka but failed. Perez, back for a second spell in 2009, got them both, as well as Xabi Alonso, Karim Benzema and Raul Albiol in a £226 million spending spree. Luka Modric, Mesut Ozil, Angel Di Maria, James Rodriguez an Gareth Bale have been among the names acquired with the £450 million spent in the 6 years since as the lessons that should have been learned from Perez’s first era, the flaws of the Zidanes y Pavones idyll, have not been heeded.

Perez’s movements in the transfer market are driven by marketing opportunities and Ancelotti is the latest to discover how that comes at detriment to the team. The Italian inherited Angel Di Maria from Mourinho and turned him into the instrumental midfielder that played a pivotal role in the Champions League triumph, yet he was sold to Manchester United last summer to make way for the incoming Rodriguez, the lucrative flavour of the month after his impressive showing at the Brazilian World Cup for Colombia.

The profits from shirt sales and merchandising again taking priorities over sensible transfer activity that now reaps a squad that looks heavy on names but light on efficiency. That Sergio Ramos was asked to fill in at centre-midfield for the Champions League semi-final tells its own story of a squad that lacks strength in depth despite the vast sums spent across the years.

Xabi Alonso was sold to Bayern Munich and although Toni Kroos came the other way, the Spaniard’s know-how and vast experience was not replaced and, partnered with the loss of Modric to injury, an over-exposed midfield has been a factor behind their loss of La Liga and Champions league elimination. There can be certain comparisons made in such oversight to Perez’s naïve comments over the exit of Claude Makelele to Chelsea in 2003.

Alvaro Morata was sold to Juventus for £17 million after finding his route into the Madrid side blocked and he came back to haunt them directly, scoring in both legs of the semi-final, including the killer away goal in the Bernabeu. Meanwhile Bale, signed for a world record £85 million and staunchly defended by Perez in fear of having to admit such a huge transfer may be unsuccessful, continues his desperate struggles for form.

Ancelotti, supported to the end by his players but faced with an ultimatum that he must renovate his back-room staff as the board express unhappiness with the physical conditioning of the squad, has remained loyal and dignified to the end, yet his refusal to conform has been a factor in his undoing.

Perez and his fellow powers will now set about combing over the potential options to see who gets the luxury of becoming Real Madrid’s 12th manager this century. An announcement will follow next week according to Perez, with Napoli’s Rafael Benitez in the frame, though while that is up for debate for the time being, there is one thing nobody can argue with; whoever follows Ancelotti will not last long.

 

Written by Adam Gray

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Alberto Bueno: Ex-Real Madrid prospect firing on all cylinders with the Vallecans

  By O-Posts Team | May 6, 2024 - 17:05 | , , , , ,
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It may be a slight on the lack of strength in depth of La Liga that its most poverty-stricken clubs can fight competitively to continue to demand a place in Spain’s top league. It is a miracle that Eibar, the city with a population of 28,000 and the club whose stadium hosts just 5,200 fans, even reached La Liga for the first ever time last summer and now possess a chance of surviving with three games left.

Elche have failed to pay their players since January amidst crippling debts that may yet see them relegated, but they sit 10 points clear of the relegation zone. Getafe, Levante and Almeria are the other clubs on miniscule incomes who are again set to beat the drop, following the standard set by Rayo Vallecano in the fight to get to by on meagre resources. Promoted back to the Primera in 2011 after an 8 year absence, Rayo have battled to finish 15th, 8th, and 12th and now currently lie in 11th place despite again going with a squad patched together with free transfers and loans.

It is fifteen years since Vallecano last spent money on a transfer, £1.76 million to bring in Elvir Bolic from Fenerbahce in 2000, but continue to punch their weight in a league that boasts the luxury of Neymar, Luis Suarez, Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi and Gareth Bale. Of that list, Messi, Ronaldo and Neymar, occupy three of the top four spots in La Liga’s goal-scoring charts while Antoine Griezmann, who cost Atletico Madrid £24 million last summer, is third. Suarez cost Barcelona £75 million and has scored 16, a figure that only puts him joint-6th together with Alberto Bueno, one of the many players begged, stole and borrowed by Vallecano and their manager Paco Jemez over the years.

Bueno’s 16 goals means he has chipped in with 40% of Rayo’s total goal horde so far in a remarkable campaign for the striker who before moving to the Vallecas in 2013 had never managed more than seven in a single season. Jemez’s ability to produce the best form out of journeymen and unwanted cast-offs has again been present in Bueno, who has now hit 27 goals across his two seasons with Vallecano after previously scoring 18 across three terms with Real Valladolid and a season-long loan with Derby County.

The fifteen-minute four-goal blitz against Levante, in which he notched a perfect hat-trick in the space of 6 minutes, remains the scarcely believable highlight of the season for Bueno but a brace in a 2-2 draw with Deportivo, winners over Celta Vigo and Villarreal as well as goals in recent games with relegation rivals Eibar and Granada have been hugely important to Vallecano’s fate. He has laid on 4 goals for others, a stat only bettered in the Vallecano squad by Gael Kakuta, while the French winger and Roberto Trashorras are the only players to create more chances than Bueno’s 24.

Nobody has more shots than Bueno’s 86, with which the 27 year old has been accurate with almost 50% of, and they are stats that have been produced with Bueno not even playing as a conventional striker. Jemez has preferred Bueno in a support role to the more physical Leo Baptistao but with the Brazilian only managing seven goals so far, the true star of Vallecano’s season has undisputedly been the Spaniard that had previously been written-off.

It will be a shame for Vallecano to lose Bueno to Porto at the end of the season (Bueno’s contract expires in the summer), but with Rayo acknowledging they simply can’t offer the same terms as the Portuguese giants, they are likely to step aside and watch him go, full of appreciation and gratitude for his two years of service in the outskirts of Madrid.

Colombian Jackson Martinez is primed to leave the Estadio Dragao on the back of his own impressive goal-scoring exploits of 88 goals in 128 games in three seasons with Porto and while Bueno may not be a designated replacement, he will be a cheap and attractive addition to the squad having finally shown his ability to score consistently in a top European league.

The transfer to Porto will see him reunited with Julen Lopetegui, the coach who was in charge of Real Madrid’s Castilla when Bueno was in his last year with the club in 2008-09. Fabio Capello fast-tracked the striker to train with the likes of David Beckham and Luis Figo in 06-07 but despite making his league and Champions League debuts two seasons later, it quickly became apparent he would have to move elsewhere to forge a successful first-team career.

That season also proved to be the end of a promising youth career that saw Bueno win the 2006 under-19 European Championship with Spain before competing in the under-20 World Cup in 2007. His transformation into senior football hasn’t quite gone with quite the same level of success, but now at the age of 27 he is starting to rediscover his talent. Jemez has helped him to do that at Vallecano and now Lopetegui is poised to carry the job on with Porto.

 

Written by Adam Gray

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Champions League Quarter-Final Second Leg: All four favorites seal their places in the semis

  By O-Posts Team | April 25, 2024 - 18:11 | , , , , , , , , ,
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So all the four favourites made it through to semi-finals, but what can we make of what happened?

On Tuesday night:

- PSG showed the entire football world just how good, bad and limited their team is. Their first half at the Camp Nou was horrifying (entertaining if you are Barca fan), but in the second half, they put Barca under so much pressure that even Messi started diving. But of course they messed up all the chances they created.

- David Luiz showed us that he is one of the few players, who have the power to be the worst and the best player in the same game with his immense contribution at the Camp Nou.

- Despite being on course to win all three titles in France for the second year running, Laurent Blanc is expected to be relieved of his duties at the end of the season. Now what could possibly be the reason? Is it his inability to go beyond the last eight in Europe? Is it the fact that he turned Cavani, a fantastic forward, into Ibrahimovic’s favourite left-sided or right-sided sidekick? Is it because he is building his team around Ibrahiselfish? Or just all of the above? Wondering…

- Neymar spent the entire second half of the game against PSG trying to set up his Boss; sorry, I mean teammate Messi instead of actually creating a goal-scoring chance for his team. Is he expecting a pay raise? From Barcelona, I mean.

- Luis Suarez did not dive in the entire game against PSG. Maybe there was something wrong with him. But anyway, congrats to him for not diving; and to Neymar as well.

- Somebody needs to tell Javier Mascherano to stop his falling and touching the face nonsense because no matter how hard he tries it won’t get him into Captain America 3, Suicide Squad or any other Hollywood movie. And the new Spiderman role already belongs to Aubameyang so por favor Javier, stop this nonsense.

- As we all expected and anticipated, Bayern Munich made a fool out of Porto at the Allianz Arena. But the good news and of course the silver lining for Porto is that they didn’t concede 7 goals and they manage to score one goal. But despite that, they were ghosts during the entire game. Honestly, did those guys went to Germany to play or did they just go there to be slaughtered?

 

On Wednesday:

- Real Madrid finally managed to do the unthinkable; they beat Atletico within 90 minutes. But that was not the only surprise. One of the three surprises was that it wasn’t Ronaldo who scored the goal, it was Chicharito. Yes, the king of outcasts, one of the very few players who managed to be the best bench-warmer in not only two different clubs but in two different countries: jersey number 14, Javier Hernandez.

- But if you thought that Hernandez goal was the cherry on top, you were mistaken. And although it has happened before, it has to be the biggest surprise of the week. So here it goes: CRISTIANO RONALDO MANAGED TO BE UNSELFISH IN FRONT OF GOAL IN THE DYING MINUTES OF A VERY IMPORTANT GAME. Yup, he is the one who gave to vital pass to Hernandez. And that merits a big congrats to CR7. I guess if Messi can dive, Ronaldo can be unselfish. Freaky auarter-finals.

- Despite being the hero for Real Madrid, Hernandez managed to make Arsenal legend Thierry Henry angry for not celebrating with Cristiano, who assisted the goal. Now, I don’t know if it is Henry’s Arsenal’s side or his Barcelona’s side talking but what’s wrong with running for joy and waiting for your mates to come and celebrate with you? Ronaldo does that for every goal. And no offense to ‘King Henry’, but how many times has he run to the teammate who assisted him when he scored goals? For what I can remember, he would run slowly and wait for the rest of the team to congratulate him. So with no disrespect to your opinion Thierry, I don’t see what’s wrong with running for joy.

- Sticking with Real, Hernandez heroics might just have allowed Ancelotti to live another day, but Los Blancos boss will be hoping that his boys rediscover their ability to finish off their opponent earlier in the game as the season enter its final stage. And if UEFA ‘fair’ draw keeps Barca and Bayern apart for the semis to set up ‘Europe’s most wanted final’, Real will be in for a tough end of the season.

- After taking a page from Mourinho’s book by not rotating his players, Ancelotti used another trick from the ‘Special Book’, book of the Special One, by playing a defender in central midfield. What’s next? Loaning 30 players?

- After an amazing 2013/2014 season, Atletico Madrid is showing us just how much they have fallen. They went from Champions League finalist and La Liga winners to… just another good team. That’s what happens when you sell most of your best players and replace them with excellent but cheap bargains. In football terms, that’s called doing an Arsenal.

- After realising how dangerous Monaco can be on the counter, Juventus left their fancy football in Turin and honoured their Italian origin by playing the Italian game; defend with 12 men, with the twelfth men being the coach. Although it’s not many people’s glass of Heineken (Champions League sponsor), it’s a genius tactic.

 

Conclusion

With the draw sealed and dusted in Nyon, which have set two gigantic semi-final clashes: Real Madrid vs Juventus and Bayern Munich vs Barcelona. Two matches, both rivalries that evoke memorable moments and tight encounters. They should prove worthwhile as always, no matter the result and outcome.

 

Written by Christopher Kayembe

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Gareth Bale: The Welsh Wizard must prove his worth again

  By O-Posts Team | April 8, 2024 - 16:29 | , ,
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Scoring in the Champions League final against your city neighbours should pretty much secure your status as a club legend for the foreseeable future. However, things have not quite worked out as well for Gareth Bale during his second season with Real Madrid, los Blancos of course being far from a normal club.

Playing, and more pertinently succeeding, in Real’s infamous white shirt has proved a tough task for many players throughout the club’s history. Following his move from Tottenham in the summer of 2013 expectation was high, especially after signing for a world record fee.

He enjoyed considerable success in his first season and winning the Champions League along with the Copa del Rey, the future looked bright for the Welsh winger. However, following a period of poor form at the start of 2015 it seems the Spanish press have turned on their former hero.

He has been accused of not working hard enough for the team and at various points of being selfish in front of goal. After a long goal drought, he seemed to be coming back into form just before el Clasico. However, after another lacklustre performance ensued the knives were once again out for Bale and despite assurances from President Florentino Perez his long term future at the club appears in doubt.

Los Blancos are not your typical football club; they are an institution and with 10 European Cup wins are Europe’s biggest and most successful club. The club currently boast a playing squad featuring Cristiano Ronaldo, Isco, Karim Benzema, Sergio Ramos and many more wonderful talents. None though are impervious to the criticism if the crowd feels that they have not worked enough for the team then they will share their frustrations with the specific player. Even Ronaldo, who it has to be remembered, has scored 47 goals for the club this season, gets jeered on occasions.

Bale is at his best when his athletic physique and explosive speed can be used to its fullest. If offered space or time, he can be deadly from range and shoots tremendous accuracy. This season though, he has been unable to replicate the form he showed during his first year at Madrid and as such his confidence has dipped.

He is not one of the best technically within the squad and during tough spells in games, he can often drift by without getting involved. His second half performance against Barcelona typified this and he was a bystander for large parts.

An integral part of the modern game is the ability to regain possession in the opponents half and use the breakdown in play to seize the initiative. It only takes one player to be out of position or lethargic and a team’s whole defensive unit can fall apart.

Of course this season Real have lost the services of Angel di Maria and Xabi Alonso who were crucial to Bale’s integration last season. The work that di Maria did for the team often went unnoticed and the ground he covered in attack and defence made up for several of the Madrid players who slackened off at points. With Alonso’s range and speed of thought to notice a pass, a significant amount of balls that Bale used to get has diminished too. With sides focusing their efforts on Ronaldo, it often freed up space for Bale and Benzema to exploit.

As the summer draws closer, rumours of Bale or Ronaldo’s departures will continue to gather momentum. If he wants to remain in Madrid and perhaps even take over from Ronaldo, he needs to have a good and successful end to the season. He must work harder without the ball and demonstrate to both team mates and fans that he is prepared to do the hard work as well as chase the reward. It would not require much change of mindset and should not hinder what he offers in attack.

Bale demonstrated during his final year at Spurs and during his first year at Real Madrid that he has the ability to play at the highest level. What separates the best from the pretenders though is that the best come back year after year and produce at their optimum when it counts.

Nobody remembers the early defeats when the trophy is lifted and Bale should remember that.

 

Written by Andy Hunter

Follow Andy on Twitter @hunter67980

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Champions League: An Infographic on the 2014/15 Quarter-final Contenders

  By O-Posts Team | April 7, 2024 - 20:59 | , , , , , , , ,
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With the quarterfinals of Europe’s biggest club competition on the horizon, the good folks at Guarantee Tickets have created an excellent infographic below detailing the contenders and performances so far in the competition. Hope this round lives up to expectations, as always.

 

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