With the exception of five minutes here and there, and the once-again-brilliant Arjen Robben, Real Madrid definitely looked like the side less likely to win in today's Champions League match.
Yossi Benayoun looks ever more likely as a viable understudy for Steven Gerrard with his pace, creativity and eagerness to advance the ball up the field. It's quite notable to me now, watching as much football as I do, how much a great midfielder can change the game on the pitch.
Quite possibly why we've drawn so many games this year. Stevie needs to move the ball up the pitch, not laterally. The discipline is good, but we only really seem to play Liverpool football on the counter-attack right now.
That said, the side looks frighteningly good at times. We just need another first-rate striker (Babel not there yet, Kuyt works super-hard but doesn't seem the one).
But with prospects of the sale of the club in July, and the whacked-out American owners not having any money to put into the club (new grounds haven't even started), it looks to be like our best bet for silverware will be the Champions League.
Of course, Real looked like one of the best teams in the League and the favorite to make the final. Other than bloody Man Utd of course.
Posted by artandscience at February 25, 2009 03:34 PM