Champions League: German efficiency routs Spanish class

The results of first leg semifinals of the Champions League has sent jitters down many. For the first time perhaps, the semifinals may have been decided in the first leg. Not many expected this result before the matches, with all the hype about an El Clasico final, but that seems a distant dream now, as it was the Germans who had the last laugh. Everyone talks about German efficiency, and their perseverance for perfection was personified on the football field on Tuesday and Wednesday night.

Bayern Munich first tamed the mighty Barcelona with their tactical masterstroke, and made sure that the Catalan club couldn’t play through the defense, nor could a certain Lionel Messi weave his magic. Iniesta and Xavi seemed to have disappeared on the pitch, and even when they had the ball, the Bayern Munich defense made sure that the Catalans’ penetrative passing game was restricted. Bayern also made sure that they were quick on the counter and exploited both the pace of their wingers Ribery and Robben to the fullest extent, thereby stretching the brittle defense of Barcelona. With clinical finishers of the ball like Muller and Gomez, the Barca defense was left reeling, and the inherent weakness in the air was exploited fully with two goals coming from set pieces.

In the other game, most people who thought Real Madrid would have an easy outing against Dormund were left stunned, as Madrid’s weak backline was exposed repeatedly by the young talents of Dortmund. A certain Cristiano Ronaldo was left isolated, as the counter attacks were nullified by quick closing down from the Dormund defense, who just didnt allow the transition from defense to attack to take place for Madrid. On the other hand, a certain Robert Lewendonski made his mark on the game with a four-goal haul, to make sure that the only ‘Special One’ in this game was him and not a certain Jose Mourinho, who was outsmarted by Jurgen Klopp.

In the end, it’s hard to say whether the balance of power has shifted from Spain to Germany, but on the two nights, it was the Germans who showed more desire and killer instinct to reach the finals at Wembley.