“It’s 95% over,”said King Arsene after losing the first leg 2-0.
If football really is a game of sequences, and if it’s true that Barcelona are unbeaten their last 37 games, then this R16 second leg is 150% over.
As a Barcelona fan, I’m looking forward to tonight’s game because it might be exhibition stuff.
When these guys turn on the style, when their rhythm catches fire, it’s like poetry in motion, like jazz without instruments.
I’m also a big Dani Alves fan from way back, when he used to play in right central midfield for Sevilla.
He was their driving force, a phenomenal captain who liked to fire thunderbolts from 25 yards.
I read the Brazilian’s interview with Sid Lowe.
He says Barca are not in the quarter-final yet : “No, no, because football teaches you a lot; it knocks you back if you think it’s done. [The tie] looks good, but we have to keep this level. We knew it would be hard but that we’d have chances and we managed the game: when to control, when to attack, when to counter.”
The most interesting thing is that he dreamed of being someone in football history.
He said, “Every time I win something I think ‘you’re doing OK’. I never imagined this but nor did I aspire to be just another person, like my dad did. I dreamed of being someone in football history. That’s why I look after myself, fight, love football as I do.”
You have to love his passionate approach but he’s not my favourite player.
My main man is still Luis Suarez.