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Real Madrid – Gareth Bale Makes the Most of a Missing Cristiano Ronaldo
The evening was about Cristiano Ronaldo and making a push to help him win the Ballon d’Or, although it looks like FIFA are doing their most to make that happen anyhow. Instead, it was about Gareth Bale showing just how good he can be even without the other Real Madrid superstar, while Alvaro Arbeloa provided a rare inspiration from the back, especially after Sergio Ramos extended his impressive record of red cards.
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Manchester United – Shinji Kagawa Finally Plays Where He Should Be
To say that playing Shinji Kagawa in the position he’s supposed to was the reason Manchester United walked away from Leverkusen with such a dominating win wouldn’t do justice to the rest of the team, which included another fantastic performance from Wayne Rooney and a rare effective one from the aging Ryan Giggs, but there’s no doubt David Moyes finally saw what his Japanese playmaker can do when he’s used the correct way.
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FC Barcelona – Neymar Left Stranded in Amsterdam
One of the more furious debates this season among European football affectionados is the Barcelona style. Changing, or the same? The 1-2 loss to Ajax that doesn’t really change anything came with the old style: Possession, midfield passing and more possession, but too much of the version from last season, that meant pointless ball movement, spiced with predictability. Neymar was the only one who tried something different, but he alone wasn’t enough.
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AC Milan – Kaka Was Worth the Wait
Few big teams have been playing more poorly than AC Milan have since the beginning of the season. Despite their poor form and the fans beginning to lose their patience, the personnel and talent they have is obviously much better than the results. At some point, it had to start coming together, and the man in charge of a sudden sense of calm and optimism is Kaka, looking more and more like the player who left the club more than four years ago, dragging Mario Balotelli upwards with him.
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Arsenal FC – Jack Wilshere Should Keep Playing in a Wider Position
Maybe Jack Wilshere prefers playing as a central midfielder, a playmaker in the classic sense. But considering the squad Arsenal have and the system Arsene Wenger deploys, time and time again it’s been proven that the English international is a lot more useful when he plays in a wide position, almost as a winger.
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Chelsea FC – Eden Hazard Should Have Come On Sooner
It’s hard to say if it was arrogance that was leading Jose Mourinho when he picked the lineup for his team’s defeat at Basel, or simply the rest and betterment of players. Chelseas struggled for long minutes on both ends of the pitch, and the introduction of Eden Hazard to the match came way too late to turn things around.
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Champions League – Week 5 Predictions (Groups A – D)
A big match for Manchester United travelling to Bayer Leverkusen, that might complicate things in their group even further. Juventus are in a must-win situation at home against FC Copenhagen, hoping the result from the Santiago Bernabeu, where Real Madrid host Galatasaray, will be pleasing to hear as well.
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Champions League – Week 5 Results & Tables (Groups E – H)
A night of surprises and of getting back on track – Basel stunned Chelsea with a 1-0 win, although it won’t stop the Europa League champions from making the next round, while Ajax beat Barcelona 2-1, giving them an excellent prospect to make it into the next round if they manage to beat Milan on the final matchday.
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FC Barcelona – Gerardo Martino Knows Records Mean Nothing, Titles Do
Does Gerardo Martino care that he’s only one match away from equaling the mark set by Guardiola’s side during the 2011-12 campaign, when Barcelona began the season by avoiding defeat in their first 21 games? Not really. He focuses on wins, sure, but eventually, what matters are the titles he ends up with.
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Arsenal FC – Arsene Wenger Twisting the Aaron Ramsey Situation
Last season, many were critical of Aaron Ramsey. His positioning, his ability. Arsenal weren’t too hot as well. Arsene Wenger wasn’t getting applause for the work he was doing as manager. This season? Everything has been turned around, and the French manager is trying to take full credit for the Welshman’s turnaround.