Pep Guardiola’s Bayern reign is tainted now
“I STILL HAVE one bullet”, Pep Guardiola told reporters before his Bayern team took on Borussia Monchengladbach last weekend. He had been asked about the upcoming tie with Atletico Madrid.
Ultimately, he missed the target.
And how the gnawing feeling will eat away at him now.
Ultimately, his Bayern side were much-improved tonight and their first-half was ferocious and intense and very highly-charged. They created chances and deservedly took the lead through Xabi Alonso’s deflected free-kick. It should really have been 2-0 but Thomas Muller saw his poor penalty saved by the impressive Jan Oblak.
But one moment changed the game – a moment of rashness, a moment that will greatly irritate Guardiola’s perfectionist ways.
Jerome Boateng pressed in a dangerous area and that decision left Bayern facing a 2v2 situation. Torres slipped it through for Griezmann and he did superbly to keep his nerve, having been a mere spectator in the opening period.
Yes, his team responded and pulled a goal back but they were always chasing things – certainly not what a control-freak like Guardiola enjoys.
There had been warning signs too and perhaps Bayern had played all their cards by getting out of jail against Juventus earlier in the tournament.
There will be some hyperbole, particularly as England is his next stop, but that’s best ignored. But Guardiola is a masterful manager and his domestic success in Germany cannot be underplayed. Moving to a different league and different culture, bringing in a new philosophy, style and identity and still winning things is a remarkable thing to do and Guardiola essentially did it with minimum fuss.
Still, he was brought to the club to attain European dominance – not just one final or one Champions League. His predecessor, Jupp Heynckes, reached two in successive years – winning one and losing the other on penalties. That was the standard required and Guardiola has fallen short.
Atletico are a joy to watch and their coach is much more than a thug in a dark suit
Atleti have a reputation for being dirty, for engaging in the dark arts to get ahead. But it’s a neat and convenient opinion to have.
Dig a little deeper and the greater story is revealed.
It was considered a miracle when Atletico won the La Liga title in 2014. It was also thought as inexplicable when they reached a Champions League decider the same season. And there were still plenty of eyebrows raised when they came within a last-gasp equaliser from Sergio Ramos of actually beating their local rivals in that final.
Fast-forward two years and we’re still engaged in the same discussions. How could anyone prefer an Atleti to a Bayern in terms of approach? Well, look at the moments of quality in both legs: Saul’s wonder-goal in Madrid and the flowing counter-attack that saw Griezmann deftly tuck away inside Neuer’s near post.
What did Bayern have? A deflected free-kick and a close-range Lewnadowski header after a deep cross to the far post.
What was ‘better football’?
What Atleti have shown time after time is a blend of defensive solidarity and quick, intricate attacking prowess. Under Simeone, who has found a home in Madrid after yers of bouncing from one job to the next, they have ripped up the rule-book in Spain and beyond.
There have been odd moments down through the years when Valencia and Deportivo la Coruna stepped up domestically and in Europe but nothing as consistent on both fronts as Atleti have been.
That’s down to their coach. So easily portrayed as a thug in a dark suit, Simeone is so much more.
The Premier League is not the defining environment for players
For much of tonight’s game, British commentary teams waxed lyrical about the collection of Atletico players that would be in the shop window for ‘big clubs’ now.
It’s probably worth reminding these people that Atletico are into their second Champions League final in three seasons and could still win their second La Liga title in three years.
What’s also worth remembering is that the immense Atletico back-line features a Premier League ‘flop’ in Filipe Luis while Stefan Savic, another top-flight ‘failure’ when he was at Manchester City, was at the centre of the Atleti defence when they held Bayern scoreless in the first-leg.
Up front for the team is Fernando Torres – long portrayed as a sad case whose best days are long behind him because of a confidence-shattering spell at Chelsea.
Post-game, when quizzed about Diego Simeone’s successes, BT pundit Michael Owen was so flippantly dismissive of the Argentine as he outlined his bizarre belief that it was easier to be a ‘defensive coach’ – whatever that is.
We become conditioned to such ridiculous statements because of our close ties with the Premier League, but that doesn’t mean it’s the defining word on anything.
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