Manchester City have finally had a VAR decision go in their favour. That is if, in fact, VAR actually checked the potential “push” performed by Gabriel Jesus when scoring the equaliser against Real Madrid. It was quite obvious that the City player had placed his hands on the back of the Madrid defender but there was actually no evidence to suggest that a push was made.
Naturally, Sergio Ramos went down as though hit by a sniper in the crowd but he didn’t fool the referee who also saw through his shenanigans shortly after this goal when sending off the Madrid captain for the 26th time in his career. This one was for pulling Jesus back and, as last man, denying him a goal-scoring opportunity.
Kevin De Bruyne, the club’s new penalty taker, had earlier scored what turned out to be the winner after Raheem Sterling had been brought down by Dani Carvajal.
The 1-2 victory has left City with one foot in the next round and was Zinedine Zidane’s first defeat in this competition as Madrid manager.
Liverpool don’t like losing……
Liverpool, who don’t know what it is to have a VAR decision go against them, have lost a game of football and the aftermatch reaction was entirely expected. Atlético Madrid hadn’t tried to play football, their tactics were negative, they just played to stop Liverpool scoring and relied on breaks to try and get a goal themselves…..and on….and on!
Good losers as always!
What actually happened was that Diego Simeone got his tactics spot on and won the game. It may still not be enough when you consider that Barcelona had a three goal cushion going into the second leg at Anfield last season and still went out, so the Reds will still be favourites to go through.
Atlético players celebrate after annoying Liverpool by beating them!
Chelsea and Tottenham are getting used to losing…..
Those poor little London clubs appear to be making an early departure. Hand in hand Spurs and Chelsea will shortly be marching through the Champion’s League exit door having both lost, at home, to clubs from that inferior Bundesliga.
Chelsea were hammered 0-3 by Bayern Münich while Tottenham were beaten 0-1 by Leipzig meaning that the Germans have, hopefully temporarily, taken back the lead role in the historical football battles with the English.
In fairness, Tottenham could still go through as they only trail by a single goal but Chelsea will need a miracle.
So the standard bearers this season could, ironically, be Manchester City who, if their ban is not overturned, will be missing from the competition for the next two seasons!
Olé gets some “welcome” news…..
Things are beginning to look up at Manchester United. Despite the increase in the debt saddled on the club by the despicably parasitic Glazers, most of the Old Trafford garden is looking quite rosy.
Bruno Fernandes has played a couple of games and has done quite well, causing the excitable and irritating British press to begin a debate as to whether he may be the best Premier League January signing EVER! After two games! And people still read that garbage!
Little and Large, two of several highly paid malingerers who need to be sold this summer
Ole is at the wheel and, although he still sports the ‘L’ plates, he is showing signs of being able to grasp the basics. There are still bigger tests ahead though and the #OleOut brigade won’t be converted just yet.
He has, however, been given another dreaded vote of confidence by the board, if we can assume that Ed Woodward speaks on behalf of the board! He will be backed in the summer and, depending upon which source of fake news is your favourite, will be buying anything from 1 to 6 new players. Other sources of fake news deny this will happen citing, as evidence, that the rise in the club’s debt has meant a reduction in transfer funds to around £100 million.
Now, any club with decent scouts could get 5 or 6 very good players with that kind of money to spend but this is United and the maximum they will get is 2, unless they raise some extra by selling Pogba, Lingard, Pereira, Sánchez and Smalling. Offloading these pieces of deadwood would be good business and yes, Pogba is deadwood however you look at it.
As is always the case, the long suffering fans will just have to wait and see……and hope.
WHY SAY ANYTHING? 
Nice read. I wasn’t aware that Zizou hadn’t lost a CL game as manager before Wednesday, so thanks for that.
I want to disagree about Liverpool being favourites in their 2nd leg game against Atleti, though. You make reference to what happened last season against Barcelona, and I actually don’t think that’s a good reference. That team choked at Anfield, and maybe complacency creeped in too. They also didn’t have a manager at the time (that’s how little I think of Valverde), so in that regard I think (and hope, honestly) that you’re wrong.
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