Arsene Wenger had promised a magnificent performance from his side ahead of the second leg Champions League semifinal tie at home against Manchester United. Instead the Gunners received a master class in counter-attacking football from the Red Devils, especially Cristiano Ronaldo.
Video highlights will follow.
Of the three goals United scored tonight, my favorite is the third where Park and Rooney combined brilliantly to set up Ronaldo to complete a move that he had started with a deft back heel. It reminded me of a very similar goal that Rooney and Ronaldo scored a couple of seasons ago against Bolton. It remains one of the best goals of the end-to-end quick counter-attack variety that I’ve seen.
The quality of this video is poor. I couldn’t find a better one.
El clásico, the Real Madrid – Barcelona derby turned out to be a total humiliation for Real Madrid today, as the hosts were blanked out 6 – 2 by a rampaging Barcelona side that moved ever closer to regaining the Primera Liga. To be honest, I think I’ve used the word rampaging incorrectly, because it didn’t seem like the Blaugranas needed to produce an inspired performance to beat Real, who were poor through and through. So while one must not deny Barca the plaudits, one should also not hold back criticism of a spineless Real side, whose obvious shortcomings were exposed by their Catalan rivals, just as Liverpool had a few weeks ago. Real Madrid conceded six goals, their worst defensive performance at home in the history of the derby, but they could well have conceded 16 – yes, they were that bad.
The result puts Barcelona seven points ahead of Real. With just four games left in the Liga, Barca have well and truly wrapped up the league. Given the substantial goal advantage they possess (+72 for Barca against +38 for Real), a win and two draws will guarantee glory for Guardiola’s men. And so they will turn their attention to Wednesday night’s Champions League semifinal second leg at Stamford Bridge.
While I like Barcelona better than Chelsea (who I don’t like), I would consider the home side favorites to progress. Chelsea, having worked their socks off to bring home a creditable 0-0 draw away at the Nou Camp, will offer more of the same but will be a bit more adventurous and try to exploit Barcelona’s defensive fragility – an aspect of their game that Guardiola must work on. Barcelona are without their overrated first choice central defensive pairing (Puyol and Marquez), and Drogba might relish taking on young Pique.
I thought Chelsea would rest many of their big names and field a less potent line-up today. But I was surprised by Hiddink’s decision to play Chelsea’s first team against Fulham. Barca could not have afforded the same luxury as defeat would have meant that Real would be breathing down their necks.
Talking of resting players, Arsenal sent out a virtual B-team against Pompey, and still ran out 3-1 winners. To be fair, United rested Cristiano Ronaldo, Edwin van der Sar and their entire starting midfield from midweek, but that is about as much tinkering that Sir Alex Ferguson could afford.
I predict that the 2009 Champions League final would be a repeat of 2008′s, with Chelsea challenging United in Rome for the crown. Chelsea to win at home against Barcelona, and United to pick up an away win at the Emirates.
There were many great moments in the Premier League this season. But the one image that to me will define this season is that of Cristiano Ronaldo throwing his shirt in the air out of sheer joy, nay, an animal passion, like a hound baying for blood, after he headed home a cross from Wayne Rooney in the left flank to put United up 3-2. Man U would go on to win 5-2, after Spurs had gone 2-0 up. United’s lions executed the plot to perfection. A savage massacre on a football field like never before.
It has been four years and four weeks since I last let out a sore-throat-inducing “Wow” when watching a goal. The previous occasion was when Ronaldinho scored that “foot of God” goal at Stamford Bridge. Just a few minutes ago today, a hitherto unheard of Italian teenager turned around in front of the Stretford End, half losing his balance, but strike he did a goal past the diving Brad Friedel that put United back on top of the Premier League.
The goal was doubtless beautiful. In the heat of the moment, one might even be tempted to describe it as the goal of the season. But such chest-beating is just a waste of time. Macheda’s goal is important not just because it spared United the ignominy of spending a week trailing Liverpool in the league table, but because it is potentially their first step out of the abyss that they have been languishing in since mid-March.
During that period, United have channeled their inner Liverpool by hitting the self-destruct button when they should simply have launched themselves out of such tellurian considerations as retaining their Premier League title into plotting to winning the Quintuple. To Liverpool’s credit, they channeled their inner Manchester United during the same period, banging in 13 goals in three games and yesterday jumping past United with a victory at Craven Cottage. So when United found themselves 2-1 down today and largely toothless, even the faithful would have doubted a comeback with just ten minutes and change remaining. But United being United rediscovered their true selves first through a left-footed strike from Ronaldo and then this wonderstrike from the 17-year old kid from Rome.
Fans of lesser teams would no doubt cast this as a lucky victory, for Villa were the better side for most of the game. The latter part of the previous sentence is unquestionable, but that is how championships are won – when teams eke out draws and wins in matches that were seemingly irretrievable. Just ask Chelsea. I don’t blame those doubters though. After all, when your teams win a trophy once every few years, or worse yet, you cannot recall when they last won anything worth winning, you are so far removed from what is quotidian in these parts.
Survival, though not a word used frequently in Mancunia, has been the motto of the past few weeks. Now is the time to resume normal service, to shift gears and power past Porto and Sunderland. Not even United can afford another slip up.
Update
Video highlights from the game. You can watch Macheda’s goal towards the end of the video — in the 11th minute. Watching it again, I think United should have won 4-2. That goal must have counted as two.
Did you watch the FA Cup match between Manchester United and Tottenham today? If not, you have missed the start of a possible revolution – the one of many that constantly occur at Old Trafford.
Rafael Da Silva, the young Brazilian right-back, has already been one of the finds of the season for United, so much so that injuries to Gary Neville and Wes Brown have hardly caused Sir Alex Ferguson a headache. Rafael’s brilliance and maturity defies his age, and as an attacking wingback in the Neville mold, he has, through his performances, already led many to conclude that he can make the right-back position at United his own for years to come.
But today’s find was Fabio Da Silva, Rafael’s twin brother, who made his senior debut for the club, filling in for the injured Patrice Evra. To claim that Fabio was outstanding would be an understatement. He outshone Cristiano Ronaldo on the left flank today, and the World Footballer of the Year would have been pleased to note that the precocious Brazilian teenager wasn’t playing against him. Just ask Chris Gunter who was overrun time and again by young Fabio today.
It might be too early to say this, but my bet is that the Da Silvas are the next Nevilles at United.
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