Guardiola and Bayern's ambitions crash after Madrid defeat

Posted by Stephan Uersfeld

MUNICH -- They promised them hell and landed in purgatory instead. 

On a historic Champions League night, Bayern Munich were humiliated 4-0 by Real Madrid. A brace each by Sergio Ramosand Cristiano Ronaldo ended Bayern’s dreams of back-to-back success in Europe's biggest club competitions.

Twenty minutes into the second leg of the Champions League semifinal between Bayern Munich and Real Madrid, all hope had died. Two headers by Ramos set up by set-pieces fromLuka Modric and Angel di Maria killed FC Bayern.

It had all started so well, at least until the kickoff; as the players prepared to enter the Allianz Arena, FC Bayern fans displayed an impressively choreographed Champions League sign throughout the stadium. Organized by Bayern’s famous Club Nr. 12, it could have been the starting signal for what Bayern CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge called “hell” for Los Blancos.

But it turned out to be a nightmare instead. Something has gone very wrong for FC Bayern in recent weeks. “Bundesliga is over,” Pep Guardiola said after winning his first German title in March. No team had ever won it earlier. It went downhill from there. They have only won four of the next 10 games that followed. They scored 19 and conceded 17.

“If we had done it [beat Real Madrid] today, nobody would question if we have won the league too early. But we got punished 4-0,” said midfielder Arjen Robben, one of the few players to maintain his form since that title-winning day in Berlin.

Against Madrid, to keep their dream alive, Bayern needed to make up a 1-0 defeat from the first leg, and the club's intention was to make a statement. Instead, Die Roten looked nervous at the beginning.

Courtesy of Stephan UersfeldBayern Munich's fans at Allianz Arena tried to create an intimidating atmosphere for Real Madrid.

Just like the stadium was looking for a way to intimidate Real Madrid, the team, led by Bastian Schweinsteiger, tried to fight their way into the match. Franck Ribery got involved in some minor brawls with Pepe and Ramos close to the corner.

They had most of the possession, again, like most of their games. Guardiola has stressed that this is his philosophy, but his team looked out of shape defending. Seeing that advantage, Carlo Ancelotti had urged his team to press higher, before the box and midfielder Modric and Xabi Alonso followed suit.

“The key was the first leg where we controlled the match in a good way. We had more confidence. We defended better. We gave the rhythm,” Ancelotti commented in the postmatch conference tonight. The Italian was pointing to the fact that the confidence provided from the first leg allowed them to play more freely in the second. Conversely, on the other hand, Guardiola faces real pressure for the first time since joining Bayern.

While, in post-match interviews, the Bavarians bemoaned conceding from set pieces, the first goal came through a neat and cleverly played counter in reality. Real won the ball in their own half, Di Maria picked it up on the right at the halfway line and sent a long pass over to Karim Benzema, who could only be stopped for the cost over a corner. Real went up 1-0.

“We studied their zonal marking,” Ancelotti explained about their counter-attacking strategy.

John Macdougall/AFP/Getty ImagesPep Guardiola's Champions League dream was ended by Real Madrid.

Bayern were shocked again only a few minutes later. This time Ramos put the ball away from a Di Maria free kick. The title holders reacted with possession, and control, and passed the ball around the box. While they looked nervous in the first few minutes, they now looked frightened. Robben played a lovely pass into the box to David Alaba. Instead of shooting at the goal, the Austrian international sent the ball into the nowhere land between Real’s defending and the Bavarian’s attacking line.

But not only were Bayern frightened, and shocked, they were angry and not able keep their temper. After another counterattack, this time through the BBC -- Gareth Bale, Benzema and Ronaldo -- all but killed the match. Robben started complaining about time wasting, and, behind referee Paulo Soares' back, Ribery slapped Madrid right back Daniel Carvajal in the face. The France international, who had desperately hoped to win the Ballon d’Or, was not punished for the incident. In the light of an historic defeat, their beautiful football had finally turned.

Following a second half with some long distance shots from FC Bayern, and fans leaving the stadium early, Ronaldo, who had drawn a free kick outside the box and wrapped up an historic defeat with a stunning, precise finish from the set piece.

“It’s a tough night for us. I am very proud of my team,” Guardiola said in the post-match news conference. He knows that he will now have to take some blame for what sometimes feels like an obsession for ball possession.

On Tuesday, he took the blame, although don't expect him to change his philosophy anytime soon.

“It’s the coach’s mistake,” he ,pointing to his decision to only play Toni Kroos and Schweinsteiger in the heart of his midfield. "They did not have enough possession."

He then added, “I can’t change what I live, what I feel. I like to play with the ball. We’ve played liked that against Arsenal, Manchester and in the group stages. But, of course, we have to consider if that’s the best concept with our players.”

On May 17, Bayern Munich meet Borussia Dortmund in the German Cup final. Guardiola and his team will now need to regroup to avoid a tragic end to a season that had gone so well until late March.

Three things: Arsenal vs. Newcastle

Posted by Michael Cox

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GettyImagesOlivier Giroud celebrates after scoring Arsenal's third against Newcastle.

LONDON -- Three observations from Arsenal's 3-0 thrashingof Newcastle at the Emirates Stadium.

1. Arsenal thrive with simple chips over the top

Tactically, this was an astonishingly simple contest.

Newcastle arrived with a clear defensive game plan -- they played a high defensive line against Olivier Giroud, in the belief that the Frenchman’s pace was unlikely to hurt them in behind. The rest of the Newcastle side concentrated on remaining extremely compact, attempting to deny Mesut Ozil, Santi Cazorla and Aaron Ramsey space between the lines. The problem, however, was that this prevented them pressing higher up.

From the opening stages, Arsenal’s task was plainly obvious.

They needed to get midfield runners darting in advance of Giroud, and combine this with simple chipped passes from defensive positions. It took Arsenal a while to realise this -- it often does -- but once they understood the situation, they repeatedly got through on goal.

The two most obvious examples created Arsenal’s best two first-half chances. There was Ramsey’s delicate chip over the top for Lukas Podolski at 1-0, encouraging the German to stereotypically dart in behind from the inside-left channel, forcing Tim Krul into a fine save.

The other example ended the game as a contest before half-time. Mikel Arteta dropped into a deep role between the centre-backs, and casually lofted a ball into the inside-right channel. Newcastle were so vulnerable to this tactic that even Giroud -- the man whose lack of pace is his major weakness, and dictated Newcastle’s strategy -- could profit. He forced two quick saves from the beleaguered Krul, and Ozil tucked in the rebound.

Overall, it simply showed the importance of Arsenal having midfield runners -- Ozil, Ramsey and Podolski. Too frequently this season they’ve been deprived of these players, instead using a set of pure passers behind Giroud. With this midfield combination, they offer penetration as well as possession.


2. Pardew out/Liverpool licking their lips

It’s difficult to remember a Premier League team playing with as little commitment as this Newcastle United side. It’s worth outlining, too, that Newcastle were a genuinely impressive outfit for the first half of the campaign, with Loic Remy on fire and Yohan Cabaye amongst the best midfielders in the division. Newcastle beat Chelsea, Tottenham and Manchester United.

The results since Christmas have been disastrous, the level of effort unacceptable. In a run taking into account their first encounter with Arsenal, a 1-0 defeat in the final game of 2013, they have lost 13 of their past 18 games, 12 of them without scoring. They might be ninth, but in terms of points, they’re as close to relegation as they are to seventh-place Manchester United.

Injuries have played a part, Cabaye’s departure to PSG was a significant blow, but this performance was so bad that you’d forgive the traveling support if they’d departed at the break, attempting to beat the London Underground strike that commenced midway through the second half. Remy had a one-on-one opportunity in the second half, but there was alarmingly little creativity from a very flat Newcastle midfield.

The chants from Newcastle’s fans were insistent. “It’s never your fault,” they sang -- accompanying a banner mocking Alan Pardew’s constant excuses. “It’s six in a row,” was another, as was “We want Pardew out” and “We’re gonna have a party, when Pardew gets the sack.” Get the picture? For the first time since his headbutt on David Meyler eight games ago, Pardew was on the touchline to face the music.

Newcastle might play a role in the title race, considering they travel to Liverpool on the final day of the season. If both Liverpool and Manchester City win all their remaining games, the title will come down to goal difference, and while Liverpool currently trail City by eight in that tally (and City have an extra game to build up a further advantage), facing Newcastle at home on the final day is perfect for Brendan Rodgers' side.

It might sound stupid, but a Liverpool side needing to rack up a hatful of goals to claim their first Premier League title could batter this Newcastle side by 10 goals.

Football sides rarely win matches by that margin, primarily because there are seldom circumstances which require it. They conserve energy and take pity on their opponents. But Newcastle are playing without courage or belief, and on the final day with nothing to play for, will almost certainly play at half-speed.

A rampant Liverpool, with Daniel Sturridge and Jordan Henderson back in the side, could attack relentlessly in front of a vociferous home support. Liverpool were 5-0 up against Arsenal (then top of the table) within 52 minutes. What damage could they inflict on a Newcastle side that, frankly, couldn’t care less?

Jamie McDonald/Getty ImagesAaron Ramsey underlined his importance to Arsenal in their 3-0 win over Newcastle.

3. Ramsey is Arsenal’s main man

Arsenal’s star performer in this comfortable victory was Aaron Ramsey, underlining his misfortune to finish behind Eden Hazard, Daniel Sturridge and Luke Shaw in the PFA Young Player of the Year voting.

So much of Ramsey’s quality this season has been about his energy -- his ability to get up and down the pitch, in the mould of an old-school, box-to-box midfielder, an increasingly difficult role to play in this era of extremely high-tempo football. There were a couple of glimpses of this -- he powered through the midfield to combine with Ozil midway through the first half, and later darted back powerfully to make a crucial challenge in the left-back zone, calling a halt to a rare Newcastle counter-attack.

But Ramsey’s main attraction here was his passing quality, which has taken a backseat while his other attributes have developed. He hit a fantastic cross-field ball to Ozil in the opening five minutes, then hit a neat pass over the top for Lukas Podolski to run onto, forcing Tim Krul into a fine save.

The best moment, though, was when he played two brilliant balls to Santi Cazorla in the space of 20 seconds toward the end of the first period.

He collected the ball close to the centre circle, checked inside and thumped a brilliant diagonal ball out to Cazorla on the right. The Spaniard drew Newcastle left-back Paul Dummett toward him, feinted to send him in the wrong direction, before sending the ball back to Ramsey. And as soon as Ramsey received the ball, he returned the pass to Cazorla -- this time an arrowed through-ball. One pass was lofted and spectacular, the other driven and incisive.

In the second half he stormed forward in possession, laying the ball off to Nacho Monreal for a driven low cross, winning a free kick on the left after drawing the attention of three Newcastle players, then slipping Giroud in behind, only for the Frenchman to be denied by a last-gasp Dummett tackle. He was finally involved in a goal when his clever reverse pass found Ozil, who crossed for Giroud to head in the third, on 67 minutes.

In terms of the PFA Young Player of the Year voting, it’s impossible to ignore the fact Ramsey missed a significant portion of the season through injury, which is why others were favoured. But that absence only underlined Ramsey’s importance to Arsenal, with their dip in form coinciding with his spell on the sidelines. On the basis of this season, Ramsey is Arsenal’s most important player.