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From the Shocking AS Roma, to the Solid Juventus & Napoli, to the Predictably Awful AC Milan
Even though five matches aren’t enough to tell us how the season in the Serie A will unfold, it is quite shocking to see AS Roma perfect up until now, while nothing is surprising about Juventus and Napoli looks solid, confident and undefeated, while the problems at AC Milan, a club that’s great only by name, shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone.
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Real Madrid – Cristiano Ronaldo Looks Great Because of a Referee
The refereeing in Spain has always been sub-par and worse, but the horror display from Cesar Muniz Fernandez that gave Cristiano Ronaldo the opportunity to score twice for Real Madrid was probably one of the worst that the La Liga has produced for quite some time.
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Arsenal FC – There’s Still Hope For Nicklas Bendtner
Out of shape and without a match for a very long time, Nicklas Bendtner shouldn’t have looked so comfortable on the pitch, looking dominant in the air like nothing has changed. In a match that was mostly about giving very young players a chance to shine, there’s still hope for the Danish striker, who is a lot more important to Arsene Wenger than he should be.
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Liverpool FC – Luis Suarez is Overweight and Rusty But Not For Long
If there was any question about the level of commitment and professionalism Luis Suarez has, the effort and performance he gave on his return-from-suspension match for Liverpool erased those questions. He’s going to need a match or two to find his bearings again, but it doesn’t seem like too much of a concern, as he wasn’t too far away from scoring on his season debut.
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Manchester United – Shinji Kagawa & Javier Hernandez Could Make This Season Easier
There was nothing to indicate it was a League Cup Match except for seeing faces like Shinji Kagawa and Javier Hernandez in the lineup, but the pair gave David Moyes plenty to think about in another less than impressive display for Manchester United about his future selections and about what he’s been doing so far.
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Real Madrid & Pepe Cheat & Win Thanks to Cesar Muniz Fernandez
A terrible match from Real Madrid doesn’t end in a loss against Elche because Cesar Muniz Fernandez delivered one of the worst officiating performances we’ve seen in a very long time, giving a penalty kick for a foul that didn’t happen, falling, or wanting to fall, for Pepe actually committing a foul on Carlos Sanchez in the Elche box, well beyond the end of stoppage time, giving Cristiano Ronaldo the chance to look like a winner.
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Marco van Ginkel & the First Awful Injury of the Season
Just when Marco van Ginkel was beginning to find himself a place in the Chelsea lineup, earning himself a second consecutive start for the team, comes an injury that might end his season if it turns out his knee twist is more than just something he needs to shake off.
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The Never Ending List of German Attacking Midfielders
The revolution that German football has undergone over the last seven or eight years hasn’t been demonstrated with titles for the national team (yet), but the success of Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League, relying on German players and not just a horde of foreigners, is due to the immense pool of talent, especially in attacking midfield positions, the country currently has to offer.
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Atletico Madrid – Real Challengers This Time?
Strong starts aren’t something new we’re seeing from Atletico Madrid under Diego Simeone. Last season they won 11 of the first 13 matches before they hit the brick wall named Real Madrid and later Barcelona, realizing that it’s not really a fair fight on the way to the La Liga title.
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Chelsea FC – Juan Mata Succeeds in Helping Fernando Torres
The entire lineup Chelsea used for their League cup match screamed second string, or ‘Jose Mourinho doesn’t believe in you,’ although with enough quality to probably do quite well against better rivals, a strong performance from current misfits Fernando Torres and Juan Mata was enough to qualify into the next round and prove their manager he needs to take them more seriously.