1-The Italian Job is still effective
Life, they say, is a cycle. It involves births and deaths, ins and outs, and the constant rearrangement of thoughts and ideas. It's the same principle in football where formations and play styles have been created and replaced by better ones. However, last night, the otherwise dead "catenaccio" made a comeback at the Camp Nou in the form of AC Milan as they faced Barcelona.It even had the "grab-the first-goal-and-close-the-door" feel of old. Pato scored in 24 seconds and the Rossoneri held on for 35 minutes until Pedro got the champions back into it but they kept the "piece de resistance" for the last as Thiago Silva headed home a Seedorf corner in injury time. The classic mark of an Italian team. They score when you least expect it. Allegri's team didn't have the rigidity of classic Italian teams but they still showed how tough they can be when it's needed.
2-The right gaffer will leave you smiling
Getting the right man to guide the playing body has always been invaluable to football. Mourinho, Ferguson, Sacchi have over the years made various cases to back this simple piece of football truth and this season, Bayern Munich looks like they have the right man. Of course, it's too early to pass judgement on Jupp Heynckes but if Frank Ribery says he feels at ease playing under him, vindication must be the resulting feeling. He's led Munich to the top spot in the Bundesliga and a masterful win away to Villareal to top a group containing both Manchester City and Napoli. It seems Munich can look forward to a fruitful season.
3-The wrong gaffer will leave you Gasp-ing
If there's one thing Gian Piero Gasperini will have in close proximity,I'm sure it'll be pain killers. No,he's not suffering from a serious health condition. He's only dealing with the accompanying headaches caused by poor results. What's worse is that he's the man they brought in to steady an Inter Milan ship that nearly sunk under Benitez and came alive under but was slow under Leonardo. Gasperson, as the new coach is called, looks like he's sending the Inter Milan vessel down to the icy regions by using the terrible 3-4-3 coordinate on his map. From the Italian Super Cup till date, his players have shown an all-too obvious lack of understanding of the system and this is alarming as Inter are in the frame to challenge for major honours. They may have won off the pitch by milking Anzhi Makachkala in the Eto'o episode and keeping Wesley Sneijder away from Man United's waiting arms but on the pitch, they look like the villain in a horror flick: terrible.
4-Wonderful goals will abound
It may only be matchday 1 but the goals have been simply breathtaking.
Perisic's volley against Arsenal, Villa's freekick against AC Milan, Cardozo's elegant turn and shoot against Man United,Hulk's tracer bullet against Shakhtar,Pato's wonderful blitzing run against Barcelona. These just say one thing: the Champions League is unrivaled in class and quality. Players and teams transcend mortality and go into a realm where only the divine is created when the competition's anthem blares out of stadium's speakers.
I'm just wondering if we can keep track of the wonderful memories we'll have by next May.
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