http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/european_football/article7086657.ece
(Just to annoy Otto a bit. )
On Tuesday there had been another demonstration of Spanish power — without any Spaniards involved. Bayern Munich are a Bavarian club drawing most of their players from northern Europe. Their manager is Dutch. Yet Louis van Gaal, like modern Barça, was moulded by the ideals of Johan Cruyff and Van Gaal is turning Bayern into better Barcelona imitators than are Arsenal. At the Allianz Arena, his team shocked Manchester United the Barça way, playing pass-show-receive to make United look impotent to an extent not seen since they received their own lesson from Xavi and Co in last year’s final. The impression, again, was of football moving towards a possession style best espoused by Barça and the Spanish, a trend leaving English clubs gasping.
Being out-passed by the continentals is a problem the English thought they had beaten but it’s back and to see it confront supposedly the best two “footballing” teams in the Premier League was sobering.
Perhaps as quickly as English pre-eminence in the Champions League arrived, it is over.
I damn hope so.
Interesting stat:
Barça, followed by Bayern, have the best passing stats in this season’s Champions League. In the table of who has made the most potential scoring chances, it’s Bayern followed by Barça.