UEFA’s top brass descended on Madrid this week, using Wednesday night’s clash between Real Madrid and Lyon as the dry run for the main event, the Champions League final, on 22 May.
Florentino Perez welcomed the dignitaries, and a man of his ambition would have been expectant that, after a summer outlay of £260 million, he would be proudly watching his exorbitantly-assembled band of elite footballers lifting the fabled trophy aloft nine or so weeks from now.
It would have been his dream, his vision, when Los Nuevos Galacticos went from concept to star-studded reality in a few short months – to witness Los Blancos being triumphant in the tournament with which they have become synonymous.
However, one swing of a Bosnian’s boot brought the reality of failure crashing down on the Santiago Bernabeu, and left all concerned to commence the post-mortem of what is an unmitigated disaster and an absolute embarrassment for the world’s richest club.
Miralem Pjanic’s goal proved that despite the revolution, the promises of success, and an era of dominance spearheaded by the most talented footballers around, Wednesday night’s disaster seemed all too recognisable. Almost every aspect of the 1-1 draw with the French resembled a re-run of a nightmare that is now extended into its six consecutive year.
Elimination at the Round of 16 every season since 2005 has not been of sufficient standard for a club of this stature, but this season, with this team, with this expenditure, events were expected to be wholly different.
Instead, an analysis of each area of the pitch highlights the deficiencies that have been prevalent in recent campaigns, but where does blame truly lie for such an abject result?
Defence:
Iker Casillas was solid enough, using the full expanse of his area to nullify any raking passes from the Lyon midfield, but lacked communication with his defence, who despite consistent warnings are still hugely susceptible to cross balls into the area. Sevilla managed to exploit this indecision on Saturday evening, and had defender Cris connected with a superb Pjanic delivery prior to the equaliser, it would have almost been a carbon copy goal. Defensive lessons appear too difficult to learn for a club of this stature.
In the full-back positions, Sergio Ramos saw plenty of ball but his distribution was woeful. The Spanish international took an age to provide service into the area, and in the second half Delgado doubled up assiduously with left-back Ally Cissokho to fully eliminate Ramos’ influence on proceedings. And in the end, he gave the ball away more often than he crossed it.
On the opposite flank, Arbeloa is renowned for his conservative but effective forays forward, but was largely anonymous in the final third, and his reserved display robbed Madrid of an additional attacking outlet. With no Marcelo charging down the left flank, Ronaldo was left without a sidekick and a decoy.
Midfield:
Guti looked capable of pulling the creative strings early in the contest as Real Madrid started in typically vibrant fashion, but Lyon’s tactical reshuffle at the break applied additional pressure to him and his penchant for manipulating proceedings waned as a result.
Lassana Diarra valiantly attempted to perform the defensive screening role, but with the attacking players in front of him with their mentality set almost permanently on the offensive, he struggled to maintain competent protection for his centre halves. Furthermore, the Frenchman once again revealed his limited ability with the ball at his feet, relinquishing possession on numerous occasions.
Esteban Granero was given the opportunity to prove his capability at this level but was found wanting; his touch and ability to retain the ball in the final third looked tentative and nervous, particularly as the match progressed at the precarious 1-0 scoreline, and he bore the wrath of Cristiano Ronaldo in the first half for his errant passing.
Attack:
Despite being the recent darling of the supporters and in sensational form, Gonzalo Higuain can expect copious criticism for the guilt-edged chances he passed up in the first half. The latter produced an excellent save from Hugo Lloris, but his first effort, where he danced round the shot-stopper only to fire against the upright with the goal at his mercy, was an unforgiveable miss. The Argentine did not recover from that wasted opportunity.
Kaka began the match in driving fashion, almost netting inside the opening seconds, but like Guti his influence diminished as the match progressed. The former AC Milan playmaker was acquired precisely to provide the intricate passes and creative prowess to unlock defences in matches of this magnitude, but he cut a frustrated figure as Claude Puel’s organised outfit stifled his space and left the normally level-headed Brazilian staring skywards with a gaze of despair etched on his face. His misery was compounded when he was substituted 12 minutes from time to the tune of jeers from the home crowd.
And what of Ronaldo? Like Kaka, his addition in the summer was primarily to provide Real Madrid the edge against Europe’s elite and in the first half was at the heart of everything positive the Spanish side produced. He played with speed, determination and drive, typified by the desire shown at the opening goal, but as the need increased, so did CR9’s tendency to hang onto the football. Yes, he has emerged as the natural successor to Raul as the gem of the Bernabeu faithful, but he cannot do everything on his own.
As he grew more anxious (and it was plain that the outcome of this match meant so much to him) he dribbled down blind alleys, and drove towards a compact Lyon back line with the awareness of his colleagues a lessening priority. The Portuguese looked close to tears near the end, and will he now be re-evaluating his decision to swap Old Trafford for the Bernabeu, particularly given Manchester United’s emphatic demolition of AC Milan occurring simultaneously with his club’s demise?
Coach:
The decision to appoint former Villarreal coach Manuel Pellegrini as the rudder to navigate this galaxy of superstars to trophies was never truly appreciated, and it is more than probable that this capitulation will sound the death knell for his short tenure under Florentino Perez. As for the match itself, though, his team started positively and created numerous clear-cut openings. Kaka, and a trio of tribulations from the hapless Higuain should have extended the lead prior to the interval, and the coach cannot legislate for the ineptitude of his players when presented with a chance to score.
However, the Chilean simply did not respond to a tactical reshuffle by opposite number Puel at half time, and his side did not re-emerge from the dressing room with anywhere near the vibrancy and drive to capture the ascendency that was necessary to finish a job that was only half completed. He bizarrely brought on Mahamadou Diarra when two goals were needed to progress - a player who hasn’t scored a competitive goal since the 2006/07 season, but perhaps the damage was already done by his introduction.
But who could Pellegrini have brought on instead? There were only three other available options: Fernando Gago, Christoph Metzelder and young Pedro Mosquera. Not a whole lot to choose from. It was clear that the absences of Benzema, Xabi Alonso and Marcelo deprived ‘El Ingeniero’ of a chance to execute another masterstroke substitution.
President:
This catastrophe will be a night that will live long in the memory for Florentino Perez for all the wrong reasons, but other than bankroll the revolution, what else can be expected of him? Yes, he exerted more than a domineering authority over transfer dealings, but then again who wouldn’t have wished to signed Cristiano and Kaka? Or Xabi Alonso and Karim Benzema? He cannot be accused of a lack of ambition, but then again, with a different coach pulling the strings, it could have been a different outcome.
Lyon must take credit for absorbing Madrid’s threat before Pjanic’s supremely-timed sucker punch, and they must be considered a threat to the sides remaining in the competition, but ultimately, the internal investigation begins here and now, and someone will be made the scapegoat for a result that simply cannot be tolerated.
Source: goal.com