So we’re at the halfway point of this first knockout stage 2nd match day and after the dust cleared on the first day 4 teams remained standing. We had some record breakers and we had some perennial stalwarts going through. Bayern Munich easily disposed of Sporting Clube de Portugal with a thrashing over the two legs with the tie ending at a record breaking 12-1 aggregate score. Liverpool totally embarrassed Real Madrid (and by extension Spanish football) with a 5-0 aggregate score. Villareal go through with a 3-2 aggregate scoreline against Panathanaikos; and lastly Chelsea scraped through with a hard fought 3-2 scorline over Juventus.
Out of all of these games yesterday, the one that stood out most to me was the real Madrid Liverpool match. From my previous post I knew that this was going to be an uphill battle for Los Merengue, but I also knew that their pride was at stake. After the first showing in the Santiago Bernabéu, I honestly thought that Real would have gotten their stuff together and come out with all guns blaring for this encounter. After all they had, more or less, a full strength side to choose from. Whereas Kuyt, Reira and Benayoun all either didn’t start or were injured for this meeting for Liverpool.
Before the first leg in the Bernabéu, Real were one of the most feared teams in La Liga, now, they are as mediocre as Real Betis. During the match yesterday I was having a conversation with a real fan, and he kept comparing Real Madrid to Sporting Lisbon. Oh how far they have fallen. To be compared to a team that clearly was not ready for this standard of football is unheard of, yet there we were all witnessing that demoralizing defeat at the hand of a team that every year fights for third place in the Premiership.
I had so much to say about that game yesterday, but I decided to let sleeping dogs lie. My heartfelt condolences go out to al the Real fans out there, and to all the fans of the Spanish game. There is no way I can hold an argument now saying that the Spanish league is better than the Premiership, because the stats speak for themselves. What I would give for a Real Madrid vs. Barcelona Champions League final. The last all English final was like a slow poison. I fell asleep on that game, literally. I also wanted to launch a scathing attack on the state of Italian football, but I’ll hold my tongue until this match day is over.
All in all, the last time any other league really showed their strength was in 2006 when Barcelona FC lifted the Champions League Cup. After that it has been all English dominance. What is the problem? Well my Spanish hopes now lie solely in the arms of Barcelona FC. Athletico Madrid also has a lot riding on them. Spanish football needs to get back to being at the pinnacle of the world leagues. We can only hope.
Good Luck to all fans.
P.S. Yes I can’t stand the English brand of football even though it is proving to be very effective. I also think Real should be banned from European football. 1 year for each of the goals that they got from Liverpool. That should be enough time to purge out that squad, mainly Raul and Cannavaro.
And as a bonus, here is the list of games for the rest of this match day:
Barcelona –Lyon
Roma- Arsenal
Manchester United- Inter Milan
Porto- Atlético Madrid
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