COMMENT – At the annual Laureus Sports Awards in Abu Dhabi, Zinedine Zidane was given a lifetime achievement award. To this writer it brought a wave of nostalgia, reminding him of the Frenchman’s so many outstanding displays in the middle. A midfielder without the attributes of raw speed or brute strength, Zidane’s success is all the more remarkable.
At his best when choreographing moves from the centre of the pitch, Zidane’s core strength was a gifted first touch, which allowed him to control the ball comfortably in tight spaces and work it around opposition defenders. A skilled athlete can make even the most outrageous task look easy, and Zidane personified this trait. His demeanour and movement bordered on the languid and one can be forgiven for not picking up the purpose behind every touch, every pass, the ‘Marseille pirouette’ which he executed so effortlessly, and the sublime finishing he was capable of producing with either foot.
Zidane’s goal against Bayer Leverkusen in the Champions League final of 2002, often cited as the best Champions League goal of all time, was a left foot volley where he caught the ball perfectly, sending it crashing into the top left corner of Leverkusen’s net. Responsible for providing the creative genius that led to France’s triumphs in the World Cup of 1998 and the Euro Championship in 2000, Zidane will also be remembered for his sensational Golden Ball-winning performances in the 2006 World Cup.
Coming out of retirement to help an ailing French team reach the competition, Zidane put all his vast skill on display to lead Les Bleus to the finals, in a tournament where he can be said to have ‘done it all’, including scoring and getting a red card in the final against Italy. However, it was earlier, in the quarter-final against Brazil, where Zidane reminded the world of the genius that is ‘Zizou’. Zidane masterminded the victory with a display of such outstanding brilliance and flare that a commentator remarked: ‘Stop toying with them Zidane’.
That Zidane signed off the international arena with an award for player of the tournament is a testament to the ability of one of the best players of the modern game. After that little dose of nostalgia, it is time to look forward to the upcoming Champions League fixtures. Arsenal are paired once more with Barcelona, a team that mauled the Gunners last season. Despite the fact that the Gunners are faring much better this season than they were when these sides last met, the key factor is that Barcelona are doing just as well as they were doing last year. As is inevitable when it comes to discussions about Barcelona, we must make mention of Messi’s ridiculously good form, which has seen him score goal after goal.
While Arsenal have not been short of goals this season, they will face a difficulty similar to what they always do against Barcelona; the Spanish side are simply better than Arsenal at the passing game that both sides hold so dear. For all of Nasri’s mesmerising dribbling skills and the undeniable passing vision of Fabregas, it is the backline that will give Arsene Wenger greatest cause for concern. The only solid defender, in the absence of the still injured Vermaelen, is Djourou, who himself is not faring well with injury.
Koscielny and Squillaci are not providing much in terms of stability, and Barcelona will be looking to exploit Arsenal’s chronic defensive frailties. It is going to be difficult for Arsenal to contend with Barcelona on football terms. Their best bet is to get stuck in and make the match a physical affair. However, this is at odds with Arsenal’s philosophy and they do not have a squad capable of pulling it off for a full 180 minutes, across two legs of the tie.
As with most sides coming up against the Catalan giants, Arsenal’s best bet is to hope that Barcelona have a bad day. Another English team coming up against one of the most illustrious clubs in Europe is Tottenham, who will face AC Milan. Tottenham have an array of players who can inject tremendous pace into their play, and this is their strength in Europe, when facing teams from leagues where speed is not an essential part of play.
AC Milan are a prime example of the latter, as evidenced by a loss to Ajax in their last group game. At best, Milan can be called bipolar; the front line is doing a remarkable job this season, with Robinho, Ibrahimovic and Pato providing the fireworks. At the back, the pairing of Nesta and Thiago Silva, when they are both fit, has been the bedrock. The combined age of Seedorf, Gattuso and Pirlo being more than 100, it’s the middle of the park where Milan is at its weakest. Even while using Boateng or Flamini, Milan do not possess a midfield capable of handling fast paced opposition.
Milan’s aging squad is rattled by injuries from the midfield down. In this scenario, it is hard to conceive of a Milan victory over two legs. Attacking, and attacking fast, seems to be the only option open to a Milan side that will not be allowed the time to sit on the ball and pick their passes at leisure. Real Madrid will play against a Lyon side who have given them a torrid time in recent seasons. Will Mourinho’s presence in the Real dugout this time round make a difference? If anything, Mourinho knows how to win cup competitions, and given Lyon’s own follies this season, the match should be an interesting one.
The Inter and Bayern tie is a repeat of last year’s Champions League final. Both sides have fallen from the heady heights of last season, where both completed domestic league-and-cup doubles en route to the final, where it was Inter who made history at the Germans’ cost. Bayern mystifyingly changed their formation this year, and this has robbed them of the effectiveness of Schweinsteger’s ability to guide the midfield, left Mueller isolated on the wing rather than playing him just behind the striker, and made a mess of a formation that had worked wonders last year.
Still, they managed to dominate the group stage competition, ranking among the best in terms of goals scored and points obtained. Inter seem to have found their feet again under new management, but it remains to be seen if new coach Leonardo, whose only Champions League experience is a single last-16 campaign with AC Milan, can do better with the other inhabitants of the San Siro.
So as the most watched club football competition enters a more exciting stage, watch this space next Sunday for a roundup of the results, and what they mean to all clubs involved, both in Europe and in their own domestic leagues.
