Hello friends, good vibes to all.
Part of Spanish football had a terrifying day in the Champions League quarter-final second legs. Both Barcelona and Real Madrid were eliminated by Atlético Madrid and Bayern Munich respectively in two truly great matches. I think yesterday's Madrid-Bayern game was one of the best I've seen in the competition lately. But the focus I want to have today is to find the reason why these two clubs were eliminated. First, Barça, who for me were one of the favorites to reach the final and perhaps even win it, and second, Madrid, a club that is, or was, accustomed to achieving great feats at this stage of the competition to further enhance its history. The reality is that both left without making a mark.
Barça had to come back, once again, against their apparent bogey team in the Champions League. They were 2-0 down, a result that didn't seem impossible given the quality of the squad. But they faced a tough team that already knew what it was like to deny Barcelona trophies this season and in recent history. Barça started the match very well, even managing to go 2-0 up and level the tie, but seven minutes later Lookman delivered a harsh dose of reality and buried everything again, forcing Flick's men to fight back and score two goals to advance. Those goals never came. And they didn't because only a couple of players stepped up: Lamine and, yes, Ferran Torres. Pedri was nonexistent, disappearing once again in an important match; Fermín wasn't sharp either; the defensive backline is a disaster, Koundé isn't up to par, Cancelo doesn't defend, and it's become routine for a center-back to be sent off; this time Eric García was the "joker."
Something must be wrong for Araujo, Cubarsí, and Eric García to keep making the same mistakes. Is it that they don't know how to play with a high defensive line, which is why they're caught out of position, or is it that they simply need more quality? It could be a bit of both. If you ask me, this Barcelona team needs a center-back, a full-back (either one), and a striker. Lewandowski isn't the same player he used to be; you can't ask any more of the Pole, who has already given so much. I also think Flick made a mistake taking Ferran off and bringing on De Jong a bit late. It's been 11 years since Barcelona last won the Champions League. I think they played better than Atlético in this second leg, but sometimes that's not enough. Perhaps Raphinha's absence played a part, but the reality is that they'll have to settle for La Liga, barring any unforeseen circumstances. Another Barcelona failure in Europe.
But if we're talking about failures, the fifteen-time champion certainly can't be left out. The "no-title" season, as many call Real Madrid's year, has come true again, and coincidentally, it's happening with Mbappé on the roster. Is it possible for one player to do so much damage to a team? Luis Enrique knew it. In the time it took for the Frenchman to leave PSG, they became the best team in the world, winning the Champions League, something they could never achieve with Kylian. Now, with the Frenchman at the Bernabéu, Real Madrid has gone two years without a title in a row. Coincidence? The thing is, Real Madrid showed promise yesterday against a Bayern Munich side "under construction," but reality proved otherwise. The complaint is that Mbappé doesn't play for the team, but for himself, and that's a mistake. You can't build a squad around him; he's the one who has to play for the others, to strengthen the club. But Vinicius was lackluster again, and without his magic, it's also difficult to succeed.
The truth is, this Real Madrid team desperately needs a restructuring, both in defense and midfield. They paid millions for Huijsen, Carreras, and Mastantuono, and quite frankly, they've been a complete failure, failing to live up to expectations. The match itself was spectacular, a tremendous back-and-forth affair for almost the entire game, until Camavinga committed a childish blunder and left his team with 10 men. The game was headed for extra time, but that red card threw the game off balance, and Luis Diaz and Olise came on and scored a pair of goals, each more of a gem than the other, to seal the tie. With the Frenchman's experience, he shouldn't have touched the ball knowing he already had a yellow card; it was a lamentable mistake. Naturally, the spotlight will shift to Mbappé, Vinicius, and Bellingham, and how to reorganize the team with them on the pitch and make it function.
It's tragic what happened to these two teams because at least one of them was expected to advance to the semifinals. The thing about the Champions League is that if you have a bad night, you're out, and I think that's what happened to both of them, perhaps considering that Real Madrid wasn't exactly in top form. I thought Barcelona would go through because of their style of play, and Real Madrid because of their history and because they always manage to pull off something epic. Maybe next year, 2027.
¡Un abrazo a todos, nos leemos en la próxima!
Well folks, that's all for today. I hope you enjoyed it.
¡Hugs to everyone, see you next time!