Just wait patiently for the knockout phase of the Champions League. That’s when the season will really begin, that’s when the world of soccer really booms. That’s when you get to enjoy a truly festive atmosphere to make up for the boredom of the group stage. That’s the most classy football being performed.
Perhaps the situation will be brighter in the second leg. Or maybe the quarterfinals will be the time when things really start. But based on the evidence that has been undeniably confirmed through the first leg of the round of 16 teams.
Liverpool are enjoying a great season, although it has started to appear a little stormy. Manchester City, driven by outrage and indignation, won an impressive victory at the Santiago Bernabeu. Although Pep Guardiola’s tactical adjustments must be mentioned, it is an undeniable factor.
Both can justify that they are in the reconstruction phase. Real Madrid is holding a perfect evidence called Cristiano Ronaldo. And, of course, it takes a while to adapt after the departure of a Portuguese-like star.
Barca is said to be no longer able to garner bright results with the direction they have always followed since the end of the Guardiola era. In fact, the aging and degradation of Barca midfield has been exposed time and time again. And it has cost them dearly in the European arena for the past three years.
Juventus, the team currently having a rough season in Serie A, showed a stalemate image in the defeat against Lyon. The problems of Juventus are almost entirely due to their putting themselves in. And formed by the sense that success in the domestic arena is already obvious.
Maurizio Sarri has been appointed as Allegri’s successor in the hope of bringing a more advanced football. Sarri has repeatedly complained about the difficulty of helping his Juventus to become a team that always rotates the ball quickly. But it should come as no surprise that their spearhead attacks tend to remain static.