Barcelona outclass Athletic in Cup Final

I was going to put a "sneaky" 20 euros on Athletic (3/1 to lift the Cup) before the game. While Barça were clear favourites, I thought Athletic had a decent chance of causing an upset. They've been safe in the league for quite a while and have been able to rest key players with this game in mind. Barça's recent schedule has been hectic in contrast and they would be without the injured Thierry Henry and Andrés Iniesta: arguably their best players over the last six weeks or so. I didn't get my bet on in the end, just as well, as it happened.

This was one of those games you see on television and wish you were there: the atmosphere was fantastic with both fans making a lot of noise. In the second half an Athletic "fan" hurled a can at Dani Alves when he was about to take a throw. The Athletic fans near the incident were incensed and directed the police to the culprit. I was impressed with that. The fans were here to enjoy the game whatever the result and weren't prepared to let some idiot ruin the day for everyone.

Athletic scored first, after 9 minutes, and tried to close Barça down at every opportunity, but after the goal Barça started to find their front players from midfield. Touré scored a great goal before half-time and in a nine minute spell in the second half Barça scored three more (Messi, Bojan and Xavi) and that was that.

Hiddink just falls short as Chelsea go out

It was a good plan, and despite the cries of "Anti-Fútból" from certain quarters, it really was the only plan. Against Barça, Real Madrid abandoned the counter-attacking game which served them so well since Spurs legend Juande Ramos took charge, and were duly thumped. Even with home advantage, Chelsea were never going to fall into that trap. At the Camp Nou, Chelsea conceeded three chances to Barcelona and very nearly nicked a goal on the counter-attack from Didier Drogba. On the smaller Stamford Bridge pitch, 800 square metres smaller fact fans, it made sense to continue with the same tactic.

Barça started well, but Essien's early goal conditioned the tie as it heightened Chelsea's resolve to continue with the gameplan. Barça now needed to be very precise in their attacks as any loose passing would be punished by a Chelsea side programmed to find Drogba with as few passes as possible.

The referee had a nightmare and both sides suffered from his ineptitude. Abidal was wrongly sent-off and Chelsea were denied a definite penalty when Piqué handled in the box. The other claims have been debated at length elsewhere on the interweb without a consensus being reached. All I'll say is that if I were a referee I'd think twice before I gave anything to Drogba in the box. That's all I'm saying, you know.

Hiddink replaced Drogba shortly after Abidal's sending-off with Belletti, Barça's hero from the 2006 final. The intention was clear: maintain the result. Football bit him on the arse, though, and Barça scored in a move which featured the only decent cross from Alves and the only intervention from Messi. Iniesta's outside-of-the-foot finish was a work of art.

At the final whistle Chelsea went mental. Was it because of the referee's failure to award the various penalty claims, or was it due to the realization that they missed clear chances to put the result beyond doubt? Who knows? Drogba, who missed chances in both legs seemed particulary peeved. Make of that what you will.

Barca and Madrid win

Things remain the same at the top with Barca beating Getafe away and Madrid winning at Recreativo. The Madrid comic, Marca, said last week that Barcelona will win the league because the referees are on their side. Some decisions went Barca's way in their last home match and this lead to the Marca headline: "Champions by Decree?". Poor Real Madrid, they never get the decisions, especially at the Bernabéu.

It's still six points between them after the weekend matches. Well, it's really seven if you take goal difference into account. The game at the Bernabéu is going to be absolutely sensational. I don't really like that word it's Andy Gray territory, but what else can I say? Sensational, Richard.

The Cartel

The knockout stage of the Champions League makes up for the turgid borefest of the group stages before Christmas. Don't get me wrong, I watch the group stages like everyone else, but due to the seeding involved it's not really geared towards any kind of upset. The only blip, to use Govan Toolmaker terminology, was when Manchester United failed to qualify a few seasons ago. Since then, and before, it has been a case of the big fish "easing" their way into the knockout stage. Perhaps groups of three, with the winner qualifying would make things more interesting. I'm not so sure the big clubs would go for that though.

In saying that, the quarter-finals also unfolded according to the script. Porto played better than Manchester United in the first leg, especially in the first half and were favourites to progess after drawing 2-2 at Old Trafford. In the return leg we saw the functional "Euro-United" kill the game after Ronaldo scored from about forty yards out. Ho-hum.
Villarreal, without Marcos Senna and Santi Cazorla, didn't really have a chance against Arsenal at The Emirates and were dispatched with ease.
The Barcelona/Bayern tie was settled in the first leg and the match in Germany was an exercise in damage limitation from Jurgen Klinsmann's side.

The match of the round was at Stamford Bridge. Crash! Bang! Wallop! as Alan Partridge might say. It wasn't really exciting because at no stage did Liverpool lead on aggregate. I've heard a lot of Liverpool fans speak of their pride in the team, but the reality is that they blew a two goal lead. Their second two goals were scored when even their manager had given up the ghost, having earlier substituted Torres and Mascherano.

So with Liverpool out, this year's "Big Four" is Arsenal, Barcelona, Chelsea and Manchester United. That's about right, I think. It's really any three of the Premiership four and Barcelona. So really it's a European "Big Five."

I don't think the Premiership itself is miles ahead of the rest of Europe, because the teams outside the top four are unremarkable. The top four is like a cartel. They also dominate the F.A Cup and the League Cup. Spurs fans and Portsmouth fans should consider themselves lucky that they have had the opportunity in the last couple of years to have snatched some crumbs from the cartel table. So, no Premiership teams outside the cartel are qualifying for the CL. The same four teams qualify each year and know Europe inside out. They dominate the competition because they qualify year after year. If say Aston Villa qualify next year they could possibly struggle with the extra demands. When Everton managed to break in, they were eliminated before the group stages. The cartel can ease their way past the group stages, and due to their annual experience, the knock-out stages aren't a great unknown. This domination reflects the cartel's hegemony within the Premier League, rather than the overall strength of the league.

Cruyff: Florentino knows nothing about football

Florentino Peréz is going to make everything better. This is the opinion of the Madrid press and the vast majority of their fans. Everyone has forgotten about the disasterous final years of his "Galactico" project and the ridiculous quotes:"Claude Makelele only ever passes the ball 3 metres." After he won it back, Florentino, after he won it back.

In any case, Johan Cruyff is not impressed with the construction magnate's credentials.

"I don't understand the construction industry and Florentino doesn't understand football."

International Break

So all the leagues around Europe go on hold for the International Break. The tournament at the end makes it worthwhile, I suppose. But it messes up my weekend routine of wall to wall football from England and Spain, drinking and posting codswallop on various forums while the matches are on. Ah, well. Can't be helped, can't be helped.

The Spain game should be good, though. Alongside Barcelona they've been my favourite side to watch over the last 18 months or so. They'll have to do without Iniesta, who's out for two weeks with a thigh strain. His absence isn't a massive blow to Spain as there are capable deputies available to come in and do a job, but Spain like Barcelona just aren't the same without him. I don't think it's a coincidence that Barcelona's recent slump coincided with Iniesta's absence. At times this season his level of performance has been as good, if not better, than Messi's. Barcelona fans will tell you that, but he has never received the universal adulation of the Argentine. Maybe he likes it that way. He reminds me of Paul Scholes in that sense: idolised by his own fans and deeply respected by his peers but light years away from the bullshit. Barca say he should be back for the game against Bayern Munich. I hope so.

Barcelona destroy Malaga

You would have to say that Malaga's 6-0 defeat flattered them. It could have been far, far worse.
In fairness to the visitors they were without Weligton and Calleja, two first team defenders and Duda, arguably the best performer this season, started on the bench as he wasn't 100% fit. Still, there was a lack of agression and intensity in the performance that seems to have carried over from the Sevilla match. To have any chance at Barca's place you have to be agressive. Even the great Real Madrid took turns to foul Messi in the first twenty minutes in their 2-0 defeat before Christmas. Malaga were soft and too respectful of their opponents.

Barcelona suffocated Malaga from the start last night. A lot of people ask why teams defend so deep at the Camp Nou as if there is an element of choice in the matter. They pin you back and defend from the front with the constant pressure of Eto'o, Messi and Henry. Although if you manage to break out, all you have to do is outplay Xavi, Iniesta and Toure in midfield. Easy, no?
Man for man, their defence wouldn't be as good as say, Manchester United's, Liverpool's or Chelsea's but their defence is starving the opposition of the ball thus reducing the opposition's chances. It worked for Spain in the summer.

Anyway, for what it's worth, Messi's goal was my favourite.

It's Big

Malaga visit El Camp Nou

El Camp Nou is massive. It's kind of too big. The last time I was there, a 4-0 dismantling of Malaga, I splashed-out on good seats. We watched the game seven or eight rows behind the benches as Barcelona strolled to victory. Every now and again I looked up towards the Gods and thought: it must be shite watching it from there.

I'll watch this tomorrow on the box. Barcelona should win this one. They've started to play well after their little slump and Malaga will be without Baha (injured) and Weligton (suspended). Duda is back and Malaga will look to him to deliver from set-pieces, an area where Barca are weak.

Malaga to reduce ticket prices for Madrid visit

The club has announced that it will reduce prices by 40% for the match against Real Madrid on the 5th of April. Season ticket holders have the opportunity to buy 2 tickets before they go on general sale. The club say they are doing it as a gesture of goodwill in these dificult times, citing the effect of the economic crisis on many families. On the surface it seems a pretty decent gesture, but some fans see it as an opportunity for the many Madrid supporters in the Malaga area to see their heroes on the cheap, although the club will say that the offer of two tickets to season ticket holders will curb the Madrid presence. That's if the tickets go to Malaga fans. I've already been asked for tickets by some Madrid followers. A friend of mine was moaning about it. "Let those Madrid cunts pay to watch." He has a point. However, it's a fine line. Almeria raised their prices so much for the visit of Barcelona last Sunday that only 9,000 fans turned up: even season ticket holders had to buy their seats. I watched that match on the television when I got back from La Roselada on Sunday and it had all the atmosphere of a pre-season run-out.

Athletic 2 Real Madrid 5

I watched this match in the pub on Saturday. Most of the clientele were Real Madrid fans and it was just myself and a few others who were rooting for Athletic. I had been there since the rugby match between Scotland and Ireland which I sat through feigning interest. The finer points of rugby are lost on me, but I thought Ireland deserved to win: to my untrained eye they seemed to be in Scotland's half most of the time at any rate. What struck me was the physical contact and the players' reaction to it. No messing here: you go down under a hard challenge and you get back up. Despite a valiant attempt to "pace myself", I was slightly merry by the time the match from Bilbao started: "Come on Athletic!" In the match at San Mames, Yeste was sent-off for pushing Iker Casillas to the ground. Now, we know you can't "raise your hands" in football, but does a footballer have to go to ground like a 7 stone weakling? And clutching his face into the bargain? Yeste was foolish, and will have to learn to control his temper, but Casillas' reaction was pathetic. What would Frannie Lee and Norman Hunter have thought about that?

Anyway, Madrid won with a bit of help from the referee and maintain the pressure on Barcelona. Collusion. Isn't that a great word? The Madrid press are constantly highlighting the extra matches that Barcelona will have to play between now and the end of the season and how this can benefit Madrid in the race for the Championship. Have they no shame? Barcelona's handicap is that they are competing on all fronts like a big club should. They are in the cup final and are joint favourites, alongside Manchester United, in the competition Madrid covet most of all, the Champions League. "Hay Liga", (There is a league) they say in Marca and As and they are correct, but if this ordinary Madrid team wins the league by default it will be a sorry day for Spanish football.