Lesson 1: Never believe the opposing coach especially if he's Jose Mourinho
Harry Redknapp may have seen this coming but I'm sure he never expected this. After being declared fit, unfit and then 50-50 by Mourinho, Cristiano Ronaldo was unleashed against Spurs to maximum effect. His pace and movement always meant that Real Madrid were going to be tough to handle and it all stemmed from Mourinho's interesting game of "Simon Says" played on Redknapp. Harry said he was preparing for Ronaldo but it seems he wasn't too sure if the Portiguese attacker would turn up tonight or not. And he even allowed Marcelo to be sneaked in through the back door. The full back's direct running caused Spurs so many problems including a delicious cross for Adebayor to head home past Gomes. Harry was surely done for tonight by Mourinho.
Lesson 2: Flirting with the Champion's League is only for the brave in heart
After Spurs' sensational performance against Inter Milan in the group stages over tow legs brought joy to their followers and a breeze of fresh air into Europe's elite club competition. However, in charming all of us, Spurs bit the tempting-looking apple of the competition and now, they risk being thrown out of the Garden of the Champion's League when the return leg comes calling. The euphoria of playing so well in Europe blurred the harsh reality that the competition is draining. Thus, failure to manage resources in a not-so-large squad like Spurs can be a difficult thing to do and that can be the unmaking of teams who have decided to get too indulged with the Champion's League especially when they're meeting it for the very first time. Laurent Blanc's young Bourdeaux side of last season captured imaginations until regular campaigners,Lyon knocked them back down to Earth and burst their bubble so hard,Marseille crept in to with the Ligue 1 after looking at Bordeaux's dust trail all the way.
Lesson 3:Leonardo needs to learn how to defend
After last year's inspiring run to the "Orellano" (The Big-Eared trophy) last season, Inter now look like a total mess and even though Rafael Benitez might have had a stinker with them day one to six months into this new season, Leonardo's appointment has seen Inter show some defending which will heavily annoy the great Helenio Herrera. Rannochia and Chivu have looked poor but in last Saturday's derby and tonight's game, the two looked as though they were in the wrong profession and who's to blame? Leonardo. The Brazilian's reign at AC Milan was characterised by bad defending and some poor midfield play especially on the defensive side. They allowed Farfan to drift in from wide areas and pass the ball for fun. One such pass led to Raul's goal to swing thie tie 3-2 in Schalke's favour. Now,Inter must score 4 unanswered goals. Very impossible all because Leonardo's hasn't created good defensive departments in his teams. However,maybe they can perform a miracle cooked up by the Madonna of Milan.
Lesson 4: The Champions' League will always be a mystery
Ever since the European Cup became the Champion's League,defending champions have not defended their crown.Dortmund,Real Madrid,Manchester United,Barcelona (and maybe Inter Milan) have all failed to hold on to their Champion's League crown after winning them. Dortmund didn't get close after their '97 win,Madrid lost out too only to throw Manchester United out in 2000 after the Red Devils' famous turnaround against Munich in '99.The Whites went on to win it in Paris but they lost out the next season and tonight,with such a heavy home loss against Schalke,Inter look set to be eliminated too just a year after brilliantly knocking out 2009 champions,Barcelona.
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