It was like watching a Roberto Di Matteo performance when Chelsea went to Madrid and defended their way to having one foot in the UEFA Champions League final.
The Italian won the Champions League for Chelsea back in 2012, defeating a marauding Bayern Munich side on penalties.
Di Matteo’s style was simple: adopt the stifling tactics of Greece in their shock 2004 European Championship title, and exploit the better individual talent present at Stamford Bridge to victory.
The clash with Barcelona in the semi-finals that year was the perfect example: setting up to “park the bus”, as they say, Chelsea hit the Catalans on the counter with precision and came out victorious (albeit with Barcelona liable for blame themselves, Messi missing a penalty and a host of chances going begging despite Barca’s array of attacking talent).
Now, there’s a Portuguese manager attempting to do the same.
As much as the self-styled “Special One” would like to think, he is certainly not special when it comes to innovation in football.
But credit goes to Jose Mourinho, for he is consistent in his honesty, putting success on the pitch above style, and reactive above proactive football.
Let us contrast this to Wednesday night, and Bayern Munich treating the Santiago Bernabeu as a home ground, taking the game to Real Madrid but losing to a single goal scored off a brilliant counter-attacking move.
Real went conventional, content with conceding territory and possession. Nonetheless, they will go to Munich only having to repeat what they did ever so well in the first leg.
Cristiano Ronaldo and Angel Di Maria were guilty of missing a glorious chance each, and if Real Madrid somehow find themselves knocked out at the Allianz Arena, do not look only to the second leg’s results to find out why.
The conventional 4-4-2 has made Carlo Ancelotti the hero of the first leg, and we can contrast that to Tim Sherwood getting pilloried for being backward when Tottenham Hotspur went back to basics in an attempt to stabilise a club in free-fall.
It is all about situational narrative, isn’t it? The major difference is that Ancelotti has a squad of world-class footballers, whereas Sherwood came in halfway through a season promising so much yet providing little.
Moving on to the return leg for Chelsea next Wednesday at Stamford Bridge, the Blues will have to come out to play. This will suit Atletico coach Diego Simeone whose men are at their best as well, on the break.
This pretty much means that for both teams to go through, risks will have to be taken for either side to have a genuine chance of taking the initiative.
So, on the back of the first legs, the advantage is with both Madrid clubs to bring about the first ever Madrid derby on the European stage. Having said that, this is football and stranger things have happened.
Like David Moyes being appointed Manchester United manager!
Now that this episode is over, amidst the hypocrisy that prevails, maybe Moyes can find sanctuary in Brunei.
It is almost puke-inducing when football pundits who vilified the man now criticise the way he was sacked. The League Managers Association (LMA) has come out in strong support after the sacking but one wonders if the same body should perhaps be more proactive.
When a football manager is failing so badly at a club and the critics get louder, perhaps the LMA should provide some counselling and analysis for the failing manager to see his flaws and failings.
Like a person who feels unwell in the head and goes to a shrink. Maybe the shrinks should have come forward to help? I mean the LMA.
Another interesting topic is Mourinho wanting to put out a “weakened” Chelsea team on the weekend against Liverpool.
Never you believe this man as he will certainly not want to lose this game. It is a ploy to lull Liverpool into complacency but the title is in the bag and all Brendan Rodgers has to do is zip it up.
Could we see Liverpool wrap up their maiden Premier League title with a win against Mourinho’s men? We will find out this weekend. – April 25, 2014.
* This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insider.
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