Your guide to a season of hope
From Premier League to Serie A, Ligue 1 to La Liga, all the talking points as leagues across Europe get into gear this weekend
MUMBAI: What will Europe look like now that Lionel Messi has moved from Barcelona to Paris? After a season of battling the pandemic, emerges a new Europe, a new season of football where one team has become the new Galacticos, the team that everyone will want to watch, even before a single home game has been played. Here’s a look at some of the most interesting developments and the things to watch out for in Ligue 1—which started last week—the Premier League, La Liga, and Bundesliga—which will begin this weekend and the Serie A which is set to kick off next weekend.
Champions League is the minimum for Messi, PSG
Lionel Messi is eager to start a new chapter with PSG but he will get no time to settle in before the pressure to win a Champions League title is on him. Anything less will be a failure in the eyes of club’s bosses. PSG has long hungered for European success, narrowly missing out in the last two editions (losing in the semis last season to Manchester City and in the finals to Bayern Munich in 2019-20). A team with the attacking trio of Neymar, Kylian Mbappe and Messi is a hair-raising proposal, but even before the Argentine’s signing, PSG had started strengthening the two departments—defence and midfield—where they had weaknesses. They have added the experience of Sergio Ramos and Gianluigi Donnarumma— on a free transfer!—in the defence while right-back Achraf Hakimi has moved from Serie A champions Inter Milan. In the midfield Marco Verrati will have some support in the form of Portuguese international Danilo Pereira and former Liverpool man Georginio Wijnaldum.
Vengeance on Ronaldo, Juve’s mind
At 36, age might not be on Cristiano Ronaldo’s side but he is still one of the fittest players in the sport and he swathed away any doubt about his diminishing skills with a dashing performance in Euro 2020 for Portugal.
Ronaldo doesn’t like to lose, so he must be eager to put behind the disappointment of finishing fourth in Serie A last season and restore Juventus’ domination. Juve had won nine straight titles before last season’s fall. They sacked Andrea Pirlo and reappointed Massimiliano Allegri, who had left two seasons back and was the man in-charge for five of the nine titles they won on the trot.
Grealish: Overpriced or real deal?
Nearly $150 million for Aston Villa’s Jack Grealish? That too in a midfield line-up already overflowing with attacking talent like Kevin De Bruyne, Riyad Mahrez, Bernando Silva, Ilkay Gundogan and Phil Foden?
But that’s Pep Guardiola for you. The more attacking midfielders he has, the merrier. Everyone can get in on the goalscoring.
If nothing else, Grealish, on paper, looks like the perfect fit for the Guardiola model of deceptive, fast, extremely skilled midfield players who can do it all. City will once again start as favourites for the Premier League title, but the real challenge for them will be how they go about it in the Champions League.
They have a settled and experienced squad now, the defence has been rock solid with Ruben Dias and John Stones leading the way. Their one concern—who replaces Sergio Aguero?
The lack of a proper centre forward hurt them in the Champions League final against Chelsea. Guardiola will be hoping that the Harry Kane deal goes through.
Will Manchester United be title contenders?
Eight seasons—that’s how long Manchester United ‘s barren run in the Premier League has lasted. In 2021-22 though there is renewed hope around Old Trafford that they can mount a decent attack on their 21st top division title, if not win it. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has had the support of the management and got the players he has demanded—jadon Sancho, who many feel is a bargain at £76.5 ($106) million and Raphael Varane from Real Madrid.
Sancho will add teeth to forward line which blew hot and cold last season and is expected to link up with Edinson Cavani—if the Uruguayan stays injury free. He did so at the end of last season and goals flowed.
How Solskjaer manages to work the misfiring midfield will decide the outcome of their
season.
What’s happening at Liverpool?
A 10-game unbeaten run at the end last season saw Liverpool finish third in the Premier League and make it to the Champions League. That was crucial as they could hold onto Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane, who were rumoured to be on their way out if Liverpool hadn’t qualified for Europe.
Injuries and the lack of backup hurt them last season and it may be a cause of concern this time as well. The good news for them is Virgil van Dijk is back in training along with his defensive partners Joe Gomez and Joel Matip. Considering how frail they were at the back, they have added Ibrahima Konate from RB Leipzig. Other than that, there is not much movement at the transfer market and angst over a quiet summer has been growing at Anfield. But if any manager can rally a squad, it has to be Juergen
Klopp.
Best chance for Atletico?
Atletico Madrid have been on the heels of Barcelona and Real Madrid over the last decade. But this season presents them with best opportunity to retain La Liga with the two Spanish giants looking weaker than ever before. Barca are without Messi for the first time since 2004. Their dire financial situation means they can’t spruce up the squad either. Real also have issues of their own with ageing squad and no investments. New manager Carlo Ancelotti will have to rally the old guard, revive the hunger of the oft-injured Eden Hazard and Gareth Bale.
Sancho and Foden gear up for Manchester rivalry