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Lyon 0-0 Marseille: A bad reflection of Ligue 1, and a bad result for Ligue 1

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“PSG were the real winners, as 2nd versus 3rd played out a boring goalless draw. Remi Garde was without Anthony Reveillere, so Mohamadou Dabo played at right-back, with Samuel Umtiti on the left. Clement Grenier dropped to the bench, with the more defensive-minded Gueida Fofana starting instead. Elie Baup was without Morgan Amalfitano, so used the pacey Modou Sougou in his place. Otherwise, his side was as expected. This was desperately poor – two negative sides apparently content to play out a goalless draw, in a match featuring just three shots on target.” Zonal Marking

Spot-on Gerrard settles thriller

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“Luis Suarez edged the battle of the player of the year contenders as he scored and earned the match-winning penalty to eclipse Gareth Bale and keep Liverpool’s slim top-four hopes alive with a 3-2 victory over Tottenham at Anfield. The Premier League’s leading scorer drew first blood with his 29th of the season – and 22nd in the top flight – and, although his opposite number had a hand in both of Tottenham’s goals, the Uruguay international had the last laugh by winning the late spot-kick from which Steven Gerrard scored.” ESPN

Analysis – Schalke Rule the Ruhr After Win Against Borussia Dortmund

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“Schalke pulled off the double against their regional rivals by winning the 142nd Revierderby 2-1. Goals from Julian Draxler and Klaas-Jan Huntelaar in the first half overcame a visibly fatigued Dortmund side that were outplayed despite Robert Lewandowski’s goal in the second half. The win was Schalke’s 400th home win in the Bundesliga and lifts them into the final Champions League spot for the time being while Dortmund continue to struggle following matches in Europe. After an extended slump Schalke have now won three straight and are unbeaten in their last five competitive matches.” Bundesliga Fanatic

Boost for Barcelona ahead of Milan clash

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“Barcelona achieved a valuable 2-0 win against Deportivo La Coruna at the Camp Nou in Matchday 27 of La Liga. Alexis Sanchez and Lionel Messi scored the goals for the Blaugrana, which enjoyed 71 percent of possession, created 12 goal-scoring chances and attempted 12 shots, seven of them on target. This result helps the Catalans keep their comfortable lead at the top of the table for yet another week.” ESPN

Dean-Richards: Wayne Rooney can get over being called a failure

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“Today Alex Ferguson moved to reassure everyone that Wayne Rooney will still be at Manchester United next season, so let me tell you before anybody else does—Twitter, Facebook and Real World aside—that Paris Saint Germain will be lucky to have him. Yes, that’s right, at United, he’s a goner, of that there can be little doubt. He probably wasn’t left out of their lineup against Real Madrid on Tuesday to prove a point, but if anything that makes his situation at the club more hopeless: nobody at Manchester United is out to get Wayne Rooney; it’s more that nobody at Manchester United cares about Wayne Rooney. And for Wayne Rooney that must be quite hard to hear, because he is Wayne Rooney.” The Score

The Interview: Just Football meets Liverpool FC Academy Director Frank McParland

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“Frank McParland is a Liverpool man through and through. In fact, let’s widen the lens. Frank McParland is a football man through and through. A student of the game who has been involved with football at all levels from youth coach to team analyst to scout, team manager and now Academy Director of Liverpool Football Club, his passion for the sport shines brighter than the sun on the clear, mild winter’s day when I sat down to interview him in Qatar, where Liverpool’s under-18 team were taking part in the Al Kass International Cup.” Just Football

Tottenham Hotspur 2-1 Arsenal: Tactical Analysis

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“There seems to be a shifting of power in England’s capital city. With the ‘Lilywhites’ of North London rising high in the league and competing with London’s more dominating duo of Arsenal and Chelsea. Spurs faced their fierce rivals Arsenal on Sunday night. The game finished Tottenham Hotspur 2-1 Arsenal, a result which saw the home side leapfrog the Blues of London and extend their lead over the Gunners. The game strengthened Tottenham’s push for a Champions League spot and possibly 2nd as well (they are 2 points behind City who have a game in had). The win would particularly please young manager Andre Villas Boas who has won over the Spurs fan, and seen his side move above a club who only a year back had sacked him for a poor run of results. The game also highlighted Arsenal’s dip in form in the past few seasons with a push for a Champions League spot their only aim for the end of the season.” Outside of the Boot

Manchester United 1-2 Real Madrid: red card allows Real to take control

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“Manchester United’s starting strategy nullified Real Madrid’s main threats, but Jose Mourinho reacted quickly after United went down to ten. Sir Alex Ferguson left out Wayne Rooney and Shinji Kagawa, favouring Nani and Ryan Giggs on the flanks. Tom Cleverley started in place of Phil Jones, while Jonny Evans dropped to the bench as Ferguson favoured the old-school Ferdinand-Vidic partnership. Jose Mourinho named his expected side. Gonzalo Higuain was upfront rather than Karim Benzema, Raphael Varane continued at centre-back. Sadly, we were denied a chance to see how the 11 v 11 game would play out – Real had looked impotent until Nani’s red card, and it would have been fascinating to see how they tried to break down United in the final half hour.” Zonal Marking

Controversial red card changed complexion of Madrid-United tilt
“There was no doubt about the moment that changed the game. Manchester United had been leading 1-0 on Tuesday night, 2-1 on aggregate, and was winning the tactical battle when, 11 minutes into the second half, Nani leapt to try to take down a dropping clearance from Rafael. His raised foot caught Alvaro Arbeloa in the stomach, and Turkish referee Cunet Cakir decided, to widespread surprise, that he was guilty of serious foul play and showed a red card.” SI – Jonathan Wilson (Video)

Manchester United red with rage after referee wrecks Champions League dream with Nani red card against Real
“When Manchester United’s devastated players finally emerged from the dressing room, they would not, probably could not talk. The club had advised them to stay silent over Cuneyt Cakir’s unspeakable decision to send off Nani. Their inner fury, the anger in the eyes said it all.” Telegraph – Henry Winter

Wins over Man. United and Barcelona give Mourinho an exit strategy
“There is a phrase, borrowed from bullfighting, which the Spanish use a lot: por la puerta grande. Out through the main door, triumphantly. Maybe even on the shoulders of supporters while a crowd gathers at your feet, holding the trophy in the air — a bloodied bull’s ear, in this case, the cup with the big ears if we’re talking football. There are different ways to depart after the fight, many ways to leave, and departing victorious is always best.” SI (Video)

Newsstand: British Tabloids Aflare After Man United’s Controversial Loss To Real Madrid
“Real Madrid eliminated Manchester United from the Champions League today with a 2-1 win at Old Trafford. The English champions led 1-0 after an own goal by Sergio Ramos, but the turning point came when Turkish referee Cuynet Cakir sent off Nani for a studs-high challenge.” SI (Video)

Dortmund 3-0 Shakhtar: Dortmund exploit Shakhtar’s poor positional play

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“After a 2-2 first leg draw, Dortmund performed excellently to qualify for the quarter-finals with surprising ease. Jurgen Klopp was still without Mats Hummels, so Felipe Santana and Neven Subotic continued at the back. Otherwise, the side was as expected, and played in the traditional 4-2-3-1, rather than the 4-3-3 we saw against Bayern last week. Mircea Lucescu named Taison on the left wing. Douglas Costa was only on the bench. In a game between two similar sides, Dortmund were better in almost every department, dragging Shakhtar out of shape and exploiting the spaces in behind.” Zonal Marking

Win or bust as Shakhtar Donetsk and Borussia Dortmund meet again
“It was business as usual for Shakhtar Donetsk in the Ukrainian Premier League on Friday, and that in a sense is part of the problem. They hammered Volyn Lutsk 4-1 and lead the table by 13 points with 11 games remaining. They are in the quarter-final of the cup and, with Dynamo Kyiv and Metalist Kharkiv out, Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk stand as the only other probable winners. This has been a crushingly easy season for Shakhtar.” Guardian – Jonathan Wilson (Video)

Borussia Dortmund Make the Big Leap Forward
“Borussia Dortmund have reached the quarterfinal round of the UEFA Champions League for the first time since the 1997/1998 season following an emphatic 3-0 win Tuesday night over Shakhtar Donetsk at Signal Iduna Park. Despite their recent domestic success, Dortmund made a big leap forward in advancing to the quarterfinals following two previous seasons of not advancing from European group stages. While the Ukrainian side held off Dortmund for the first 30 minutes of the match, the uneasy feeling for Dortmund supporters of a result going awry was dispensed with Felipe Santana’s powerful header in the 31st minute, as the Germans went on to create what Coach Jurgen Klopp deemed ‘an extraordinary moment’.” Bundesliga Fanatic

An Obsession With Marcelo: No Madness at All

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“On insanity, few have been more veracious than the Chilean writer Roberto Bolaño. In his own inimitable way the nomadic novelist and poet acknowledged what others often refuse to see; that we are all unhinged in our own delicate fashion. To some extent we will freely admit to our peculiarities, but largely our madness is defined by those around us, who witness our behaviour and for reasons of comfort believe it to be more abnormal than their own. How strange it is to be denied even the possession and enjoyment of our own madness by people who yearn to tell us that, yes, we are certainly mad.” In Bed With Maradona

Spartak Trnava, FC Nitra and the Irrevocable Necessity Of Apology

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“When Slovakia’s Corgoň Liga re-emerges from its long winter break on the first weekend of March, the fixture most observers will be watching for is the one between Spartak Trnava and FC Nitra, the bottom two clubs. The reason is less the fact that both sides are in urgent need of points than that their last meeting, on September 14th last year, resulted in one of the most controversial games ever played in the country. Nitra went into that match in the top half of the table and in encouraging form. Two weeks earlier, I’d seen them draw 1-1 away to champions Žilina. Seydouba Soumah, their 21-year-old Guinean forward, justified his growing reputation with an outstanding performance and the whole team looked bright and full of running. Trnava, by contrast, were in a mess.” In Bed With Maradona

Nationality of players in the Premier League and Football League

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“The nationality of players within the Premier League and Football League is a subject I regularly return to. It’s not because I’m a believer that foreign players are a blight on our national sport, but because I find the exotic nature of the nationalities represented an interesting discussion point. If you believe that the English national side suffers due to the number of foreign players in its league you should probably look closer to home for the players who are blocking the way of Englishmen as it’s Irishmen, Scotsmen and Welshmen who make up the vast majority of “foreign” players on English clubs’ books.” Spirit of Mirko

eBook Preview #2: Paulino Alcantara, Barca’s Forgotten Goalscorer

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“Comparisons between past players and present all-stars always come out fuzzy. On the one hand, everybody gripes that ‘the competition has improved’ and the past player would get suffocated by modern defenses. On the other hand, we have to admit that the past player would have had access to superior training techniques and diet, and just may have upped his or her game. In sum, we’ll never know. History only leaves us statistics, records, images, and (if we’re lucky) videos.” futfanatico

Tottenham 2-1 Arsenal: high lines and balls in behind the defences

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“Tottenham recorded an important victory over their North London rivals, thanks to two identical goals towards the end of the first half. Andre Villas-Boas used Gylfi Sigurdsson rather than Lewis Holtby, while Jermain Defoe was fit enough for the bench. Arsene Wenger used Santi Cazorla on the flank rather than in the middle, which meant Aaron Ramsey played in midfield, and Lukas Podolski was on the bench. Arsenal actually started strongly and dominated possession for long periods, but as Wenger acknowledged after the game, Spurs were more efficient in the areas that mattered.” Zonal Marking

Stars rested as Real complete Clasico double

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“Things are clicking at just the right time for Real Madrid. In the middle of a season-defining week of matches it’s so far, so good, with a 2-1 victory over Barcelona at the Santiago Bernabeu making it back-to-back Clasico wins against their old foes in the space of five days. It is the first time Los Blancos have produced consecutive Clasico wins since the 2007-08 season when Madrid did the ‘double’ in La Liga.” ESPN

Real Madrid’s Sergio Ramos scores late winner to beat Barcelona
“Two down, one to go. Barcelona have been beaten away and at home; next up in Real Madrid’s season-defining eight-day week, the most important meeting of them all: Manchester United at Old Trafford. Sergio Ramos climbed to head in the winning goal from a Luka Modric corner to clinch a 2-1 victory for Real Madrid after the introduction of Cristiano Ronaldo turned what was at risk of becoming a nonevent into something approaching a clásico. The Portuguese turned everything on its head. If he didn’t actually score, this time it did not matter; if everyone else seemed to have settled for a draw, his ambition remains undiminished.” Guardian

Philip Roth and Zlatan Ibrahimović

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“The best footballer’s autobiography of recent years is probably I Am Zlatan Ibrahimović. In it, the Swedish striker recounts his rise from an ethnic ghetto in Malmö to greatness. Zlatan (as he is usually known) is currently banging in goals for Paris St Germain. Zlatan has a Bosnian father and Croatian mother. They married to get the dad a Swedish resident’s permit, and soon separated. Zlatan’s book, ghostwritten by David Lagercrantz, is an immigrant’s tale. In fact, having sold 700,000 copies in Sweden alone and been published in 15 countries, it’s probably the bestselling European immigrant’s tale since Zadie Smith’s White Teeth (2000). The book was also shortlisted for Sweden’s prestigious lit­erary award, the August Prize.” FT – Simon Kuper

Napoli 1-1 Juventus: Juve hold on

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“Second-placed Napoli performed well after the break, but a draw puts Juve in a great position to retain their title. Walter Mazzarri continued with Miguel Britos on the left of his back three, and favoured the experience of Goran Pandev rather than Lorenzo Insigne’s directness. Antonio Conte selected Federico Peluso as his left-wing-back rather than Kwadwo Asamoah, while Giorgio Chiellini was fit to return just behind him. Sebastian Giovinco and Mirko Vucinic continued upfront. Juventus looked stronger in the first half, before Mazzarri’s half-time switch changed the pattern of the game in the second period.” Zonal Marking

Chelsea’s turmoil takes another turn with Benitez’s rant

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“The assumption, when Rafa Benitez started laying into fans and criticizing the board in a post-match radio interview Wednesday, was that he had lost it, that this was his Kevin Keegan ‘I would love it!’ moment. And then he came in to address the written media and said exactly the same thing, almost word for word. The answer to the first question was 394 words long. Make no mistake: this wasn’t a beleaguered manager suddenly snapping, although the cheeriness of that first press conference 13 weeks ago has slowly become weariness. What Benitez said after his team had beaten Middlesbrough 2-0 was calculated and pre-planned. That raises all sorts of questions about motive, but let’s start with the words themselves.” SI – Jonathan Wilson (Video)

What Mario Balotelli Means For Italy (and Italy)

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“In August 1990, just weeks after Totò Schillaci’s exploits at that summer’s World Cup, a shared place of birth would have seemed the only connection between the newborn Mario Balotelli and Italy’s Golden Boot winner. Born in Palermo to two Ghanaian immigrants, Thomas and Rose Barwuah, young Mario had a difficult first few years, undergoing a series of intestinal operations as a toddler. Even after being placed in foster care with the Balotelli family in the northern town of Brescia, the idea that Mario would one day wear the blue of Italy, let alone become a national icon, would have seemed unthinkable. Fast-forward to last summer and Mario Balotelli’s two-goal demolition of Germany in the semi-final of Euro 2012 cemented his fame and sealed his reputation as an explosive yet unpredictable talent. While a highly welcome addition to the Italian national team, his success is especially significant in a country that has often struggled with the concept of national identity as it attempts to reconcile its mixed feelings towards immigration.” In Bed With Maradona

Look outside “big” leagues for action, drama

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“How does one assess the strength of a league? An obvious answer would be something along the lines of ‘strength’ multiplied by ‘competiveness’ — basically you want quality but also expect unpredictability. Let’s be honest — 2012-13 just isn’t a great season for European domestic football. The Champions League is as exciting as usual and the raw quality is certainly apparent from the major clubs. But in terms of competitiveness, this year has been a disaster. Manchester United lead the Premier League by 12 points, Barcelona lead La Liga by 12 points, and Bayern Munich lead the Bundesliga by a staggering 17 points, while Juventus are a relatively modest six points clear in Serie A.” ESPN – Michael Cox (Video)

In Ecuador, a Thriving Game and Prospects Galore

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“It has been a difficult couple of weeks for teams named Barcelona in continental competition. Last Wednesday the Spanish version dropped a 2-0 decision to Milan in the Champions League. On Feb. 12 the Ecuadorean namesake — Barcelona Sporting Club — was denied three points in its Copa Libertadores opener when Nacional’s Álvaro Recoba set up Iván Alonso for a late equalizer in Montevideo, Uruguay. That Alonso’s goal came in the third minute of second-half stoppage time was not the worst part. Throughout the night there was a feeling Barcelona was not only going up against the Uruguayan champion, but the Chilean referee, Enrique Osses, as well.” NY Times (Video)

Barcelona 1-3 Real Madrid: Real comfortable defensively and ruthless on the break

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“Barcelona suffered their second major defeat within the space of a week, and Real are through to the Copa del Rey final. Jordi Roura brought in Jose Pinto for Victor Valdes in goal – as always in this competition. The rest of the side was the same as against Milan with both Cesc Fabregas and Andres Iniesta in the side, despite David Villa’s impact against Sevilla at the weekend. Jose Mourinho chose Raphael Varane and Sergio Ramos at centre-back, with Pepe on the bench. Gonzalo Higuain, as expected, started upfront. Real outplayed Barcelona. Their defensive shape was good, their breaks were typically direct and efficient. 3-1 didn’t flatter them.” Zonal Marking

Xavi is wrong: Barça have lost far more than the least important title
“Xabi Alonso took up his favourite position at the Camp Nou, easing into a seat in the stands and looking silently out across the pitch, feet up, job done. It was some time after Real Madrid had won the Copa del Rey semi-final second leg 3-1 against Barcelona, the clock ticking towards midnight, and the Camp Nou was quiet. The stadium had been emptying for a while, ever since Raphaël Varane headed Real Madrid’s third; by the time Jordi Alba scored Barcelona’s only goal in the 88th minute, there were not that many fans left to celebrate and those that were still there did not much feel like doing so.” Guardian

Bayern 1-0 Dortmund: Bayern dominate

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“Arjen Robben’s superb goal won the game, but Bayern’s nine shots on target to Dortmund’s one demonstrates the home side’s overall dominance. Jupp Heynckes used the XI that triumphed over Arsenal last week, with one exception – Franck Ribery was out, so Robben started on the left. Daniel van Buyten was alongside Dante again. Jurgen Klopp was unable to call upon Mats Hummels, so Felipe Santana played alongside Neven Subotic. Kevin Grosskreutz got a start in midfield. This wasn’t a fascinating tactical battle, but Bayern were by far the better side – pressing well, mixing short intricate passing with longer balls, and featuring good variety and movement in the centre of midfield.” Zonal Marking

Bayern Munich finally gets over Dortmund hurdle in German Cup
” Robert Lewandowski, a reported Bayern Munich target, was the center of attention during Borussia Dortmund’s German Cup quarterfinal match at runaway league leader Bayern Munich. The Polish striker had a quiet game, however, much like his team: Dortmund was outplayed and outsmarted through large spells Wednesday night. The hosts could have easily won by a bigger margin, but it was fitting that Arjen Robben separated the sides with his beautiful first-half goal. Robben’s penalty miss against Dortmund in the 1-0 defeat at the Westfalenstadion sealed Borussia’s title win last year and rang in two more soul-destroying defeats in the Cup (Dortmund 5-2 win) and the Champions League (Chelsea win in penalties) finals.” SI

Tactical & Statistical Analysis: How has Steven Gerrard evolved under Brendan Rodgers?

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“Steven Gerrard’s Premier League form tailed off a bit in the last two seasons under both Dalglish and Roy Hodgson. At 32 at the start of the season, some pundits may have been ready to write off Liverpool’s talismanic captain, but he has evolved under Brendan Rodgers and been a consistently good performer for the side this season.” Think Football

The day I realised just how difficult it is to be a Premier League referee

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“Flags in hand, a group of wheezing scribes of questionable fitness are ‘crabbing’ their way left and right along the sideline of an indoor football pitch at St George’s Park, opulent home to the National Football Centre in Burton-on-Trent. As the verb suggests, the exercise involves shuttling sideways at speed in order to keep up with and constantly monitor play, while simultaneously providing a moving target for any projectiles that might be raining down from the crowd behind. The ability to ‘crab’ is an essential skill for any match official and one this reporter has since adopted to maximise efficiency while shopping in supermarkets that are long of aisle.” Guardian (Video)

Where Would Swansea be now with Paul Tisdale?

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“Football is full of what ifs. What if Jonathan Howard’s “goal” for Chesterfield had been given against Middlesbrough in the 1997 FA Cup final? What if Fergie had decided Cantona was too much of a risk to sign? What if Spurs’s chef had opted for a vegetarian curry instead of a lasagne before that game? And what if Paul Tisdale had taken the Swansea job…” thetwounfortunates

PSG 2-0 Marseille: PSG attack at speed, but fortunate to keep a clean sheet

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“A closer game than the scoreline suggests. With injury problems in defence, Carlo Ancelotti named Sylvain Armand as his left-sided centre-back. David Beckham was on the bench. Élie Baup named an unchanged side from the XI that triumphed over Valenciennes last week. PSG’s four outright attackers combined effectively at times, but Marseille will feel they had enough chances to get something from the game.” Zonal Marking

Inter 1-1 Milan: Milan should have been out of sight by half-time

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“Inter upped their performance after a terrible first-half display. Andrea Stramaccioni gave a rare start to Ricky Alvarez on the left, after his impressive performance against Cluj in midweek. Diego Milito is out for the season, so Antonio Cassano and Rodrigo Palacio started upfront together. Max Allegri made changes from the victory over Barcelona – Mario Balotelli, cup-tied in Europe, returned in place of Giampaolo Pazzini, while Riccardo Montolivo played in Massimo Ambrosini’s deep-lying role to allow Antonio Nocerino to play. Stramaccioni managed to alter things to get his side back into the game, but only Milan profligacy and another fine Samir Handanovic performance prevented the ‘away’ side from victory.” Zonal Markind

Gareth Bale the sensation who owes it all to Tottenham’s compact style

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“Gareth Bale is playing brilliantly. He is quick and powerful, technically gifted and can strike the ball ferociously with his left foot. He self-consciously models himself on Cristiano Ronaldo and in terms of his drive for self-improvement and even his style of play, cutting in from the left flank, there is validity to comparisons between them.” Guardian – Jonathan Wilson

How Do We Solve A Problem Like Reina?

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“Since the recent Symposium #7 (Should We Keep Pepe), there have been musings regarding Reina’s future at the club. Some say that he is a world class ‘keeper (on his day) and replacing him will be no guarantee of an upgrade. On the other hand, others have mentioned that his form has been dipping for three to four years now and it is more than a ‘blip’. Class is permanent, form is temporary, but for how long does that apply?” Tomkins Times

Manchester City 2-0 Chelsea: Chelsea stay deep, narrow and compact but City find a way through

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“Chelsea played negatively, and afforded City too many goalscoring opportunities. Roberto Mancini surprisingly played Yaya Toure behind Sergio Aguero, a combination he’s rarely used this season. Jack Rodwell started alongside Javi Garcia, while Vincent Kompany wasn’t fit, so Kolo Toure started at the back. Rafael Benitez used Demba Ba instead of Fernando Torres. John Terry was on the bench, as were Cesar Azpilicueta and Oscar, with Branislav Ivanovic used at right-back and Ramires on the right of midfield. City dominated the first half but broke through in the second, after Mancini turned to his bench.” Zonal Marking

Case for the defence: Is Liverpool’s passing game a necessity?

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“Since the beginning of the World Cup competitions in 1930 up until WC 2010, four football nations made it consistently to the finals; Brazil, Argentina, Italy and Germany. Any world cup final had at least one team of that quartet. Brazilian football fans lazily labelled their football rivals. The Germans, as a ruthless tasteless well-oiled machine, the anti-football counter-attacking Italians, the heirs of the “catenaccio,” which translates literally to “door-bolt.” The Argentinians were not kindly branded after Maradona’s televised admission of sedating Brazilian players in WC 90 and an open court admission of a political deal between Peru and Argentina in WC 78 to knock out Brazil from the semi-finals. On both occasions Argentina knocked out Brazil out of the competition.” Think Football

Where has Africa’s creativity gone?

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“The former Cameroon captain Theophile Abega died in November, aged just 58. He was one of the great midfielders of what now seems a golden age of west African football; a period that lasted for about two decades, from the start of the 1980s, when it appeared that African teams might seriously challenge for the World Cup.” World Soccer – Jonathan Wilson

La Liga Review: FC Barcelona 2, Sevilla 1 – Change Is Possible!

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“Barça needed a pick-me-up after the painful Milan loss (and before Clásico week begins), and instead they got a hard-won victory, which points-wise amounts to the same, but not when it comes to reassure the worried fans. Roura has finally discovered rotations, and yesterday he indulged quite a bit, playing VV, Alves, Mascherano, Piqué, Montoya, Song, Thiago, Iniesta, Alexis, Messi and Villa. There were surprised comments from some non-Barça sources at seeing Piqué, Iniesta and Messi starting, but a) Messi always starts; b) it’s a Liga match against Sevilla, not a meaningless friendly where you can rest everyone; c) even in non-crucial matches before crucial matches, it’s always been the custom to play at least one ‘first XI’ player per line, so as to not lose shape completely.” The Offside (Video)

Tactical Analysis: Why are Manchester City so far off United?

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“Manchester City are now 12 points behind leaders United and looking increasingly unlikely to retain their Premier League title. Their home game against Chelsea on Sunday could be crucial, but if United beat QPR on Saturday they could go in to the tie 15 points off the pace. So where has it gone wrong for Mancini and his side?” Think Football

4-4-2 Managers and 4-4-2 Fans

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“If you, as a football fan, recognise the shortcomings of 4-4-2 (the system, not the magazine), then that leaves you a few genes short of being a ‘proper bloke’ and certainly unpatriotic in the extreme. Here, we welcome back John Dobson, a regular chronicler of Yorkshire football, to point out how fan pressure must not be allowed to hold sway at Bootham Crescent.” thetwounfortunates

England’s World Cup winning captain Bobby Moore: 20 years gone, but never forgotten

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“Across town at Wembley, setting for Moore’s finest hours, the flag of St George will fly at half-mast. A skilled surgeon operated on Moore’s colon in 1991 but the cancer would not yield. It spread to the liver. Moore never complained. He simply set about delaying its pitiless impact. Eventually, on Feb 15, 1993, England’s World Cup-winning captain released a statement, revealing his illness was terminal. Two days later he was at Wembley, commentating on England’s game against San Marino for Capital Radio, his collar turned up to hide his paleness. A week later, on Feb 24, 1993, Moore passed away. He was only 51.” Telegraph – Henry Winter

Milan 2-0 Barcelona: Barca completely nullified

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“Milan restricted Barcelona to only one shot on target – a hopeful effort from 25 yards – and pounced at the other end with a set-piece and a counter-attack. Max Allegri was without cup-tied Mario Balotelli, so Giampaolo Pazzini played upfront. Kevin-Prince Boateng replaced M’Baye Niang on the right, and Max Ambrosini returned to the side. Jordi Roura selected what appears to be Barcelona’s first-choice XI – Alexis Sanchez and David Villa on the bench, and Cesc Fabregas in his roaming free role. Aside from Victor Valdes’ return, it was the same XI that started the recent Copa Clasico against Real Madrid. This was a highly impressive display from Milan, and arguably the most convincing defeat of Barcelona since the current era started in 2008.” Zonal Marking

Bayern Munich Have One Foot in Quarterfinals After First Ever Win in London Against Arsenal

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“Bayern Munich took took a big step in sealing qualification to the quarterfinals with an impressive away win against Arsenal. It was Bayern’s first ever win in London and thoroughly deserved on the run of play. Germany’s record champions dominated the majority of the match and again showed why they are one of the favorites to lift the trophy come May. Goals from Toni Kroos, Thomas Müller and Mario Mandzukic capped off a performance that further underlines just how focused and determined Bayern are to succeed this season, putting them firmly in the the driver’s seat in this tie. It took a fortuitous corner to get Arsenal back in the game in the second half with former Bayern player Lukas Podolski taking advantage of a rare lapse in concentration but the Bavarians gradually resumed control and didn’t let go until the final whistle.” Bundesliga Fanatic

Arsenal 1-3 Bayern: Arsenal outpassed and outpressed
“Bayern took a commanding lead following a dominant first leg performance. Arsene Wenger chose to leave out Olivier Giroud, using Theo Walcott as the primary striker with Santi Cazorla right and Aaron Ramsey in midfield. Left-back problems forced Thomas Vermaelen into that position. Jupp Heynckes was without Jerome Boateng and long-term injury victim Holger Badstuber, so Daniel van Buyten was forced to play at centre-back. Arsenal made another poor start at the Emirates, and despite a promising spell for Wenger’s side after the break, Bayern always looked the better side.” Zonal Marking

Comedy of errors leaves Arsenal with more questions to answer
“Realistically, Arsenal was never likely to beat a Bayern Munich side that is cruising to the Bundesliga title, but what Tuesday’s 3-1 Champions League loss might have offered was comfort. Yes, there was always the chance of an upset, but, realistically, a promising performance would have done, something that said, yes, this team isn’t perfect, but it is on the right track.” SI – Jonathan Wilson

Arsenal 1-3 Bayern Munich: Tactical Analysis of a Bavarian Battering
“Arsenal succumbed to a damaging 3-1 home loss to Bayern Munich on Tuesday night, leaving their hopes of advancing to the UEFA Champions League quarterfinals hanging by a thread. The Gunners enjoyed a 20-minute renaissance in the second half but only managed to carve out one real chance which fell to Olivier Giroud, and their consolatory goal was a product of a corner that shouldn’t have been awarded. Let’s take a look at how this game was won.” Bleacher Report

England should look to Germany for inspiration, coaches
“It would be unreasonable to use Bayern’s dismantling of Arsenal as sole evidence of the Bundesliga’s dominance over the Premier League, but among various other factors, it has become increasingly clear that Germany will imminently become European football’s true power base.” ESPN – Michael Cox

Arsenal put to the sword by Bayern Munich’s game intelligence
“At the stroke of half-time, Bayern Munich had the chance to go an unassailable three goals up instead of the 3-1 scoreline it eventually finished. The Germans had possession of the ball at the back before they quickly switched it forward to the on-rushing Philip Lahm. As the full-back picked up the ball, Jack Wilshere stretched his arms out as if to say ‘how did that happen.’ Bayern Munich might have felt the same sense of bewilderment when Mario Mandzukic flashed a header wide from Lahm’s cross.” Arsenal Column

Barca have Milan mountain to climb

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“AC Milan took a surprise first-leg lead in their Champions League last-16 tie against Barcelona as they claimed a deserved 2-0 win. While Barca top the Primera Division by 12 points, Milan lie third in Serie A – but Kevin-Prince Boateng’s controversial opening goal set the Italians on their way at the San Siro.” ESPN

Barcelona’s black night draws ire as warning signs are ignored in Milan
“Jordi Roura’s words were bullish but the way that he delivered them was not. ‘We have total conviction that in Barcelona we’ll go through,’ said Barcelona’s assistant coach. “This is a bad result but this team deserves for people to believe in it. We are completely convinced: we’ll be at home, with our pitch and our fans. It is not impossible: we can turn this around perfectly.” He spoke quietly, flatly; as flat as his team had been. Through the doors, he could surely hear Milan’s fans singing.” Guardian

Wesley Sneijder’s step into the past leaves questions for Galatasaray

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“After all the excitement and all the hype, Galatasaray’s big night in the Champions League fell rather flat. A Schalke side that has been in dire recent form went to Istanbul as patsies in the great narrative of Didier Drogba and Wesley Sneijder. But from the point of view of the home fans, they showed themselves rather better than had been anticipated, exposing the flaws that exist in this Galatasaray side despite their recent injection of glamour.” Guardian – Jonathan Wilson

Schalke raise questions over Drogba
“Schalke have announced they have lodged an appeal with UEFA after Didier Drogba was selected for Galatasaray in Wednesday’s 1-1 draw in the Champions League. The club tweeted: ‘There are doubts about the validity of the permission to play for Drogba in the Champions League. Schalke 04 reserves its rights and is looking into this.’ Drogba, 34, joined the Turkish side in January after claiming his contract with Shanghai Shenhua had been terminated as a result of a failure to pay his wages for three months. The Chinese club issued a statement on their website describing themselves as ‘deeply shocked’ by the move.” ESPN

For Italy’s ‘ultras,’ nothing black and white about football and racism

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“Hardcore Italian football ‘ultra’ Federico is a Lazio supporter who happily admits directing monkey chants at black players. It is ‘a means to distract opposition players’ says Federico, a member of the Irriducibili (‘The Unbeatables’) group which follows the Rome-based team. ‘I am against anyone who calls me a Nazi,’ Federico told academic Alberto Testa, who spent time ’embedded’ with Lazio and Roma ultras for the book ‘Football, Fascism and Fandom: The UltraS of Italian Football,’ co-authored by Gary Armstrong.” CNN

Gazprom face UEFA stand off

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Schalke
“How does one begin to comprehend the manner in which football and politics have become so inextricably linked? It is disturbing to contemplate that such a truly global sport is quite possibly one of the most corruptible institutions in the modern era. It has got to the point where there are simply too many issues upon which we must turn a blind eye in order to replicate the perceived naivety of days gone by – with the game finding that its hands are increasingly tied behind its own back. Such a situation is glaringly apparent in Eastern Europe, where discussions have continued over the viability of the formation of a league system comprising of sides from Russia and Ukraine.” SFUnion

Dean-Richards: Taking football’s talent-based moral utilitarianism to its natural conclusion

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“Make yourself irreplaceable and you probably won’t be replaced. Ask Ashley Cole, who played pistols at dawn with an intern without telling him, but wasn’t sacked. Ask Carlos Tevez, who refused to play for Manchester City once, but had his second (or is it third?) chance against Chelsea. Don’t ask Jacob Mellis, the Chelsea reserve who thought that smoke bombs were funny and found out yesterday that his club (at least in public) didn’t, when they sacked him for using one. The factomundo is: Premier League morality is utility: if they want you, you make your own rules. Mellis was sackable because he wasn’t a first team player like Cole; Tevez returns to City because they’ve stopped scoring goals and he tends to do that when he’s not away in Argentina playing golf. It’s old news.” The Score

Show Me Something I Can’t See

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“When I was a teenager in the 1970s, football was rarely shown ‘live’ on TV. If you couldn’t go to the game, the next best thing was to listen on the radio as the commentator described what the listener could not see. ‘This player passes to that player. One player tackles another player. Someone shoots and someone else saves’. You could tell when the action was moving towards one of the goals by the change of gears in the commentator’s voice. Moving from interested, through excited, reaching ecstatic anticipation (and usually rapidly deflating un-fulfilment). It was the listener’s job to provide the pictures in our own imaginations.” Tomkins Times

Cerci finally lives up to hype

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“Every now and again Alessio Cerci still thinks about it. Why wouldn’t he? Things could have been so so different. Watching Manchester City dramatically win the Premier League title in stoppage time on the final day of last season, a part of him presumably thought that it should have been him. Roberto Mancini had apparently wanted to buy Cerci from Fiorentina ahead of that campaign. ‘He’s the best winger in Italy,’ the City manager supposedly said. Yet his interest in Cerci was quite surprising.” Pitchside Eurosport

Messi reaches another Barca milestone

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“Lionel Messi struck his 300th and 301st goals for Barcelona as the Primera Division leaders overturned a half-time deficit to win 2-1 at plucky Granada. Barca dominated possession for the first 25 minutes, but were stunned when Odion Ighalo put the hosts ahead at the Estadio Nuevo Los Carmenes. Messi tapped in a deserved equaliser five minutes into the second half, though, and then curled in a trademark free-kick 17 minutes from time to complete the turnaround and move Barca 15 points clear at the summit.” ESPN

La Liga Review: Granada 1, FC Barcelona 2 – A Good Omen, or a Bad Appetiser?
“We’ve conquered the appetiser, which would normally be a good sign in views to the main course, except that if we have this much trouble with Granada, even Bojan on Wednesday might be too tough for us. The good news is that Roura seems to have lost his fear of rotation and gave us an exciting starting XI: VV, Alves, Piqué, Mascherano, Adriano, Busquets, Cesc, Thiago, Pedro, Messi, and Alexis; that’s even more risqué than what I suggested in the match preview in that we got to see a midfield without Xavi (injured) or Iniesta (rested) for the first time in ages.” The Offside (Video)

Football – bloody hell

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“In some parts of Germany, this past Monday was the most important day of the year – Rosenmontag. The name translates as Rose Monday and is the day the English know as Shrove Monday. Rosenmontag is the high point of the German carnival season and a bank holiday in the strongholds of this particular form of organised merriment, most of which are dotted along the Rhine. In Mainz, Cologne and Dusseldorf, literally millions of people take to the streets (and bars) dressed in fancy and elaborate, and sometimes bizarre, costumes to – as they stubbornly maintain – party, celebrate and have fun.” ESPN

Simon Kuper and the New Language

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“About a week ago, Simon Kuper wrote an interesting but ultimately disheartening article breaking down the shortcomings of 21st century soccer, and the reasons he’s fallen out of love with the game. From materialism to tribalism, Kuper draws a contrast between the noxious atmosphere that permeates the modern game, and a sort of wholesome, unbridled joy that underlined the halcyon days of say, Maradona in the mid-1980s. While it’s understandable that Kuper gets queasy with the incessant chatter of pundits waxing about wages, transfer budgets and misunderstood tactics, it’s hard for me to believe that Kuper looks back and sees any sort of purity.” Futbol Intellect

The Dromedaries

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“The politics of Western Sahara are complex. Spain renounced control of the territory in 1975 giving Morocco and Mauritania joint administrative control but the Polisario Front rebelled and announced a Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR) with an exiled government based in Algeria. Mauritania pulled out and a 1991 ceasefire left Western Sahara largely in Moroccan hands but partly in those of the SADR. The territory has been in political limbo ever since, a story largely ignored by the mass media and the big nations who tend to overlook the divide and push for an agreement.” In Bed With Maradona

Real Madrid 1-1 Manchester United: Real dominate but United withstand the pressure

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Cristiano Ronaldo
“A headed goal for either side – and all to play for the in the second leg. Jose Mourinho chose Rafael Varane at the back, and Karim Benzema upfront – elsewhere, his side was as expected. Sir Alex Ferguson named a very positive starting XI, with four outright attacking players in the side – Danny Welbeck and Shinji Kagawa both started. Jonny Evans played at centre-back rather than Nemanja Vidic. Real Madrid dominated in terms of possession, territory and shots – but both sides had chances to win the game.” Zonal Marking

Why would any manager want the Chelsea job?

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“Talented Borussia Dortmund manager Jurgen Klopp has essentially ruled out a potential move to Chelsea, claiming he is ‘definitely’ going to remain in Germany next season. This seems to be an intelligent move, given the certain risk attached with becoming the Chelsea manager. Klopp is only the latest manager to reject the overtures of the Stamford Bridge club with Pep Guardiola having out right snubbed the club in favour of taking the managerial role at Bayern Munich. With the tough demands of the Chelsea job, why would anyone want to manage them?” Think Football

Victorious Zenit St Petersburg set Liverpool a tough task at Anfield

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“Relief for Liverpool came only from the terraces at Zenit St Petersburg. Fears of racist abuse from sections of the home support proved unfounded but the reputation of the Russian champions did not as they left Brendan Rodgers’ team with a major task to preserve their final hope of silverware this season. On current form or, specifically, current finishing, you would not bet on another Anfield recovery in the second leg.” Guardian

The Race for Europe: Which EPL Clubs Will Qualify for the Champions League?

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“As it the Premier League table stands at the moment, Manchester United are looking set to snatch back the trophy from the blue half of Manchester. Twelve points clear with 12 matches to play is a rather large hurdle, but in the immortal words of Yogi Berra, ‘It ain’t over till it’s over.’ This is certainly true of positions 2-6 and who will get the Champions League/Europa League places. What has made the top of the table so interesting this year is the continued form of both Tottenham Hotspur and Everton as well as the relative inconsistency of Manchester City and Chelsea. Tottenham are currently sitting in 4th place on 48 points followed by Chelsea with 49 points in third and City in second place with 53 points. That is only a 5 point lead for Manchester City with Tottenham set to play Chelsea on the road and City at home while Chelsea will also have to travel to Man City on Feb 24th.” EPL Talk

How is wrestling at corners interpreted in different European leagues?

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“… If you are English and ask anybody in Russia about wrestling at corners, the discussion inevitably turns to a World Cup qualifier in Ljubljana in 2001. With the score at 1-1, Slovenia won a last-minute corner. The referee, Graham Poll, twice prevented it being taken to warn Russian defenders about shirt holding. When the corner finally came in, Viacheslav Daev tussled with Zeljko Milinovic and Poll, his patience gone, gave a penalty. While shirt-pulling and wrestling certainly goes on in the Russian league, the hangover from that decision means that it is seen as very much a British obsession. Jonathan Wilson” Guardian – Jonathan Wilson

Celtic 0-3 Juventus: Celtic cause problems in the first half, but Juve’s finishing far superior

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“There was much to admire about Celtic’s performance, but they couldn’t sustain their early effort. Neil Lennon decided to use Efe Ambrose at the back, despite his participation in Nigeria’s 1-0 Africa Cup of Nations win on Sunday evening. Upfront, Lennon used three attackers – Kris Commons, James Forrest and Gary Hooper. Antonio Conte is still without Giorgio Chiellini, so Martin Caceres was on the left of defence, and Federico Peluso was the left-wing-back. Alessandro Matri’s good run of form saw him get another start upfront. An odd match – for spells in the first half Juventus looked genuinely rattled, and yet they had already gone 1-0 up with Matri’s early goal. Celtic’s first-half performance depended on energy and brave pressing, which resulted in tiredness late on.” Zonal Marking

Juventus silences Celtic’s rowdy audience, Zlatan red carded

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“The Champions League returned to action Tuesday and despite two early goals scored by the away teams, both matches were compelling encounters. The games threw up some unlikely heroes and, as always, plenty of talking points. Here are a few: Marchisio breaks Celtic hearts: Celtic coach Neil Lennon said pre-match that his side did not play old-fashioned kick and rush football, and that much was true. In fact, it was Juventus who played the first long ball of the night, Andrea Pirlo’s third-minute pass from deep catching Efe Ambrose half-asleep and allowing Alessandro Matri to slot the ball past Fraser Forster.” SI