Champions League Previews and Predictions: PT. II From A Naked Armageddon (General Franco's Haunting of The Bernabeu / Daniel Levy Rips A Shilling From Small Child /
We go to Madrid vs Ajax: the young Dutch giants are flying in UCL play after a blistering performance vs the mighty Bayern Munich, dictating terms and deserving a victory, though in the end they still pushed Bayern to a 3-3 draw.
At the core of both matches against Bayern was the Serbian World Cup star Dusan Tadic: who's been extremely good for Ajax this season, punishing opposition back lines in all competitions, racking up assist after assist and putting his name among the goals, with 5 goals and 1 assist in the UCL this season and 22 goals, 13 assists total: an impressive feat for a player many had mocked and derided as "washed up".
Ajax has also been led by the all-encompassing madness of Hakim Ziyech, who scored his first career hat trick of goals this season, adding an assist and 9 created chances to his tally in that same match, while posting double digits in goals and assists.
This is a truly universal player who can do it all: he racks up the shot attempts and puts them on frame, he sends in chance after chance from set pieces, from crosses, through balls, chipped passes into the box: he does it all creatively. Look for Ziyech to be at a top tier club in the near future, as the Moroccan looks to set the stage alight with his disgusting play.
The Dutch giants also boast two of the most sought after (probably the most in demand) players in futbol: the two young Netherlands phenoms Frenkie De Jong the central defensive midfielder / center mid (and, just to highlight his versatility, once had 3 assists in a match in which he played center back...). Barcelona snagged De Jong in a near 90 millon dollar deal, and world class center back Matthias De Ligt is much prized by both Barcelona and Manchester City.
Both are already firm Dutch internationals who've amassed experience in European competitions (some of these players for Ajax, especially the De Bros, Dolberg Ziyech, etc were in the Europa League Final vs Manchester United a year and a half ago).
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/61606507/DeJong_and_DeLigt.0.jpg) |
| (from left: Frenkie De Jong, the next Busquets? and De Ligt) |
Elsewhere, Argentine Nicolas Tagliafico and Mazraoui are both outstanding fullbacks more than capable of the composure and guile to shut down Madrid.
As for Madrid, Santiago Solari's men looked renewed upon his hiring. Yet, losing 3-0 At home to CSKA Moscow is not how Madrid wanted to finish the group stage, though recent victories over Atletico Madrid and a 1-1 draw at the Nou Camp over Barcelona should give some confidence.
A complete collapse defensively and in midfield against CSKA is a reminder to us all of how bad this team can be this season: Bale and Benzema have been just below adequate, Modric and Kroos have been wildly erratic, while Raphael Varane and Sergio Ramos have been all over the place defensively, completely out of their minds when it comes to defending set pieces and challenging or clogging attacking action at the top of the box.
If Solari were smart, he'd play Vinicius Junior from the start in both matches on the left wing, such is the creative goal oriented potential of this sparkling player. Any time he approaches the pitch, he's simply capable of anything. He's not a world-beater yet, but he'll never get there without playing consistently. He's the only player who can get the best out of those aging veterans up top, especially with Isco being so wildly out of favor that a dog could start over him under Solari.
What we have is a two legged affair full of goals, Ziyech and Tadic will surely feast on any and all opportunities Madrid leave bouncing around at the edge of the box, with Ajax being only slightly better defensively. I also see Madrid (especially if Vinicius Junior plays) burying a few.
With Madrid's disorder and confusion at the back and in midfield this season, with stalwarts such as Marcelo becoming dethroned by Sergio Reguillon and Kroos, Modric or Casmeiro all splitting time with Ceballos and Marcos Llorente (injured for the clash) and neither combination or set up feeling too thrilling or even effective, we could see Ajax pull this one out.
But over two legs, experience seems to win out over youth, although we just don't know with this Madrid team post-Ronaldo.
They'll have to be hungry.
PREDICTION:
1ST LEG: 1-2 Madrid
2ND LEG: 2-3 Ajax
(Ajax go through on away goals)
DORTMUND V TOTTENHAM
The tie promises chances galore, veteran brilliance in Tottenham attacking midfielder Christian Eriksen and Axel Witsel for Dortmund, both steadily and consistently leading their respective clubs through the fire. We'll also watch on as Dortmund renegade Jadon Sancho continues his marvelous run of form, the 18 year old showing his world class ability on all stages thus far.
Will Harry Winks or Eric Dier start in midfield alongside Moussa Sissoko for Tottenham? We feel if Winks starts, Dortmund can exploit his inexperience and small stature and if Dier starts, Favre could take advantage of his lack of speed and form by inserting a more robust and energetic set up (Witsel, Dahoud and Guerrero in a 4-3-3, perhaps?). Or could Moussa Sissoko have his full magical dribbling ability from deep, or on the periphery of the wings on display?
If so, it could be a superb midfield showdown between Witsel and Sissoko, a tactical feast that may decide the tie.
Also look for Dortmund midfielder Mahmoud Dahoud, a Lucien Favre favorite, to come back from the shadow of his injuries to play a huge role. Dahoud is a skillful midfielder with filthy vision who can tear apart a midfield and back line (as if they were butter) when he sends long balls off of the ground or through balls to teammates. And don't underestimate his love of a good tussle, either.
That's if Favre plays him.
As for the Londoners, Tottenham played fantastically against Barcelona on the last match day, showing a grit and determination we haven't seen from them in the Champions League since their Gareth Bale-led destruction of Inter Milan back in 2010.
The 5 star performance at the Nou Camp will instill confidence throughout the battle-hardened Tottenham veterans, with the lack of transfer activity keeping the players in a situation where a team can grow together and they have: a truly unique situation in modern English futbol, but one we need to see more of.
But that was when Kane, Alli, Davies, among others were fit for Spurs. Now the lack of transfer activity can be seen for what it is: a nasty bit of laziness and greed from Daniel Levy.
Harry Kane has been the talisman yet again, spoiling these Tottenham fans with his current loyalty and intense work ethic. Despite the sexual obsession with Tom Brady, Kane has been in his usual devastating form ever since returning from the World Cup....the only problem? He won't be on the pitch for this leg at least.
Staying in attack, Christian Eriksen bashed in a goal and gave his 12th assist of the season and 9th in the EPL vs Leicester on the weekend. Alli hasn't hit his best form but has still contributed, though he's now out injured for this leg, too. Tottenham have done it all with a piecemeal team stitched together by Mauricio Pochettino like a jigsaw, removing stalwarts like Dier and Rose, Trippier for Walker-Peters, then rotated back again if the match ups (in his mind) ask for it.
And it just so happens both players are only barely recovering from a shin bashing (Rose) and Dier from severe illness. Son Heung-Min has consistently bagged goals and grabbed assists for his side in their hour of need and luckily for them, just returned from his trip to the Asian Cup with South Korea.
But what Tottenham Spurs owner Daniel Levy
has perpetrated upon this club with his inactivity, his enforced famine in the transfer market, is reprehensible.50 million dollars spent on players in the last 5 seasons? In this current market? Levy's so frugal he's about to force Harry Redknapp's 2nd Uncle's Cousin's Brother's pizza boy to suit up and run out to the youth academy training ground.
Is it because of the new stadium that he's spent nothing? Surely, yet while building a new stadium, buying nobody and selling rarely, Levy has forced the greatest era of Tottenham Spurs futbol club in their entire history, all without buying much at all. Yet the disappointments in European competition still continues when the knockout rounds beckon.
Tottenham are interesting and pose a gigantic challenge to the young Dortmund team who will be without steely veterans Marco Reus and the often reliable, but still aging Lukas Piszczek (killed my eyes trying to type that in).
Their youth and inexperience could cost them goals at the back, since future French stars Dan-Axel Zagadou (age 19) and Abdou Diallo (age 22) are still capable of mistakes at this point in their still extremely embryonic learning curve as defenders. With the knowledge that Piszczek, Manuel Akanji and Julian Weigl, who's been playing at center back as of late, will both definitively miss the Tottenham 1st leg at least, perhaps Diallo and Zagadou can produce the match of their lives, although they should only be troubled by Son and Eriksen on paper...yet Sissoko is a guy capable of making dangerous runs from deep and using his speed, agility and body mass to plow through midfield pressure and test keepers with long range efforts (as we all remember from the final of Euro 2016).
Dortmund's Zagadou has been hurt, too, but he has traveled with the team apparently so who knows who could be healthy for Dortmund in the center of defense. Could we see Achraf Hakimi move from LB and slot into the LCB role? Omer Toprak, or Abdou Diallo to come in and play next to Zagadou, each other, or Hakimi? Will these combinations be enough to shut Son down? Who the hell is going to play right back????
Lucien Favre will have to find the best PLAN B or C combination in the back and up front, with the potential of Jadon Sancho and oft-forgotten Chelsea-bound Christian Pulisic the American renegade wildcard who's on a recent bit of flat form ( despite earning penalties ) who may be called into the lineup with the injured Marco Reus.
We also know the nonstop goalscoring threat and streaky finisher and ex-Barca enigma and pariah that was and is Paco Alcacer will also be out injured for the first leg, at least.
I sincerely wonder how Pulisic and Sancho can play together. Both prefer the right wing, although Sancho could be deployed through the center in lieu of Marco Reus and Alcacer.
Reportedly, according to Daniel Buttelwurst of the National Pawnography, Dortmund manager Lucien Favre has been conducting seances and other occult rituals to reveal whether he can return some of his players to health in time.
The absent Alcacer and Reus aside, Jadon Sancho will take some stopping. The kid not only dishes assists serially, he has begun to score goal after goal after goal, with 8 goals and 12 assists for Dortmund: the 18 year old is having a truly spectacular, one in a million season and he doesn't look like quitting anytime soon.
If anything from the Tottenham performance vs Barcelona can be an indication as to how they'll perform against Dortmund, we'll see the London club work their asses off and look to positively possess the ball, play out of the back, etc.
But the most troubling wrinkle in the match, was their absolute lack of finishing against what was essentially a Barcelona B team, with backup keeper (plays like a #1) Jasper Cilessen making diving save after parried save to keep Barcelona's goal clean until the last five minutes, thanks to a wonderful Harry Kane assist.
Tottenham have a woeful finishing record in the Champions league this season, shanking chance after chance that would've secured their place in the knockout stages a long time ago.
On the other hand, Dortmund can be the most clinical team in European futbol, ripping teams to shreds at the other end on the counter, or through possession domination. Yet, we've seen them collapse completely at the back as of late, with the last ten minutes of the Hoffenheim match being startling evidence of that.
Common sense tells us this will be end to end, with both teams seeking to possess the ball yet both teams breaking up the rhythm of each other's midfield. Lots of passes, but possession for both in the mid 40s. This will be uber-competitive and could be violent, combative and vicious in midfield.
We feel this will be Sancho's coming out party and without Reus and Alcacer on one side and Alli and Kane on the other, the playing field has been leveled. Both teams go into the tie decimated. Though Dortmund's squad is in a much more robust status to deal with significant injuries and Spurs owner Daniel Levy has left His club in a position where they can't afford injuries.
Maybe against lowly EPL sides, just not in the Champions league.
PREDICTION:
1ST LEG: 1-1
2ND LEG: 3-1
(Dortmund advance 4-2)
Comments
Post a Comment