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Juventus FC – Arturo Vidal Saves the Day in Derby d’Italia
Across the board, for a lot of teams filled with internationals in the lineup, fatigue and exhaustion seemed to be the key word. Juventus were no different, needing a late Arturo Vidal (who else) goal to save them from defeat in the Derby d’Italia, which was another example of this team not trying too hard when they don’t have to.
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Bayern Munich – Franck Ribery & Arjen Robben Solid Among All the Changes
While Pep Guardiola might be trying too hard to change things that worked perfectly well at Bayern Munich, some things remain the same: The reliance on Franck Ribery and Arjen Robben to be the difference when things don’t work out too well for the champions, especially with their endless list of injured midfielders.
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Real Madrid – Gareth Bale Looks Tired, Cristiano Ronaldo Selfish Again
Being the first one to blink in the usual race to the La Liga title doesn’t guarantee Real Madrid will end up on the wrong side of the championship once again, but its complete reliance on individual brilliance instead of a more team oriented style makes it impossible for them to win when Gareth Bale can barely play for 60 minutes while Cristiano Ronaldo does everything in the most selfish of ways.
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FC Barcelona – Lionel Messi Makes Alexis Sanchez the Hero
The same old story for Barcelona with a twist; Lionel Messi only setting up the dramatic winner after poor defending jeopardizes everything this team does well, allowing Alexis Sanchez to come off the bench and find himself in the hero’s seat for a change.
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Chelsea FC – Eden Hazard Can’t Play With So Many Changes Around Him
There’s too much change, shifting and rotating in the Chelsea lineup early on in the season, as Eden Hazard seems to be the only attacking player with an unmovable stake in the first XI, as it seems Jose Mourinho has a squad that’s a bit too big for his own good at the moment, not making the right decisions with it as well.
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Arsenal FC – Mesut Ozil Will Make Olivier Giroud Very Happy
It took only 11 minutes for Mesut Ozil to show Olivier Giroud what he can do for him as his new dealer on an Arsenal team that both enjoyed an even greater midfield quality than usual and some sketchy refereeing at some point, although the whistle was actually a double edges sword on the day.
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Manchester United – Robin van Persie & Wayne Rooney Shouldn’t Need Refereeing Favors
There was never any doubt Manchester United would leave Old Trafford as the winners of the early kick-off match, but with talents like Robin van Persie and Wayne Rooney on the team, it’s a shame that a referee was the one mostly remembered from the match, giving the home team a huge, unjustified boost once again.
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Ashley Young & Manchester United Can’t Stop Cheating & Diving
Even if Ashley Young diving and winning a penalty kick that shouldn’t have been awarded to Manchester United by Jonathan Moss wasn’t the only goal the team scored in their win over Crystal Palace it’s clear that the controversial moment at the end of the first half made most of the difference in the match, casting a huge doubt on the legitimacy of the win.
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NBA Rumors – Utah Jazz Might Eventually Trade Brandon Rush to the Chicago Bulls
After missing almost an entire season due to an ACL tear, Brandon Rush was traded to the Utah Jazz to play for on the final season of his contract. By the end of this one, however, there’s a good chance he’ll end up playing for the Chicago Bulls.
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NBA Rumors – Phoenix Suns Will Trade Marcin Gortat This Season
When going through a rebuilding process, teams don’t want unhappy, old and expensive players on the team. Marcin Gortat is the wrong fit in the next step for the Phoenix Suns, which will surely get him traded by the end of the 2013-2014 NBA Season.