Time to see who has right stuff
The ceremonial nutmegging of David Luiz was the signal. At the very top of the global soccer pyramid, the tipping point of the season has arrived and the Paris SaintGermain defender was its first sacrificial victim, thrown from the heights.
They may not make ritual bloodletting the way they used to, but as the Champions League cuts down to its final four Tuesday and Wednesday, the rules say the hapless Brazilian will not be the last to be left legs open and dreadfully exposed.
This is an exclusive neighbourhood Luiz and the rest of them call home, a place as stratified as any gated community. Barcelona, their Spanish arch rivals Real Madrid and Germany’s Bayern Munich occupy the grandest mansions on a pretty much permanent basis. These three measure their success in generations — they are institutions, and whether you call it Champions League or its former European Cup, getting past this stage and into the semifinals is something they regard as if not a birthright then certainly a defining point. Fall short and, regardless of domestic successes, heads will roll.
Among the neighbours, Juventus has silverware in the drawing room of their grand old place, though it’s grown a little shabby, like the rest of their league. Porto has pedigree too, but frankly these days they’re more into having a nice yard where they can grow their kids and see them off into the big wide world up the road. No one wants to take a shortcut over Atletico Madrid’s acreage fear of arousing the wrath of the scarylooking dude in black. PSG and Monaco rent.
The most cleared-eyed people on the planet are the gamblers who, off the past week’s plentiful shenanigans, knocked Barcelona down to 3-to-2 favourites to win this whole thing, while Real and Barca were backed up to 4-1 co-second choices. In that spirit, a breakdown:
Barcelona vs. PSG. Luis Suarez humiliated Luiz not once but twice in Paris, and Suarez’s Uruguayan compatriot, Edinson Cavani, showed again he’s a perfect fit for France’s Ligue 1 though not so much anywhere else. But wait. That’s former Barca man Zlatan Ibrahimovic back from suspension for PSG. Except it’s the 33-year-old model Zlatan running down and according to his agent, he’s not at all getting a visa for the U.S. that would precede a move to MLS. Just a thought, but isn’t it almost time for TFC to go out and get another designated player? Barca 5, PSG 1. (Barca advances.)
Bayern Munich vs. Porto. This town just ain’t big enough for Pep Guardiola and longtime team doctor ‘Healing Hans’ Muller Wohlfahrt, who packed up his syringes and resigned after Porto’s 3-1 win in Portugal. It may not be big enough, either, for Guardiola, whose halo is slipping following his side’s awful defensive display and now comes this defining game of his Bavarian tenure, at the same Allianz Arena where Real Madrid smoked ’em 4-0 last year. Bayern is missing a bunch of regulars against an underrated Porto team that is the only team with an unbeaten record in the competition, but is missing their two fullbacks due to suspension. This could get wild, and Bayern would be no surprise but . . . Bayern 3, Porto 2. (Porto advances.)
Real Madrid vs. Atletico Madrid. Here they are again, and after last week’s 0-0 draw at the Vicente Calderon — a game that Real really should have won — it’s hard not to conclude that Atletico’s dastardly mastermind, Diego Simeone, has their number, that result pushing them to a seven-match unbeaten streak against their glamorous city rivals. It can’t last forever, can it? Sure it can, with Real missing two very important pieces in Luka Modric and Marcelo. And Gareth Bale. Real 1, Atletico 1. (Atletico advances.)
Monaco vs. Juventus. Once and future star Paul Pogba remains out for the visitors and his agent, who happens to be Ibrahimovic’s rep, made sure everyone was aware of the real endgame by saying this week that “the right offer” will have Pogba moving from Turin. Nothing like a reminder of what this is all about, right? Monaco’s chasing a 1-0 margin, but they’re certainly capable of nicking a goal from their mercenary striker, Dimitar Berbatov, and defending for their lives. On penalties, though, we’ll put the money on Buffon. Monaco 1, Juventus 0. (Juventus advances on penalties.)