FootballFanatic

Liverpool at 2nd right now, behind Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City, where it would be a labour for the opposition to win over The Citizens. But why will Liverpool lose to Manchester City for the title, even though they have played one less match (26, as of 21 Feb) than them(27)?

1. Style of Football

Firstly-I would like to bring up the reason why I posted these 2 off-key articles. After LFC 0-0 Bayern, I thought of their respective teams in their leagues. This made me think, “Instead of constantly making articles about matches, why don’t I try to focus on HOW they are doing?”. Thus, this leads me to these new types of articles.

Anyway, back to the point. I respect LFC’s attractive style of football. Having Mohammed Salah , Sadio Mane and ‘Bobby’ Firmino, they play elegently. However, Manchester City are just better; even if you are a LFC fan. Raheem Sterling, Sergio Aguero, Sane, Kevin De Bruyne, its just normal to know more Manchester City players! De Bruyne’s long passes, the forwards’ amazing finishes, Manchester City’s squad’s roles complement each other’s perfectly. But Liverpool, they are not complete. I’ll get to the reason’s later.

2.Money

Manchester City’s respected owner, Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, managed the club since 2008. His combined net worth is a staggering $38 billion US. Dollars! However, for Liverpool, whose owners are Fenway sports group, have a net of about $2.5 billion. THAT’S NOTHING COMPARED TO CITY’S OWNER! Even Newcastle United’s Mike Ashley has a net of 3.8 billion USD! This is why City can buy the most valuable players; Kylian Mbappe; EVEN RONALDO’S COST OF 127 008 000 USD takes away just about 4% of  Man City’s net worth! Sometimes, Money is the reason for success, ironically.

3. Lack of Signings (Defenders)

It’s a good thing they signed Virgil Van Dijk last Summer- but it’s not enough. They (LFC) need more. Maybe some PSG defenders when they become older, (e.g. Marco Verratti when he turns 32-33) or a new future defensive star. Loveren is talking but not doing. Though I admit he speaks Englsih very well and expresses himself well. But defending in a match is more important. AS Roma’s defenders can move to LFC and MAYBE see Alisson again? I’m unsure. But guys, remember- anything can happen in Football. For LFC fans, let me show you a picture to give you good memories 🙂

Source: https://www.google.com/search?q=man+c+owner&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwi6uN3srMzgAhWdiHAKHW-TAB4Q_AUIDigB&biw=1366&bih=657

Google forms link: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdqiYR8lXSnWZ8N-Q3ZPh1kjL9dPZsn9Rwm2W_FmVIjcyYwOg/viewform?usp=sf_link

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Premier League

Hello to 2019! We are half-way in the 2018/19 Premier league. Liverpool look set to win the league, but they are facing Manchester City on 3rd January, they may win the league, but I don’t think they will be undefeated this season as they have more away games in the second-half of the league. Here are my standings .(Top 5)

1. Liverpool :85 to 95 pts
2. Manchester city: 82 pts or slightly more
3. Spurs (Tottenham Hotspur) : 70-75pts
4. Manchester United : 65 to 70 pts
5. Chelsea: 60pts to 70pts

Manchester United are currently sixth in the Premier League table, with 32 points. However, after former Manchester United manager José Mourinho’s sacking, you can see the sudden energy by the players; namely attacking midfielder Paul Pogba, who signed for the club for 90 million pounds. In the last 3 games, Pogba had 3 assists and 4 goals; more than the other 17 games combined. I’m not a Spurs fan (I’m a Liverpool fanboy!) but Arsenal, they are honestly underperforming, at the rate of wins for The Reds, they look set to overtake not only Unai Emery’s Arsenal, but also 2016/17 league winners Chelsea. As of Liverpool and Manchester City, they will still be solid but Liverpool, IF undefeated this season, will have more draws than wins in the second-half of the league due to more away games.

Champions League

Let’s go on to the Champions league. Manchester United and PSG is unpredictable, while Juventus have a slight advantagr against Atletico Madrid. Here are my Round of 16 Predictions( on Aggregate:)

AS Roma 5-1 FC Porto

Manchester United 3(5)-3(4) PSG (Mbappe not playing? Is he in another club?)

Tottenham 2-3 Borussia Dortmund

Real Madrid 4-3 Ajax

Lyon 2-5 Barcelona

Liverpool 1-0 Bayern*

Atletico Madrid 2-3 Juventus

Schalke 04 0-6 Manchester City

I can’t say much on the champions League due to each stage having a draw, but title contenders are Juventus, Barcelona, Mnachester City, Liverpool and PSG. Nope, sorry Real Madrid. No Ronaldo, no trophy.

*Its NOT because I am a Liverpool fan! There is 1 reason: aging squad for Bayern. Muller’s quality has deproved this season, as well as Lewandowski, Manuel Neuer is no longer the sweeper keeper that e use to be. Liverpool have a young and energetic squad and I believe that makes the difference.

Happy New Year 2019! Enjoy football and have fun!

 

Bayern Munich is currently 2nd in the table, behind bitter rivals Borussia Dortmund by 7 points. They have suffered shocking and unexpected losses when expected to thtrash the other 19 teams like the last few seasons. But WHY are they not going to Bundesliga?

1. No new signings; Aging squad; Same tactics

There have been rumors that the 19-year-old may move to Bayern.

With an aging  squad with amazing players, the ‘A’ team’s average age is about 30. With Dutch Star Arjen Robben and French Striker Frank Ribery leaving in the Summer, Bayern would become like…. nothing. Sure, they have Rober Lewandowski, Thomas Müller but they are also rather old. A disadvantage of the increase of age is that your quality of football tend to decrease, even though you are more experienced. Chelsea StrikerCallum Hudson-Odoi, born in 2000, could be Bayern’s first ever player to be born in the 21st century and play for Bayern. It is possible- especially at this time when the German club based in Munich need some young players as replacements for older ones. Chelsea have already rejected Bayern’s offer to loan the Englishman. However, if Bayern persist, there could be a real possibility that we will see Odoi wearing a Red and Black home kit. Also, Bayern can offer some Champions League Football to him; while Chelsea, at this rate, can only offer him the less-followed Europa League football.

2. Goalkeeper Manuel Neuer’s sad decline

It feels rather sad, especially as a Bayern fan, to see the Rise and Fall of the amazing German Goalkeeper. After a 4-2 win for Real Madrid in the 2nd leg of the Last 8 in the UCL 16/17, Neuer had a hairline fracture in his foot. This ruled him out for the 2017/18 season. He came back into football for Germany in last year’s underdog World Cup- and you know what I mean. Everyone has seen that moment when Neuer bottled up everything- playing in midfield and you know the rest. Ok, it was just 1 competition, he may be good again. But sadly, he was never the same player he was. Less saves, poor defending, 26 goals conceded-the most in 8 seasons it’s really sad to see him in this state. He could have been the German Buffon- but he still can.  Who can replace him? Ter Stegen, the Barcelona goalkeeper, maybe?

 

This is just a short summary of last night’s(19/2/19) games, both ending up in a dull 0-0 draw. Barcelona played Lyon away and had all the chances to win. They possessd the ball for 63% of the match- much more than Lyon’s 37%. However Lyon’s defense was magnificent- they even managed to defend Lionel Messi’s last-minute free-kick.

As for Liverpool vs Bayern Munich, there was nothing much to say. Bayern possessed barely more than LFC away. However it was LFC that played better. They had better defense and more shots on target(2) than B.M(0). Would Liverpool lose or win the fight?

At 9 p.m. at Manchester, the atmosphere at Old Trafford was filled with excitement as reborn Ole Gunnar Solskjær’s Manchester United were to take on Paris-Saint Germain, with an injured Neymar Jr and Edinson Cavani. Yet, PSG would prove that they could still win one of the best teams in Europe with just ONE midfielder and Striker.

The match kicks off. Just 2 minutes into the match, Manchester United have the ball in PSG’s penalty area, showing that they could win over an expensive squad; at first. Even within 6 minutes, Rashford is seen sprinting towards PSG’s goal, guarded by legendary 41-year-old goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon. However, before Buffon can even make an attempt to save the ball, PSG’s tough defense comes into Rashford’s way and win the ball.

Another proof that PSG had the upper hand in the match is that just 30 seconds later, former United player and attacking midfielder Ángel Di María,  takes a beautiful shot that is missed by barely a yard.

However, Manchester United may have just proven my statement wrong if Marcus Rashford, from a tight angle at the right side of the pitch did not take a shot but instead pass the ball to possibly be 1-0 up. The ball is saved by Italian legend Buffon, who is not planning to retire at the end of this season.

Man United’s possible Ballon d’Or contender Paul Pogba was running near the goal. His ‘shot’  was once again blocked by Buffon. Manchester United, who would dominate during the first half, had a powerful pass by Captain Ashley Young to be headed out by 23-year-old Presnel Kimpembe, proving that age is just a number.

23rd minute. PSG are threatening to score at this point, however, Di Maria’s pass is defended. Manchester united are also possessing more at this point. Man United are counter attacking through Striker Jesse Lingard. Lingard passes the ball to Anthony Martial, another striker, who bottles the pass and does not manage to receive the ball, allowing it to go into PSG’s control. 3 minutes later, Pogba is booked with a yellow card- after a rather simple but disgusting foul on central midfielder Marco Verratti. Soon, wonderkid Kylian Mbappe passed the ball to Di Maria, only for it to be defended.

However, at the 28th minute, Mbappe strikes again-after a pass by Di Maria. However, his shot is just barely missed. 7 minutes later, a pass by a PSG player to Di Maria is bottled when the pass is too powerful. Again, Di Maria receives a pass. The goal is open- but De Gea saves the ball in time. Another Situation involving Di Maria- Ashley Young a him are racing for the ball. Young pushes Di Maria, sending him into the edge of the stands. He is in pain but not for long.  A low shot by Manchester United’s Victor Lindelof nearly makes it 1-0 united. Half-time, 0-0. Sanchez replaces Jesse Lingard for the only half-time substitution.

49 minutes in. A pass by Rashford to Sanchez finds it bottled again, due to too much power. 4 minutes pass. PSG are threatening Manchester United’s defense. A pass by Dani Alves allows Mbappe to head the ball- only to be barely save by De Gea. The ball is out for a corner which would change the tide of the match.

Corner is taken and everyone misses except… KIMPEMBE! He takes a jump, springing from the crowd. Using a legs for the ball to go in, it finds itself at the back of the net. 1-0 PSG. Away. Old Trafford is stunned into silence.

Motivated, PSG show every possible weakness of Man United’s defence. Di Maria threatens again. However, Young defends the ball.

60th minute. The commentators are constantly shouting Di Maria’s name as he threatens The Red Devils’ defense. He Passes to Mbappe…. 2-0 PSG! The French Wonderkid nutmegs De Gea and scores.

The last part of the match. 89 minutes in. Paul Pogba ‘fouls’ and sees red as a Valentine’s day card.

ITS ALL OVER! PSG triumph over United, displaying key flaws of its defense. An added bonus of 2 away goals; and playing at home with Cavani on March 6, Manchester United’s chances of going through are slim-at best. Will  PSG win the UCL with an amazing squad, or will their efforts go to waste? What defender does Manchester United need to sign? Ramos? Marcelo? Kimpembe? Make use of the comment section and answer me if possible!

 

2018 has been an eventful year – especially in the world of football. What are the memories for 2018 when it comes to football? In this write-up , I will talk about 3 unforgettable moments in 2018. Credit to BBC Sports for inspiring me to write-up on this topic.

1. 2018 World Cup

The world cup was definitely unforgettable. According to FIFA themselves, they have said that the 2018 World cup was the best one of them all. The 2018 world cup had LOTS of dramas, upsets, and unforgettable atmospheres. In the end, France lifted the trophy. There were many upsets, mainly South Korea defeating Germany 2-0. Other upsets included, Russia, the hosts defeating 2010 world champions Spain on penalties, Croatia thrashing Lionel Messi’s Argentina 3-0, and not to mention Japan’s shock victory over Colombia ending 2-1. Nail-biting matches include Portugal-Spain, which ended in a 3-3 draw and a hat-trick for Cristiano Ronaldo and  Belgium-Japan. The Japanese had a shocking 2-0 lead but the Belgians managed to mount a come back and they won 3-2. Also, there was a new record- the 2018 world cup was the first of its kind NOT to feature, Germany, Argentina, and Brazil in the semi-final stages. Another annoying fact for England haters was that The Three Lions qualified for the semi-finals of the world cup since 1990. England should have gone to the final of the world cup. Talking about the world cup final. It was the first final that did not include extra time or a penalty shootout since 2002. France trumped the Croatian underdogs 4-2. Lastly, Iceland. Okay, they were out in the group stages, but drawing with Argentina 1-1 and their goalkeeper saving Messi’s penalty bought them a lot of admiration globally.

2. Cristiano Ronaldo’s shocking 99 million pound transfer to Juventus

He started out his glorious career at Manchester United, then signed for luxurious club Real Madrid in 2009. Even those who are not football fans know him Cristiano Ronaldo. He won everything with Real- The Champions League trophy, LaLiga, Club World cup, Copa del Rey, Spanish Super cup, European Super cup, and the European cup. After being for 9 years in Madrid, everyone expected him to end his carrer there as he was well-settled there. However, in June, he announced his move to the Italian club. Of Course, people convinced him to stay but it was clear Ronaldo wanted to move to Italy. Real Madrid allowed him to make his move for 99 million pounds. So far, he’s as good as he was in Real. He has only 1 champions league goal this season, though.

3. The rise of Kylian Mbappé

The 20-year old has just recently been awarded the best French player of 2018, beating other nominees Antoine Griezmann and Raphaël Varane. He’s achieved a lot in 2018, winning the world cup which Messi and Ronaldo have not won in their careers so far. He’s shining in Paris-Saint Germain, outshining teammate Neymar Jr sometimes. Against Lyon this season, PSG were 1 man down due to a red card. From the 61st to the 74th minute of the game, Mbappé scored 4 goals, allowing PSG to win the game 5-0. His humility adds on to the player’s values. He donated his world cup salary worth $515,000 USD to charity. What class! In fact, his signature arm-crossed celebration was due to his younger brother requesting him to celebrate like that when he scored a goal. He was the first teenager to score 2 goals in the world cup since King Pelé. He was the first teenager to score in the world cup final sincPelé. Mbappé also scored a hat trick against tough hosts Russia in an international friendly. He will remain an iconic footballer who will continue to break records and maybe, just maybe, show that he is the Pelé of the 21st century.

2018 was a start of teenagers rising up, not only Mbappé. 2018 was an exciting year for football, with amazing goals, transfers and not to forget- players.

That’s my summary of the 3 memorable moments this year. Your thoughts?

 

Last season champions league finalists Liverpool were to face Manchester United, the premier league runners-up last season, at their home stadium, Anfield. The reds were expected to win as they had a strong defense , attack and a spirited team.

3 minutes after kickoff, a free kick awarded to Manchester United was taken by full back Ashley Young. He flicked in the ball to Belgian forward Romelu Lukaku. whose cross went in. He would have scored, if he was not in an offside position. 2 minutes later, a corner kick for Liverpool allowed Brazilian striker Roberto Firmino to head the ball, but he headed the ball to the side of the goal. Just a mere 40 seconds later, another attempt by Firmino ended up with his shot being saved by Manchester United goalkeeper David De Gea.

Another 20 seconds later, a shot by Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford was blocked by Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson Becker. At the 9th minute, Liverpool striker Mohammed Salah was in Manchester United’s box, with a lot of defenders catching up to the fast Egyptian. Salah passed the ball to Senegalese forward Sadio Mané who then passed the ball to defensive midfielder Fabinho. Fabinho shoots, but De Gea comes to the rescue for The red devils.

3 minutes later, Liverpool were again pressurising Manchester United. Salah was in Manchester United’s box. He then passed the ball to Fabinho. Another shot by Fabinho went too high. 14 minutes into the match, a long ball by Manchester United full-back Matteo Darmian caused winger Jesse Lingard sprinting for the ball, but the ball was caught by Alisson. Just 13 SECONDS LATER, Liverpool were again pressurising Manchester united. Mane passed to central midfielder Naby Keïta. However, it was defended by Manchester United. At the 19th minute, Liverpool came back again, with Fabinho intending to pass the ball to Salah, however, his pass was intercepted by Darmian. 5 minutes after that attempt, Fabinho, again, was in Manchester united’s area. He did a high pass which sent Mane sprinting. Mane nutmegged De Gea and his cross made it 1-0 Liverpool. The crowd erupted into joy, praising Mane. However, it was mainly due to Fabinho’s assist that allowed Liverpool to take the lead. Mane was very close to the goalpost when he received the ball anyways.

At the 27th minute, Liverpool were in that area again. Brazillian striker Roberto Firmino passes the ball to Croatian defender Dejan Loveren. Loveren’s shot went too high. 7 minutes later, MISTAKE! Not by Manchester United though. Manchester United were sprinting toward goal and managed to control the tempo of the match. Lukaku’s cross was saved by Alisson. He could not get a grip on the ball though; which allowed Lingard to score. The United fans in the crowd erupted into cheers. 1-1. Poor defedeing by Liverpool and especially, Alisson.

At the 37th minute, Fabinho pressurises once again. He passes the ball to Mane who shoots but his shot goes to the centre of the goal allowing an easy save for De Gea. 5 minutes later, Firmino intends to pass the ball. However, his pass is intercepted. At the 45th minute, Keïta passes the ball to Fabinho. Fabinho’s shot misses the goal wide. At the 1st minute of injury time at the first half, Mane sprinted for the ball, However, he was in an offside position. Half time, 1-1.

3 minutes into the second half, Fabinho does a long ball, intending to pass it the Salah. His shot goes too long and get blocked by De Gea. At the 53rd minute, Firmino’s shot gets saved by De Gea. Near to the 57th minute, a shot by swedish defender Victor Lindelöf misses the goal wide. 2 minutes later, Loveren took a shot which was too high. At the 65th minute, Liverpool defender Andrew Robertson heads out Lukaku’s shot. Super defending. At the same minute, Firmino misses a shot. 4 minutes later, Liverpool defender Georginio Wijnaldum takes a low shot which allows an easy save by De Gea. At the 70th minute, Liverpool coach Jürgen Klopp makes a golden substitution. He subs in Swiss winger Xherdan Shaqiri for Keïta. It woulder change the outcome of the match completely. Just 3 minutes after being subbed in, Shaqiri scores! De Gea blocks a shot. The ball slowly spins back toward the Liverpool players. Shaqiri runs for it and aims for the top right-hand corner of the goal. GOAAAAAAAAAAAAL! 2-1 Liverpool.

But its not over yet! At the 80th minute, Salah backheels the ball toward Shaqiri. Shaqiri’s shot, MAKES IT 3-1 LIVERPOOL! Not many chances were made after that goal making it 3-1 Liverpool at full time.

At the time of writing this, Manchester United Manager mourinho has been sacked. He praised Liverpool in the post match conference. Do you think the Liverpool match ended Jose’s career? Please your opinion below!

At Amsterdam ArenA, Erik ten Hag’s Ajax were to face 27-time Bundesliga winners Bayern Munich. It would be a six-goal thriller, ending in a draw in what would be one of the most dramatic matches in this season’s champions league.

The first scoring chance was created at the 13th minute when right-back Rafinha passed the ball to winger Serge Gnabry, who then passed it to Polish star striker Robert Lewandowski. Lewandowski scored with a calm finish, making the score 1-0, in Bayern’s favour. There were calls for offside, but from replays Lewandowski was onside and the goal stood. The crowd went into dead silence. From Lewandowski’s goal, it showed that Ajax’s defense was slightly messed up, at least at that point of time. It was a very good goal as well, with a well-played assist.

14 minutes later, Bayern had another good chance. German star striker Thomas Müller passed the ball to Gnabry, who then passed the ball to Lewandowski again. However, he aimed the ball to the centre, allowing an easy block by Cameroonian goalkeeper André Onana. The ball did fall to

right-back Joshua Kimmich, but he hit his shot too high. He should have scored, but Bayern’s players rushed to score a goal at that point of time. Not many scoring chances were created after that, so the score remained 1-0 Bayern Munich at half-time.

Ajax finally created a scoring chance at the 61st minute, when midfielder Donny van de Beek passed the ball to forward Dušan Tadic. He finished calmly and scored to equalize. Another decent goal. The crowd erupted to joy. Ajax had equalized, due to Bayern’s overconfidence and poor defense.1-1.

Bayern tried to retaliate with as header by Lewandowski at the 66th minute, but again, unfortunately for Bayern, Lewandowski headed the ball into the centre again, allowing an easy save for Onana. It could have been 3-1 if Lewandowski targeted his two previous chances to the left or the right.

At the 67th minute, Ajax were down to ten men when centre-back Maximilian Wöber harshly tackled midfielder Leon Goretzka. Just 7 minutes later, a high ball caused Muller to try to get it, but his high boot knocked into left-back Nicolás Tagliafico. Red card for his Kungfu kick. There were a lot of memes that he tried to replicate the Bundesliga logo with his high booted tackle.

At the 83rd minute, defender Jérôme Boateng fouled Ajax forward Kasper Dolberg in the box, causing the referee to award a penalty amidst all the drama. Dušan Tadic took the penalty, beating goalkeeper Manuel Neuer to score for Ajax. 2-1 Ajax.

4 minutes later, Bayern Munich central midefielder Thiago Alcântara was fould in the box, which caused a penalty to be awarded in Bayern’s favour. Lewandowski scored from the spot. 2-2.

Another 3 minutes passed. Ajax midfielder Frenkie de Jong unintentionally passed the ball to a Bayern player just outside the Ajax box. This allowed Coman to score a goal. 3-2 Bayern.

7 minutes of injury time was added. In that time frame, Robert Lewandowski scored 4 of his 5 goals in Bayern’s 5-1 victory over VfL W

olsburg in the Bundesliga. At the 5th minute of injury time, right back Noussair Mazraoui passed the ball to Tagliafico, the man who was fouled by Muller. He scored to make it 3-3. What a goal! Even when brutally fouled, he managed to score.

The match ended 3-3. It was a very dramatic match, mainly in the second half, with 2 red cards and 2 penalties awarded within a span of 5 minutes. Muller sincerely apologised for his Kungfu kick. It will definately be one of the best matches this season.

At Old Trafford, José Mourinho’s Manchester United were set for a match against Arsenal, who won Tottenham 4-2 in a thrilling match. It would be the 100th game between the two sides., and would be a thrilling match, with a lot of chances created, with goals scored in a close span of time.

Four minutes after kickoff, Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford took a shot but was blocked by Arsenal goalkeeper Bernd Leno. Close to the 12th minute, Manchester United’s striker Anthony Martial took a shot, only to be blocked by Leno. At the 26th minute, a corner kick for Arsenal allowed centre-back Shkodran Mustafi to head the ball towards goal. Goalkeeper David de Gea blocked the header, but the ball went behind him. Midfielder Ander Herrera kicked the ball ‘out’, but he was behind the goalline which meant the ball had just barely crossed the line. 1-0 Arsenal.

After 4 minutes of the first goal scored, Manchester united defender Marcus Rojo took a free kick. It was well taken, but was blocked by Leno. The ball would have gone out, but Herrera managed to keep the ball barely in. He passed the ball to Martial. Martial beat Leno and scored. Mourinho did not celebrate although Manchester United equalized. Half-time, 1-1.

The first scoring chance after half-time was created at the 51st minute when Marcus Rashford raced toward Arsenal’s goal. He decided to pass the ball to other United players but his pass was blocked by Mustafi, causing the ball to go out. At the 58th minute, Rojo took a shot, only to be blocked by Leno. At the 61st minute, left back Sead Kolašinac, for Arsenal, tried to score but the ball was saved by De Gea.

At the 68th minute, forward Alexandre Lacazette was right outside penalty area, with the ball. Marcus Rojo tackled him, but at the same time, the ball hit his feet, causing it to cross the line. An own goal allowing Arsenal to a 2-1 lead.

After the second goal, and the third kickoff, Manchester united sprinted toward goal, and Arsenal defended poorly. Just ONE MINUTE after Rojo’s own goal, Jessie Lingard scored to equalize for the Red Devils. 2-2.

At the 71st minute, a shot by Arsenal striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was saved by De Gea (see picture above) . Another shot by midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan was missed earlier at the 71st minute. At the 74th minute, a shot by Aubameyang was aved again by a more ‘awake’ De Gea. At the 84th minute, a long-range shot by Rashford was saved by Leno. At the 88th minute, before a goal kick, Lacazette snatched the ball from De Gea and scored a ‘goal’. One minute later, a shot was blocked by De Gea, but the ball fell to Henrikh Mkhitaryan. An amazing goal would be disallowed for offside. Full time whistle, 2-2.

A match with skilled players, and skilled playing. Amazing moves, and an amazing goal which was disallowed. However, Manchester United had a poor performance for drawing at home. Their performance could be improved, with Paul Pogba possibly playing at the start of the match, but that’s just my opinion. What is yours?

 

The 2018 Ballon d’Or has been announced. Croatia and Real Madrid midfielder Luka Modrić won the award. Paris fans jeered the Croatian when he went on stage to get the award. They were annoyed with the fact that one of their world champions did not win the award. Not only did the Paris crowd disagree with Modric deserving of the award but also many other football fans.

Many were annoyed when legendary striker Lionel Messi, who would either win or be runner-up for the Ballon d’Or, placed 5th unexpectedly. Another shock was that Messi’s main rival- Cristiano Ronaldo- was short of 277 points to win the Ballon d’Or. Many critics suggested two reasons why ‘CR7’ or ‘LM10’ did not win the Ballon d’Or was because:

1. The Ballon d’Or voters thought too heavily of performances of the world cup compared to club matches. Both Ronaldo and Messi did not perform well in the world cup- unlike Modrić – who bought his team to the final surprisingly. Also he won the Golden ball award at the world cup.

2. Voters were tired of seeing either Ronaldo or Messi constantly winnig the Ballon d’Or, so they decided to take a ‘spin’.

Modrić, in Laliga 2017/18 (last season), scored 1 goal and had 6 assists in 26 games. In the UEFA champions league last season, he had 1 goal and an assist. People may say,” Oh, but he’s a midfielder. What do you expect?”. I totally agree with that argument. However, for a midfielder, his performance was average.

Ronaldo, on the other hand, would score 26 goals and had 5 assists last season (for Real Madrid in La Liga, before his move to Serie A club Juventus), in 27 games. Which meant that he would have a goalscoring ratio of 0.96 goals a game. In the champions league last season, he scored 15 goals and assisted 3 in 13 matches. This meant in that tournament, he would have a goalscoring ratio of 1.15 goals per game.

Last season, Messi, in La Liga, scored 34 goals and assisted 32 in 36 games. In the champions league last season, he scored 6 and assisted 2 in ten games.

Looking at the statistics, how would Modrić win the award? Sure, he deserves respect. but this is about football. Here is how I will list my top 5:
1. Cristiano Ronaldo
2. Lionel Messi
3. Antoine Griezmann
4. Mohammed Salah
5. Luka Modrić
What do you guys think?