Time for City to prove they are bigger than Tevez

Even with only half an hour remaining in a raucous Allianz Arena and his expensively-assembled team trailing by two goals, having been comprehensively outplayed by an impressive Bayern Munich side, Roberto Mancini still felt entitled to believe all was not yet lost.

After all, he still had a considerable ace up his sleeve: last season's top scorer, captain and talisman, the man who despite all his off-the-field issues and questionable temperament had dragged his team-mates out of a hole numerous times in the past, was sitting on the bench ready to try and rescue them again.

But Carlos Tevez had other ideas. Still seething at his club's refusal to allow him a 'dream' return to former club Corinthians in the summer, his pride insulted with the withdrawal of the club captaincy and relegation to mere squad status, he refused to answer his manager's call.

In a single moment, all the good work the Argentine had done since arriving at Eastlands in the summer of 2009, helping transform City from Premier League afterthoughts to Champions League qualifiers and bringing major silverware back after a 35 year absence, was undone.

He had abandoned his team in their hour of need. With a roll of the eyes and shrug of the shoulders, City's hero became their pariah.

After the match, Mancini was unequivocal in asserting that Tevez's career at the club is over. The pair have clashed many times before, but never like this.

"He has wanted to leave for the last two years," the furious Italian told reporters. "For two years I have helped him, and now he has refused to play.

"This can never happen at a top club that one player can refuse to help his team-mates in an important match like tonight.

"Do you think at Bayern Munich a player would ever behave like this? At Milan? At Manchester United? No. That is the answer. It is the same for everyone.

"If I have my way he will be out. He's finished with me."

Mancini conceded the final decision over Tevez's future is not his to make, but City's owners must back their manager when deciding how to handle the affair in the coming days.

To do any less would be to make his position almost untenable, and the Italian's departure at this crucial stage would destroy the team's promising development so far this term.

But there is also the more fundamental point that Mancini is right. A club with aspirations to join Europe's top table cannot, under any circumstances, tolerate behaviour which undermines the authority of the manager and, even more importantly, inhibits the team.

The baggage which inevitably comes with Tevez means he was only a worthwhile investment for City whilst he maintained the professionalism on the pitch for which he has always been known and respected. Last night in Munich he betrayed the only part of his character which ever did him credit.

Moreover, City are fast approaching the stage where they no longer need their troubled but talented striker. Tevez may have considered himself bigger than the Manchester City he signed for in 2009, but he is most certainly not bigger than the club with whom he last night burned his bridges.

City now possess the infrastructure and playing talent to establish themselves for years to come as one of the dominant forces in the Premier League and, despite their hitherto inauspicious debut, the Champions League too. They possess these things with or without Tevez.

In fact, the Argentine has now revealed himself to be the biggest obstacle to City achieving their long-term goals. His unprofessionalism and selfish attitude have created a poisonous atmosphere around Eastlands which could seriously undermine the team's efforts if he is allowed to remain.

Therefore, the time is right for City to discard him. If he truly did refuse to play on Tuesday then he is in breach of contract, in which case the club should be able to dismiss him without paying compensation and, should they choose, even battle him in the courts for damages.

The main argument against releasing Tevez from his contract is that making him a free agent would simply mean giving him what he's wanted all along - an easy route out of Manchester.

But City's concern at this juncture should not be the petty desire to take their revenge on a player who has caused them a great humiliation, intentional or not, on the very biggest of stages.

For what would it achieve to make Tevez rot in the reserves until January or longer?

It would ensure only that the issue rumbles on, distracting the club from the more important business of winning matches and unfairly deflecting attention from their achievements.

The biggest clubs do not allow individual players either to hold them to ransom or become an embarassing sideshow. Tevez is guilty on both counts.

If City wish to be considered among Europe's finest, they will dump him and move on to bigger and better things.

‘Special’ won’t cut it for Villas-Boas at Chelsea

New Blues boss must outdo achievements of former mentor Mourinho and win Champions League to be a success at Stamford Bridge

Chelsea's appointment of 33-year-old former scout Andre Villas-Boas has surprised many

 

For someone who claims to be trying to avoid comparisons to Jose Mourinho, Andre Villas Boas has gone a funny way about it.

One of the Special One’s most trusted assistants over the course of eight years spent at Porto, Chelsea, and then Inter Milan, Villas-Boas ultimately decided to leave his mentor’s side and carve out his own legacy in management.

Yet after an impressively overachieving but brief stint at unfashionable Academica, where did this single-minded and ambitious young coach choose to go to make his mark? Porto, a club still struggling to emerge from the shadow cast by Mourinho’s monumental domestic and European achievements there six years earlier.

Still, make his mark Villas-Boas certainly did. Under the 33-year-old’s astute guidance, Porto won four of the five tournaments they entered, romping to victory in the league by 21 points without losing a single match as well as triumphing in the Portuguese Cup and Europa League.

Along the way, Portugal’s latest coaching whizz-kid broke many of Mourinho’s old records and established himself as a top managerial prospect in his own right. The footballing world was at his feet, with Inter Milan and Chelsea both weighing up the possibility of a summer move to procure his services.

Neither option would have done much to discourage the perception of the 33-year-old as ‘the Special One: Mark II’. 

 

But Villas-Boas is a smart man as well as a talented young coach. While he may continually stress the differences between him and his former boss in press conferences, he has recognised that comparisons with arguably the greatest coach of the past decade could only boost his career prospects, and has used this image to his advantage.

Reportedly the Italian giants were unwilling to stump up the outrageous sum of £13.3million required to release Villas-Boas from his contract, leaving Chelsea the only viable suitor. But even had it been a straight choice between the two, it is likely the Porto boss would have favoured a move to west London anyway.

Why? Partly because the Premier League currently has the edge on Serie A in terms of quality of competition and prestige. Partly also because Villas-Boas underwent much of his coaching development in the UK, first on Uefa coaching courses and then in the corridors of Cobham.

But mainly because although either option would have placed the burden of expectation on Villas-Boas to match Mourinho at the scene of one of the most spectacularly successful chapters in the Special One’s illustrious career, only Chelsea could offer the opportunity for the student to surpass the master.

For despite delivering a trophy haul unprecedented in the club’s history, Mourinho left Chelsea in 2007 feeling relatively unfulfilled by his own impossibly high standards.

The Champions League was the only major trophy to elude Mourinho at Stamford Bridge

Sure, he had ended the Blues’ 50-year wait for a league title and then repeated the trick a year later, but he had not – as he had done at Porto and would go on to do at Inter – brought the Champions League trophy back to Stamford Bridge.

The notable absence of the greatest prize in club football from Chelsea’s modern success story is still referred to with a degree of regret and frustration by Mourinho to this day, just as it is still the source of the unrelenting obsession which drives Roman Abramovich’s astoundingly lavish spending.

For Villas-Boas then, the Champions League represents the greatest opportunity of emerging from the shadow of his former boss. It also happens to be his only chance of long-term survival.

Carlo Ancelotti’s swift demise barely twelve months after he had led the club to its first ever Double illustrates that domestic dominance is now expected rather than cherished at Stamford Bridge. A league title can buy a Chelsea coach another season, at best, but only European glory can make him a permanent fixture.

Just matching Mourinho’s achievements, then, will not be enough.

Abramovich may be addicted to the thrill which success in football brings, but Premier League and FA Cup triumphs no longer provide a sufficient high. Villas-Boas will have to deliver him the ultimate prize, or recent history suggests he will become just the latest in an illustrious list of managerial casualties.

 

The 33-year-old’s task will only be made harder by the fact he inherits a considerably weaker squad to the one Mourinho assumed control of in 2004. 

 

The spine of that title-winning team remains the same in name only, lacking both in youthful hunger and vigour. There is also a distinct absence of cover in many areas – the result of an apparent cost cutting drive last summer, later rendered futile by January’s £75million spending spree.

As well as refreshing the first team ranks, Villas-Boas would also do well to rein in the player power at Stamford Bridge. The likes of John Terry, Frank Lampard and Didier Drogba have grown in influence as well as experience over the past few years, and the sway which Chelsea’s captain appears to have with Abramovich is a particular cause for concern.

 

The close relationship between Terry & Abramovich would worry any incoming Chelsea coach

 

But for all the potential pitfalls inherent within it, this is not an impossible job. It is merely a very difficult one. Moreover, it is one for which, despite his relative lack of experience, Villas-Boas may be uniquely well-equipped to flourish in.

Of each of the six previous managers Chelsea have hired and/or fired since 2004, Mourinho lasted the longest in the job – a relative lifetime of three years. 

 

Villas-Boas witnessed first-hand how the Special One managed to maintain a working dialogue with his impulsive and ruthless chairman for all this time, and he was also present as the relationship gradually broke down. This means he is arguably better placed than anyone not only to replicate Mourinho’s successes in this regard, but also to learn from his former boss’s misjudgments.

The other great advantage Villas-Boas has is an established rapport with the Chelsea players, many of whom benefited from the exhaustive scouting reports he diligently compiled during Mourinho’s reign and still retain a genuine respect for him as a result. 

 

Of course, it still remains for the 33-year-old to ensure this relationship now assumes a player-manager dynamic, but the emphatic nature of his success at Porto suggests this won’t be a problem.

It is clearly a massive risk for Villas-Boas to plunge himself into football's ‘lion’s den’ with only 18 months’ worth of managerial experience to his name, but equally massive are the potential rewards. 

 

He has the opportunity to finally emerge from the sizable shadow of Mourinho by completing his former mentor’s ‘unfinished business’ in the Champions League and begin writing his own history in the process.

One thing is clear, however: Anything less than making Chelsea ‘kings of Europe’ will be regarded as a failure, because being ‘Special’ just doesn’t cut it at Stamford Bridge anymore.

Brilliant Barcelona join football's pantheon

It was the final we all wanted: the champions of Europe's two strongest leagues meeting at one of football's most spectacular venues to determine the cream of the continent.

We were assured of a contest for the ages. Manchester United vowed they had learned from humiliation in Rome two years ago, while Barcelona insisted that victory in 2009 had not showcased the peak of their powers.

The level of quality on show, coupled with the presence of dominating, attacking football as a core principle within the proud traditions of both clubs would guarantee, we thought, a competitive match on the biggest stage of them all. 

But, alas, it was not to be.

What transpired instead resembled something more like a sporting apotheosis, as through the devastating beauty of their play Pep Guardiola's exceptional side transcended the boundaries of mere excellence and staked an irrefutable claim for the current Barcelona vintage to be considered among the pantheon of the game's all time greats.

Moreover, the reality that such an outcome was not due to the faults of their opposition only amplifies the Catalans' achievement. For make no mistake, United tried their best to meet them on equal terms. 

The likes of Park, Giggs, Valencia and Hernandez, so influential in wrapping up the Premier League title, were again trusted to deliver on the big occasion, and immediately set about preventing the Spanish giants from getting into their mesmerising rhythm with typical zeal and endeavour.

For the first ten minutes, the ploy worked, and United were even able to pin their opponents back as they cautiously looked for a way to test Victor Valdes. But as soon as Barcelona began to warm to the task at hand, the gulf in class became evident.

The lethal quintet of Messi, Villa, Pedro, Iniesta and Dani Alves eagerly swarmed all over the scrambling United backline with Xavi, imperious as ever, conducting proceedings from deep. 

Sir Alex Ferguson's side looked in trouble long before the midfield maestro found Pedro with a sublimely-timed flick of his right boot and the young winger outwitted the despairing duo of Vidic and Van Der Sar with a clinical near post finish.

This United side have been accused on many occasions this season of compensating for a lack of fantasy with an abundance of resilience, but in their response to going behind both qualities were present in spades. 

Wayne Rooney's forceful but controlled finish following a rapid-fire exchange of passes with first Michael Carrick and then Ryan Giggs contained within it a level of craft which would not look out of place on the hallowed fields surrounding La Masia. 

At such a moment, the red half of Manchester may have allowed itself to believe once again that the force of destiny was with them. At the very least, their team had done more than in Rome in 2009: they had asked a question of Barcelona.

The Catalan response was emphatic. Rooney's strike proved nothing more than a spectacular anomaly in an otherwise uninterrupted pattern of suffocating Barcelona pressure, and it did not take long for the irrepressible genius of Lionel Messi, the world's best player, to finally make its mark on English soil.

As the beleaguered trio of Park, Carrick and Giggs found itself completely in the thrall of Barcelona's midfield passing carousel, Messi found himself 25 yards from goal with the United defence at his mercy.

The diminutive Argentine took his chance brilliantly, curling a venomous low short with minimal backlift around the prone Nemanja Vidic and towards goal. Van Der Sar was still diving when the ball hit the net.

It is a measure of the formidable winning mentality fostered so expertly by Ferguson that United's natural instinct was to attempt to pour forward in search of another equaliser, but Barca were by now in no mood to allow their opponents such an opportunity.

Instead the Catalans attacked with even greater vigour, appearently seized by the desire to make the scoreline reflect their utter dominance. They quickly got their wish, David Villa brilliantly curling the ball into the top corner to put the result beyond doubt.

Although they were not overawed as in 2009, United were no less overwhelmed by Barcelona, and the Spaniards third goal did what few, if any, have ever succeeded in doing to a team of men from Old Trafford: it broke their resolve.

In the last twenty minutes, Pep Guardiola's side dimmed their attacking ambitions but still held the Premier League champions at arms length with ease, defending, as they do so well, with the ball.

As the final whistle blew at Wembley to rubber-stamp Barcelona's fourth European Cup triumph at the place where it all started for them in 1992, many of those who witnessed the match were left wondering if they had ever seen a more dominant performance in the final of the continent's premier club competition.

The response, almost unanimously, will have been no, and in the answering of this question alone the greatness of this Barcelona team becomes clear. But for any who remain unconvinced, there is further evidence to back up the case.

In the last three seasons, Pep Guardiola's side have won 10 of the 13 tournaments they have entered. This astonishing trophy haul includes three consecutive La Liga titles, two Champions Leagues and a World Club Championship. It is their results as much as the beauty of their methods which makes this exceptional group worthy of a place among the greatest club sides in history.

But perhaps the ultimate proof of the greatness of this Barcelona side can be found in the way other top teams approach the task of facing them.

Pep Guardiola's side alter their methods for no one, whereas even illustrious opponents such as Manchester United and Real Madrid are forced to focus their efforts on stifling the Catalans, accepting that any attempt to impose themselves will result in disaster.

And more often than not, as this season has proved, they still lose. There is no other side in recent memory - possibly ever - which has provoked such fear, and so justifiably, in its rivals.

When Barcelona demolished Real Madrid 5-0 in the Clasico last November, I claimed that Pep Guardiola's side were knocking on the door of history. On Saturday at Wembley, they crossed the threshold. 

FA Cup win the perfect tonic for Mancini

Roberto Mancini celebrates his side's FA Cup win on Wembley pitch

Roberto Mancini may have been a little optimistic when he said he hoped his players would not drink excessively in celebration of their FA Cup final win on Saturday, but the Manchester City boss was shrewd enough to acknowledge that victory at Wembley provided the perfect tonic for him personally after a testing season.

The Italian greeted the final whistle with a beaming smile as he basked in the glory of ending the blue half of Manchester’s 35 year wait for silverware. Reflecting on the most successful season in his club’s recent history, the joy on his face was clear for all to see.

Well, joy, and just a hint of relief.

Relief because although they rarely threatened, Saturday’s opponents Stoke had defended stubbornly as heavy underdogs for over 70 minutes in the face of a powerful, assertive and yet occasionally plodding City performance.

Relief also because Mancini knows cup success can be a powerful springboard for a team chasing greater glories – just as League Cup triumph was for Mourinho’s Chelsea in 2005, or how victory in the same competition a year later eventually proved for a young Manchester United side containing Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney.

After all, as far as trophies are concerned, it never pours without raining a bit first.

But perhaps most of all, relief because Mancini knows just how important Saturday’s FA Cup victory will be in stabilising his position at Eastlands, and how steep may have been the price of defeat.

It seems strange to say in the wake of City securing qualification for the Champions league for the first time in the club’s history but, for much of the season, the common reaction to the club’s domestic performance has been decidedly muted.

At times the displays conjured by Roberto Mancini’s men have left the clear impression of a team coasting towards their destination with the handbrake on, rather than putting pedal to the metal and forcing the issue in a season where Manchester United will finish with the lowest points total of any Premier League champions for ten years.

The City manager himself has often come across as content to fulfil his employers’ minimum requirement of fourth place in the table, in a year when even the best team in the country have seemed vulnerable to anyone brave and capable enough to challenge them. A lack of quality is regrettable, a lack of ambition unforgivable.

Pragmatism in the dugout has inevitably been transmitted onto the pitch, and as a result although City have often convinced they have rarely thrilled en route to Europe’s top table this season – although the situation has hardly been helped by the likes of Mario Balotelli and Edin Dzeko, who have thus far done little to justify the lavish expenditure required to bring them to Eastlands.

Dzeko and Balotelli have yet to repay the combined £52m it cost City to sign them

Starved for so long of any meaningful success, City’s loyal fans have been willing to accept functionality over fantasy, even on a Hollywood budget, as long as it yields results. The club’s owners, too, have been willing to acquiesce as long as Mancini delivers on his promises.

But in testing their resolve, Mancini was playing a dangerous game.

Fail to finish in the top four – seemingly a very real possibility immediately after a comprehensive defeat inflicted by Liverpool at Anfield back in April, prior to Tottenham’s dramatic decline – and the Italian undoubtedly would have lost his job.

Lose to Stoke in the FA Cup Final and, while Mancini’s time may not have been up in Manchester, serious questions would have been asked, if not of the ‘City project’ then certainly of the manager’s compatibility with it, and the club’s league performance may well have become the subject of greater internal scrutiny.

But instead it is Mancini who is the winner. He will always be the man credited with ending City’s epic trophy drought, and his bond with the fans has been strengthened accordingly.

Chairman Khaldoon Al-Mubarak, who must have been privately willing Mancini to justify the board’s decision to ruthlessly dispatch Mark Hughes in favour of the former Inter Milan boss, now has all the ammunition he needs to rebuff the club’s detractors.

There is no doubt that bigger challenges lie ahead for Mancini. He has a summer to mould a squad capable of maintaining a Premier League title challenge and Champions League campaign, all the while playing the sort of expansive style which will see off any remaining reservations over his suitability.

It will be a tough task. But with the time and faith a trophy has earned him, the City manager has given himself every chance.

A tale of magic and madness at the Bernabeu

Physical confrontation was a recurring theme of Wednesday night's Clasico

Wednesday night’s Champions League semi-final clash between Real Madrid and Barcelona was certainly, and somewhat inevitably, not one for the purist – scrappy, aggressive, more drama than entertainment, more petulant chess match than a contest for the ages.

It was also an occasion which served to further highlight both the fantasy and folly which characterizes elite football in the modern era, and the ability of the world’s greatest footballers to excite and exasperate in equal measure.

But all who witnessed this unique spectacle will feel equally privileged to have yet another astonishing example of Lionel Messi’s irrepressible genius to savour.
 

Messi's two late goals look to have won the tie for Barcelona

To expect, or even hope for, a feast of football at the Bernabeu would have been optimistic to the point of naïve; last November’s 5-0 mauling at the Nou Camp had ensured this particular el Clasico was never going to be an open contest.

Any Madridistas who believed Mourinho would be willing take the game to Barcelona were served ample notice of the Special One’s real intentions in the last two meetings of the sides, in which he laid out the tactical masterplan he hoped would wreck the Catalans’ Champions League hopes.

On Wednesday Mourinho and his players, flushed with success in the Copa del Rey final, sought to harass and to stifle Pep Guardiola’s men once again, to deny space to the likes of Messi and Xavi and to intimidate their rivals with greater aggression and physicality.

And this tried and trusted strategy worked for well over an hour, ensuring a semi-final which pitted many of the world’s greatest footballers against each other never threatened to live up to its Hollywood billing.

Rather than breathtaking skill and flowing football, the recurring theme was instead one of cynicism and petulance, as both sides sought to trick and to pressure the referee into making a decisive call and, in doing so, to tip a delicately-balanced tie in their favour.

In such an environment, controversy was inevitable – and it duly arrived when Pepe was dismissed for what Wolfgang Stark deemed a high and reckless challenge on Dani Alves, who played the part of sniper victim admirably.

The decision proved vital. With Madrid’s Portuguese defender-come-midfield destroyer out of the picture, the brilliance of Lionel Messi was finally given the room to flourish, and it was the little Argentine magician who won the game for Barca with his 51st and 52nd goals of an astounding season.

The first was a reward for a committed and cleverly timed run to the near post when he met substitute Ibrahim Afellay’s pinpoint centre; the second showcased everything that makes a rampaging Messi the most thrilling sight in the world of football: phenomenal acceleration, devastating precision of touch and a cool finish.

This match-winning contribution by the world’s best player had threatened to mask the bitter taste left in the mouth by all that had gone before. But Jose Mourinho ensured this would not remain so, with a post-match rant which was a masterclass in generalization, overstatement and selective memory.

Mourinho's post-match comments are likely to be punished by UEFA

The Special One’s ridiculous allegations of a grand UEFA-endorsed conspiracy to ensure Barcelona remain at the pinnacle of the sport did not even represent the biggest crimes of his ill-advised monologue.  An examination of what he omitted provides far more grounds for criticism.

For in all of Mourinho’s railing against referees, he failed to condemn the persistant monkey chants Dani Alves was subjected to by Madrid fans following the Pepe incident, and for which one can only hope the club will be punished.

He failed to admit that his side’s physical approach and willingness to crowd the referee at every opportunity had left them open to the sort of red card eventually shown to Pepe, or that Marcelo and Sergio Ramos could easily have earned early baths for offences against Messi and Pedro.

And he failed to credit Barcelona’s number 10 for scoring what will surely go down as one of the great goals of the Champions League era.

Mourinho has regularly sought to question the decisions of officials after defeats in big games, often with the primary function of deflecting the attention away from his side’s poor performance, but raising doubts over the validity of this Barcelona team’s success just smacks of sour grapes.

The real reason why the Special One has had a man sent off in each of his last five meetings with Barca lies in the way in which his teams look to play.

If you cede possession to your opponents and seek to pressure them aggressively without the ball, you run a very real risk of attracting unwanted attention from the referee –  and even more so when the team you are playing is particularly adept at making every mistimed challenge look like attempted murder.

Madrid’s approach to the last three Clasico meetings has made a dismissal almost inevitable. Mourinho knew this, but he was taking a calculated risk.

Pepe's red card, rightly or wrongly, proved the turning point in the match

Real managed to win the Copa del Rey because they lasted 120 minutes before going down to 10 men. Had they lasted longer than 70 minutes on Wednesday, there is a strong possibility they would have held out for a 0-0 and gone to the Nou Camp knowing one away goal would put them in a very strong position.

But they didn’t. Madrid’s players were unable to walk the disciplinary tight-rope, and so now go into the second leg all but out of the tie. Despite Mourinho’s post match defeatism, Real will not give up in Catalonia, even though they are in an almost impossible situation.

Madrid must somehow beat Barca by two clear goals at the Nou Camp, without leaving the world's most deadly attacking force any room to hurt them in return. If Mourinho were to pull this off now, it would undoubtedly represent the most astonishing moment in a glittering managerial career.

The smart money is on Barcelona lining up against Manchester United, who have made even lighter work of Schalke in the other semi-final, at Wembley in May. 

Will United gain revenge for their 2009 humiliation in Rome? Or will this exceptional Barcelona side stamp their greatness even more indelibly on the annals of history? 

Whatever happens, just be grateful this wasn't the final.

A humble Madrid spells danger for Barca

Real Madrid have set their egos to one side and embraced "anti-football" in a bid to end Barcelona's domestic and European dominance. The Catalans now face a serious threat to their Champions League hopes

Wednesday's Copa del Rey victory gave Real their first trophy in three years

When Barcelona destroyed Real Madrid 5-0 at the Nou Camp last November, many observers - this writer included - struggled to find the words to do justice to the level of performance we had just witnessed, and to the team which provided it.

It was, for want of a better term, simply brilliant. The best team in the world had not only beaten the side widely accepted as being their closest rivals, they had annihilated them. Schooled them. Humiliated them. Yes, ‘brilliant’ will do.

But brilliance is dependent on circumstance. In football, brilliance is defined not only by the individual or team which produces it, but also by the deficiencies of the other individual or team which make that brilliance possible.

For every act of brilliance on the football pitch, there is a mistake, either technical or tactical, individual or collective, which enables it to happen. And after last November’s thrashing, no one knows this better than Jose Mourinho.

Of course, this Barcelona team are exceptional, and their five-goal Clasico demolition of Real deserves its place among the all-time greatest club performances.

But its greatness can be attributed to the fact that the likes of Messi, Xavi and Iniesta were allowed the time and space to exhibit their genius by a combination of Mourinho’s fatally misguided tactical plan and the naïve mistakes of a youthful Real side.

Give Barcelona the room to play and they will destroy you. The lesson was clear, delivered in the most emphatic way possible. The Special One would not need to be told twice.

Which is why last Saturday’s La Liga encounter at the Bernebeu marked a seismic shift in Real’s tactical approach to playing their great rivals.

Rather than trying to impose their own style and dominate Barca, the emphasis for Madrid was very much on stifling Pep Guardiola’s side with a mixture of high intensity pressure and a deep defensive line, only looking for opportunities on the counterattack.

It was what some would call “anti-football” – fundamentally destructive rather than constructive, and far more in line with the approach Mourinho’s Inter endorsed against the Catalans last year.

It was also an approach which drew criticism from many quarters, most notably from Barcelona legend Johan Cruyff and, perhaps more surprisingly, Madrid great Alfredo Di Stefano.

"We saw clearly that [Madrid’s] approach was not the right one. Barcelona were a lion, Madrid a mouse," the 84-year-old wrote in his column in Marca.

"Madrid were a team without personality. Barcelona play football and dance while Madrid just run back and forth constantly, tiring themselves out."

But there was something Di Stefano chose not to highlight, and it was perhaps was the most significant aspect of Saturday’s turgid 1-1 draw: It was the fact that, after five consecutive Clasico defeats, Real had not lost. They had been dominated, certainly, but not beaten.

Mourinho was also criticized for letting the title race die by settling for the draw but, with Barca already eight points clear and carrying the head-to-head advantage afforded them by that 5-0 win before Christmas, the Special One must have considered the title race over.

He had other priorities. To rebuild his players’ fragile confidence that they could at least compete with Barca, to give them the beginnings of a belief going forward into this unique four-game series against the Catalans that they could actually best their great rivals.

And it worked. Only four days after ending their losing streak, Madrid beat Barcelona by a solitary extra time goal in Valencia to triumph in the Copa del Rey final for the first time in 18 years. But even more significantly, they beat Barca the Mourinho way.

Cristiano Ronaldo and Pepe both played crucial roles in Madrid's victory

  

Unlike their first meeting in November, Real did not walk out onto the pitch for the Copa del Rey final seized by the arrogant delusion that they could match Barcelona blow for blow. Instead, they accepted they would lose the battle for possession, and so concentrated on defending tightly and deep in a bid to limit their opponents as much as possible.

The defensive midfield trio of Xabi Alonso, Sami Khedira and the excellent Pepe ensured there was almost no space for Barca to play tiki-taka football between the midfield and defensive lines, whilst Cristiano Ronaldo, Mesut Ozil and Angel Di Maria pressured high up the pitch in a bid to prevent the Catalans getting into their rhythm.

Mourinho's gameplan was not perfect, and Madrid still rode their luck at times. Iker Casillas rescued his team-mates with fantastic saves on a handful of occasions, and only Pedro's marginally ill-timed run ensured a moment of mesmerising genius from Lionel Messi did not get the reward it surely merited.

But for the most part Real managed to frustrate Pep Guardiola's men, and actually produced a number of clear opportunities of their own through lightning quick counterattacks. Cristiano Ronaldo finally found himself in a position to have a decisive influence over a Clasico, and took his chance brilliantly with that towering injury time header.

It wasn't pretty, but Madrid have finally found a way to beat Barca. All they have had to do is to set egos aside, accept their own footballing inferiority and discard high-held principles of entertainment to embrace "anti-football".

This may not sit right with purists in the Madrid hierarchy such as Di Stefano and Valdano, but Real fans are just grateful to Mourinho for stemming the tide of Catalan victories in the Clasico.

And of course, further glories could be ahead.

The Copa del Rey victory will give the Madrid players a huge psychological boost ahead of the two-legged Champions League semi-final to come, whilst Barca's realisation that the current Real is a much more streetwise and formidable beast than the one brushed aside so easily last November may just raise a little self-doubt.

The one final question which remains is whether Wednesday's extra-time exertions will have taken anything out of either side physically.

Barcelona have a frightningly small squad, an oversight which may yet cost them dear, but there is also a doubt as to whether Madrid can defend so perfectly for what will end up being over six hours of football in less than three weeks against the most fearsome attacking team in world football.

Only time will tell, but Real's victory has provided the best possible prologue to the Champions League semi-finals.

With a new, humble Madrid likely taking to the field next Wednesday, the spectacle is unlikely to match last November's magnificent exhibition. It will, however, be a genuine contest. 

Champions League contenders flex their muscles

This week provided all the tension and drama you would expect from the quarter-finals of the Champions League, but also a remarkably high number of goals. Here's my take on the action.

Rooney gives laboured Chelsea the blues

Rooney's clinical 24th minute strike has put United in the driving seat

When the Champions League quarter final draw was made, it was predicted that this contest between England's two most successful teams of the past decade would be the closest to call.

And so it proved. In a week of high-scoring matches and apparently decisive first leg results, only Wayne Rooney's away goal midway through the first half separates Chelsea and Manchester United heading into next Tuesday's return at Old Trafford. But what a crucial goal it could prove to be, and what a time for United to record their first victory at Stamford Bridge since 2002.

As a spectacle it was at once uninspiring and yet absorbing, offering more in the way of drama than entertainment. This was perhaps to be expected, given the fact that both teams involved tend to overwhelm their opponents through sheer pressure rather than sheer invention.

Also unsurprising is that in such circumstances, it was a rare piece of invention which ultimately provided the only difference between the two sides. 

A pinpoint diagonal pass from a seemingly-rejuvenated Michael Carrick found the evergreen Ryan Giggs, whose unerring control and awareness allowed  everyone's  favourite foul-mouth Wayne Rooney the chance to once again demonstrate the electrifying talent which goes hand-in-hand with the idiocy he displayed at the weekend, and which makes his occasionally mindless aggression all the more frustrating.

It was a ruthlessly efficient away performance from United. Sir Alex Ferguson's players adhered to his gameplan to the letter, defending in numbers, pressuring high up the pitch and counter-attacking with the pace of Rooney and Hernandez. Testament to its success is the fact that, despite creating the fewer chances, the visitors consistently looked the more dangerous side going forward.

United's cause, however, was helped significantly by a turgid Chelsea display. The chronic lack of width, creativity and, most importantly, urgency in the hosts' attacking play meant they were unable to exert the kind of sustained pressure on the Red Devils' defence which sparked a stirring second half comeback when these two met in the Premier League last month.

David Luiz, both the hero and the villain of that encounter, was sorely missed in the Chelsea defence, especially since his presence would have enabled Branislav Ivanovic rather than Jose Bosingwa to fill in on the right flank - and one suspects the more defensively-minded Serb would not have let Giggs escape his attentions so easily for Rooney's winner.

Up front, the performances of Didier Drogba and Fernando Torres provided more ammunition for the argument that the two are at best incapable of playing together, and at worst unwilling to even try and make it work.

Both were bitterly disappointing on the night, but it was nevertheless surprising to see Drogba rather than Torres hauled off midway through the second half, given the big Ivorian still appeared to represent the Blues' best chance of an equaliser.

In spite of their struggles, Carlo Ancelotti's side could, and perhaps should, have scored, with Evra clearing off the line from Lampard and Van Der Sar denying Torres the first goal he desperately needs with an outstanding fingertip save. They will also feel rightly aggrieved to be denied what appeared a stonewall penalty in the last minute, as Evra hauled down Ramires in the box.

But such hardships cannot conceal a performance not worthy of a side which supposedly harbours genuine ambitions of being crowned kings of Europe.

The tie is far from over, but the Blues now face a massive task if their pursuit of owner Roman Abramovich's "Holy Grail" is not to end in failure once more. United will surely fancy their chances of seeing off the West Londoners at home next week and keeping alive their dreams of Sir Alex's third Champions League triumph.

Whatever the outcome at Old Trafford next week, the victor will most likely meet Schalke in the semi-finals after a quite astonishing night of football at the San Siro on Tuesday.

Schalke stun ragged Inter

Raul's 54th minute strike proved the turning point in a wonderful match

In one of the most entertaining Champions League matches of recent years, mid-table Bundesliga outfit Schalke proved they are not in the quarter finals simply to make up the numbers with an emphatic humiliation of defending champions Inter in their own back yard.

Such an outcome couldn't have looked less likely 20 seconds in, with Inter midfielder Dejan Stankovic catching Manuel Neuer off his line from all of 45 yards with a technically sublime volley to give the hosts the lead.

However, this piece of brilliance was eventually overshadowed by a brave and inspired performance from the German visitors, as they ruthlessly exploited glaring weaknesses in the Inter defence to score five away goals and all but book their place in the semi-finals for the first time in their history.

Just as Barcelona were commonly regarded as the "team to avoid" in the quarter-final draw, Schalke were the team everybody wanted to draw - largely because of their lack of star names and indifferent league form,  the latter of which recently cost Felix Magath his job.

But new boss Ralf Rangnick has galvanised the Bundesliga  underachievers in a few short days, bringing back players ostracised by Magath into the fold and seemingly getting the players to enjoy their football once more. And enjoy it they did on Tuesday, thanks in no small part to some truly criminal Inter defending.

The Serie A champions can rightly point to the fact that Christian Chivu & Andrea Ranocchia are not their first choice centre-back pairing, but rather one forced upon coach Leonardo by the absences of Lucio and Walter Samuel.

Nevertheless, conceding five goals at home is unacceptable in any circumstances, and now only the mother of all comebacks in Gelsenkirchen this Wednesday can preserve the Italians' hopes of becoming the first team to defend their title in the Champions League era.

Of course, any team which can boast the likes of Eto'o, Milito and Sneijder in it's offensive ranks cannot be completely written off. That said, under Rafa Benitez and now Leonardo, Inter have proven time and again this season that they are now the European champions in name only.

This is not the same team as the one which swept all before it under Mourinho last year - even if it does contain many of the same personnel - and also appears to be one which is in fairly urgent need of a freshening up.

Whether Leonardo will be the man given the time to undertake that task is no longer certain, with the Schalke humiliation following hot on the heels of a potentially decisive mauling in the Milan derby last weekend.

For Schalke, the immediate future looks somewhat brighter.

They have taken a big step towards the semi-finals of Europe's premier club competition for the first time in their history and, in Raul, they have a Champions League predator of the highest quality.

His well taken goal in the San Siro extends his lead at the top of the competition's all-time scoring charts to 14, and only the brave or the foolish would bet against him adding to his overall tally of 70 before this campaign is over.

If Schalke do make it into the last four, the Premier League's finest will write them off at their peril.

Spurs' dream becomes nightmare in Madrid

Crouch's 15th minute sending off left Tottenham helpless at the Bernabeu

Tottenham's maiden Champions League campaign has been going like a dream, but it took only 15 minutes to turn into a nightmare at the Santiago Bernabeu on Tuesday night.

Many observers had predicted the naivety of Harry Redknapp's side at elite European level might prove their undoing towards the business end of this tournament, and it was clear early on that this would be the occasion of Spurs' undoing.

Redknapp's gameplan would surely have been to sit deep, frustrate Real and attempt to use the pace of Bale and Lennon on the counter-attack to provide the service which would make good use of lone striker Peter Crouch's aerial prowess.

Such a plan was undermined from the very start - first by Aaron Lennon's late withdrawal from the match squad through illness, and then five minutes in when slack marking from a corner allowed Emmanuel Adebayor, so often the scourge of Tottenham with Arsenal, to power  a header over the line through the legs of Luka Modric.

Then came the naive mistake which did most to undermine the North Londoners' chances against Jose Mourinho's Real Madrid - and ironically, it came from one of the few members of the team who can boast significant Champions league experience.

Peter Crouch's two silly lunges on Sergio Ramos and Marcelo earned a deserved sending off, leaving Spurs a goal down and a man down with well over an hour to play against one of the most fearsome attacking teams in world football, and facing an impossible task.

Redknapp sought to defend and limit the damage, but Mourinho was determined to make the most of this opportunity, and his team's relentless pressure wore Spurs down. Adebayor's second header - making it 10 in 13 games against Tottenham - killed the game, and further strikes from Angel Di Maria and Cristiano Ronaldo killed of the tie.

It is to Spurs' great credit that they have been no respecters of big names and big reputations in the Champions League this year, but overcoming a four goal deficit against Jose Mourinho's Real Madrid looks too much of an ask for Harry Redknapp's talented team.

Such a comeback would surely be the greatest of all the great European nights at White Hart Lane, but it is inconceivable that a more defensively-minded Mourinho team would be so accomodating. The job looks done for Real, and a Clasico semi-final appears to be on the horizon.

"Below par" Barca crush Shakhtar

Dani Alves latched onto a fabulous Iniesta pass to double Barca's advantage

In the aftermath of Wednesday's clash at the Nou Camp, Pep Guardiola described himself as disappointed with what he called a 'below par' Barcelona performance.

His comments say more about the perfectionism which dominates the mindset of the Catalan club than the result, as an occasionally unconvincing Barca side nevertheless destroyed Shakhtar Donetsk 5-1 to pretty much book their place in the Champions League semi-final.

An arduous journey to Eastern Europe was thought to represent the biggest threat posed by the Ukrainian champions to Barcelona's chances of progress but, as some of us predicted might happen, the Spanish giants managed to kill off this 180 minute tie inside the opening 90 - and all without the steadying presence of Carles Puyol in defence or fit-again Lionel Messi ever reaching his inspired best.

Make no mistake: this was not the most convincing Barcelona home performance of the season. The Catalans looked defensively vulnerable with Sergio Busquets deputising at centre-back, and the worrying number of clear chances created by the visitors will prompt Guardiola to hope Puyol's return to action is a swift one.

Going forward, the deadly duo of Messi and Villa failed to ignite, but their manager will certainly be encouraged by further evidence of the depth of match-winning talent at his disposal.

With Barca's usual suspects enduring a rare quiet night, Andres Iniesta and Dani Alves stepped up in spectacular fashion.

Spain's World Cup winner gave his side the lead with a dead-eye finish two minutes in, and followed it up with an exceptional lofted pass through to Alves who, having broken the offside trap, rounded the keeper and finished with aplomb.

Second half goals from Pique, Keita and Xavi mean that despite Rakitskiy's goal for the visitors, Barca carry an unassailable lead to the Ukraine. Guardiola should be able to rest some of his big guns, safe in the knowledge that even a continuation of Shakhtar's formidable home record will not be enough to turn the tide.

Champions League battle lines drawn

The Champions League quarter final draw conjured some intriguing ties

After all the backslapping, lovingly artful montages and tired you-have-all-earned-the-right-to-be-here-but-there-are-no-easy-matches-at-this-stage clichés had finally been dispensed with, UEFA General Secretary Gianni Infantino welcomed Gary Lineker on stage at the organisation's lush headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland, and got on with the business at hand.

The representatives of each of the remaining eight clubs in this year's Champions League looked on with baited breath, waiting to find out exactly what will be required if they are to emerge victorious at Wembley in May.

Now they know. As for the draw itself, it may have been a while in coming, but it was certainly worth the wait.

Both Ferguson and Ancelotti are looking for their third Champions League triumph

First up, its Chelsea versus Manchester United in a tie which is pure box office. Not only is it a rematch of the epic 2008 Champions League final in Moscow, it is also a duel between two genuine powerhouses who have, between them, dominated English football for the past six years.

Both sides will feel entitled to fancy their chances. United have been victorious on each of the previous four occasions they have been drawn against English opposition in the Champions League, and there are few coaches quite as experienced in Europe’s premier club competition as Sir Alex Ferguson.

But in Carlo Ancelotti, Chelsea can also boast a manager with considerable European pedigree. Roman Abramovich brought the 51-year-old Italian to Stamford Bridge 18 months ago primarily in the hope that Champions League success would soon follow.

That hope was dashed by Mourinho’s Inter last year, but victory over United in the league earlier this month has spread cautious optimism throughout the Chelsea ranks that Wayne Rooney and co. will not be the ones to end their European dreams this time around.

If Chelsea are to see off the threat of United, it will have to be without January arrival David Luiz, the star of that league win and the man who incurred Sir Alex Ferguson’s wrath for his unpunished manhandling of Wayne Rooney, as the fuzzy-haired Brazilian is not eligible to participate in the remainder of the Blues’ Champions League campaign.

However, potentially even more decisive for the outcome of the tie are the absentees in United’s defensive ranks.

The success which has enabled Ferguson’s latest generation to lavish an impressive collection of trophies upon the already creaking trophy cabinet at Old Trafford over the last four years has invariably had the imperious defensive partnership of Ferdinand and Vidic at its foundations.

 

This season, with the England captain struggling with persistent injury problems, it has fallen to Vidic to assume the sole responsibility of marshalling the Red Devils backline. It is a challenge he has risen to magnificently, putting in consistently match-saving performances as an infrequently convincing United have fought to maintain their place at the head of the Premier League title race.

All of which makes the inspirational Serb’s potential absence from the first leg at Stamford Bridge through injury a grave concern for Sir Alex. With Rafael and John O’Shea also out, United’s likely alternative – the promising but inexperienced pairing of Chris Smalling and Jonny Evans at centre-back and Wes Brown guarding the right flank – is not likely to intimidate even Chelsea’s misfiring attack.       

If Vidic does not take to the field at Stamford Bridge on 6^th April, Chelsea will have an invaluable opportunity to take a big step towards the Champions League semi-finals. That said, Carlo Ancelotti’s men will have to overcome themselves before they can defeat their illustrious opponents.

Only in the last few weeks have the green shoots of recovery started to emerge in West London, after three months of relegation form which all but eliminated the possibility that the Premier League’s current champions will still be so come May. But despite recent signs of improvement, the Blues are still a long way from what will be required if they are to finally claim the trophy their owner so desperately desires.

One thing is certain: Chelsea’s revival needs to be swift. There is no hiding from the fact that Manchester United usually win at home when it really matters, and so Ancelotti’s side will likely not be able to settle for anything less than a victory in the first leg. If Ferguson’s men are able to take a positive result or an away goal back to Manchester, they will fancy their chances of seeing off their rivals while being roared on by a capacity Old Trafford crowd.

In any case, the team which emerges victorious from the tie will surely fancy their chances of featuring at Wembley in May, having been drawn to face the winner of Inter and Schalke in the semi-finals.

Inter Milan are the likely opponents for Chelsea or United in the semi-finals

The Italian giants have surely used up their allotment of fortune in defeating Bayern Munich in what was arguably the outstanding match of the last round. To their credit, Leonardo’s players also showed great resilience to come back against the Bundesliga champions after a first half in which they conceded enough chances to lose several matches.

This Inter are, however, simply not the same team as the one which swept all before them last season under Mourinho, even though most of those players remain. They are rightly favoured to defeat Schalke over two legs and advance to the semi-finals, but unless drastic improvements are made, both Chelsea and United would likely have the measure of the Serie A champions.

In fact, Inter's defensive vulnerability is such an issue that it would be foolish to rule Schalke out, and the Germans' impressive dispatching of an in-form Valencia side in the last round is proof enough of their capability to cause an upset.

But the Gelsenkirchen-based club appear to be in a state of crisis. Their wonderful achievements in Europe represent the only positive in an otherwise disappointing campaign which currently sees them languishing in 10th in the Bundesliga. 

Coach Felix Magath has already paid for this underachievement with his job, and although there is likely to be a new man in charge by the time the quarter-finals commence, the gut feeling is that Schalke may well find themselves out of their depth against the reigning European champions.

Rafael Van der Vaart will face former club Real Madrid in the quarter-finals

While it was the meeting of Chelsea and Manchester United which has got the most column inches in the national newspapers, it is the prospect of Tottenham facing up against Real Madrid which arguably does more to excite the imagination. 

Harry Redknapp's side are statistically the most exciting team to watch in the Champions League this year - there were, on average, five goals in each of their matches in the group stage - and although they showed a more conservative side against AC Milan in the last round, any team with Modric, Bale and Van der Vaart in its ranks will have no shortage of attacking intent. 

Spurs' impressive feat in claiming the scalps of both Milan giants also shows that, while this may be their first ever campaign in the Champions League, they are not intimidated or overawed by big names or reputations. It is a quality they will need again in spades - for as reputations go, they don't come bigger than Real Madrid. 

By pairing two of the most attack-minded teams left in the tournament, the the quarter-final draw has set up a mouthwatering new chapter in Tottenham's European adventure. It has also set up comfortably their stiffest test so far. 

Jose Mourinho's Real Madrid are an outstanding side. Prior to their 5-0 mauling at the hands of Barcelona, they were widely regarded as the second best football team on the planet. And although the praise has been slightly more reserved since then, Real remain a team consisting of world class players almost in every position, directed by the greatest tactician in the game. 

But they are far from invincible. For while the centre-back pairing of Ricardo Carvalho and Pepe has remained largely solid this term, the latter is occasionally prone to positional errors and bouts of indiscipline. Then there is also the fact that full-backs Marcelo and Sergio Ramos, for all the attacking threat they carry down the flanks, can occasionally be caught out defensively - a weakness which Gareth Bale and Aaron Lennon will surely look to exploit. 

Madrid are also, somewhat inevitably, over-reliant on Cristiano Ronaldo. The Portuguese superstar has scored an astonishing 37 goals and chalked up 12 assists in 42 appearances this season, but a hamstring injury threatens to keep him out of the first leg at the Santiago Bernebeu on 5th April. 

Ronaldo's absence could be crucial to Spurs' hopes of ensuring the tie is still alive when Real come to North London two weeks later. If they succeed in doing so, expect White Hart Lane to be rocking in anticipation of another great European night.

Even in the event that Harry Redknapp manages to best Mourinho - something he has so far failed to do in five attempts - Spurs' path to the final is likely to be blocked by the beautiful yet devastating presence of Barcelona. Well, unless Shakhtar Donetsk can achieve the mother of all upsets.

Are Shakhtar the team to derail the Barcelona juggernaut?

The Ukrainian champions are the ones unlucky enough to be facing the "side to avoid" in Friday's draw. But it may be surprising to learn that Pep Guardiola and his "dream team" are not overly keen on the prospect of facing Shakhtar either.

You see, Mircea Lucescu's men have previous with the Catalans. Paired together in the group stage of the 2008/9 tournament, Barca were made to work incredibly hard for a controversial win in the Ukraine before Shakhtar claimed a shock win in the Nou Camp. And, given that the personnel on both sides has changed little in the last two years, you can see why the La Liga champions are fearful of history repeating itself.

A two-legged tussle against Shakhtar entails a long and arduous trip to Eastern Europe and back for Barca, just at the moment when big games are coming thick and fast for them. Not to mention the fact that the Ukrainians are approaching the tie fresh from a pre-season break, whilst their opponents have been playing high-intensity football for over six months.

The caveat to all of this, of course, is that we must remember just how good Barcelona are. Shakhtar must journey to Spain for the first leg of the tie, and will have to travel better than they did against Arsenal in the group stage, when they were soundly thrashed 5-1. Messi and co. are more than capable of blowing Lucescu's team away at the Nou Camp and making the second leg a dead rubber.

But if they don't, things may just get interesting.

Arsenal and Spurs show their mettle

 

The Champions League roared back into action this week, as Tottenham and Arsenal produced performances of the very highest quality to deservedly claim the scalps of two of European football's giants. 

In doing so, they delivered the most emphatic riposte possible to those who like to claim that the steady migration of top talent to Spain in recent seasons has eroded the Premier League's status as the strongest in the world.

For while there may be an argument that Chelsea and even Manchester United have been weakened slightly in that period, there are currently more teams in this country capable of challenging Europe's elite than perhaps at any point in the history of the Premier League - a fact made evident by the fact that two of our top flight's chasing pack have just beaten the champions-elect of La Liga and Serie A.

Perhaps inevitably given the pedigree of their opposition, both Spurs and Arsenal went into their European ties widely regarded as underdogs. 

After all, Harry Redknapp's side were charged with taking on an AC Milan side staring down the barrel of their first Scudetto since 2004 in one of the most intimidating stadiums in world football - and without either Gareth "Scourge of Maicon" Bale or a fully fit Luka Modric.

Arsene Wenger, for his part, could be forgiven for having limited sympathy with his North London rivals, having drawn Barcelona - last season's conquerors, the La Liga champions and a team of such exceptional quality that their fiercest competition appears to be coming from the footballing annals of history rather than the pitches of the present.

But rather than wilt in the face of the challenge, both English sides arguably produced their most mature displays of the season.

Much of Spurs' success this term has been built on their ability to overwhelm their opposition in the final third, utilising the pace and direct running of Bale and Lennon on the flanks, the creativity of Modric and Van der Vaart in the middle, and the physicality of Crouch up front. 

Their expansive approach has made Harry Redknapp's side compulsive viewing in Europe this season, but it has often left them defensively vulnerable - never more so than on their last visit to the San Siro to face Inter, when a brilliant second half hat-trick from Gareth Bale papered over the cracks of a torrid first half defensive display.

And so, with Redknapp still perhaps sensitive to the sting of that particular defeat, Spurs this time set out to defend deep from start to finish, allowing Milan to have possession in safe areas and looking to use the pace of Lennon to land a sucker punch on the counter-attack.

The Italian giants were too slow and laboured on the ball to break down the organised Spurs defence, marshalled by a superb Michael Dawson, and the glamorous duo of Robinho and Ibrahimovic were never more than peripheral figures. Even on the rare occasion the Spurs defence was breached, the hosts found themselves confronted by Heurelho Gomes in world-class form.

When all attempts at incision failed, Milan resorted to blatant provocation of their opponents - led by Mathieu Flamini, who should have been sent off for a horrible two-footed lunge on Vedran Corluka, and captain Gennaro Gattuso, who could feasibly have acquired more cards than Clintons' in the 90 minutes he astoundingly remained on the pitch.

Spurs' level-headed response was to regard the Italians' anger as a compliment to the success of their approach rather than an invitation to retaliate, and their patience was rewarded with a superb goal ten minutes from time: Aaron Lennon showing blistering pace to leave several Milan defenders in his wake, and then remarkable poise to pick out Peter Crouch, who must have been delighted that the most important goal of his career was also one of the simplest.

In defeating Milan on their home turf, Spurs have shocked the footballing world for the second time. The first - the destruction of Inter at White Hart Lane in November - was impressive because it proved Harry Redknapp's team possess the talent to compete with Europe's best. The second is equally significant because it confirms they also possess the determination to do so. 

But of course, Tottenham weren't the only ones to shock the footballing world this week. In fact, they weren't even the only ones in North London.

In a match almost the entire footballing planet was watching, Arsenal produced a stirring second half comeback against Barcelona to save themselves from Champions League oblivion and even give their fans hope of pulling off an unthinkable upset over Pep Guardiola's "Dream Team".

Even more surprising than the result was the method by which it was achieved. Barcelona are universally acknowledged to be the best footballing team in the world, and consequently it was believed that any team foolish enough to attempt to outplay them would be doomed to failure. 

It is a theory which has been widely accepted in the wake of Barca's beautiful destructions of Arsenal in last season's Champions League and of Real Madrid in last November's Clasico. But it is false.

Of course, no one in their right mind would claim that Arsenal played Barcelona off the pitch on Wednesday evening. But they stayed true to their attacking philosophy - Arsene Wenger is too much the footballing purist to ever attempt the perceived "anti-football" employed by Mourinho's Inter at the Nou Camp last year, for better or worse - and it was these attacking instincts which underpinned the Gunners' remarkable comeback.

In order to stay true to their identity, the Arsenal players knew they would have to absorb considerable punishment against the possession kings of world football. They remained dogged in the face of prolonged periods chasing shadows, and even sucked up the body blow dealt by David Villa's opener - a work of surgical precision as much as beauty.

They also rode their luck at times, on several occasions relying heavily on Lionel Messi's uncharacteristic profligacy in front of goal to remain in contention. But in coming back from a goal down against such exceptional opposition, Arsenal managed to ally sheer determination and mental toughness with the technical excellence more regularly associated with their game.

This attitude was epitomised by Jack Wilshere who, at 19 years of age, more than held his own against perhaps the greatest midfield in history, and seemed completely unfazed by the occasion. 

It is an understatement of monumental proportions to herald him simply an exceptional young prospect. By demonstrating such poise and ability at the highest level and at such a young age, Wilshere has shown he has the potential to become the greatest midfielder England has ever produced.

Of course, Barcelona had a hand in their own downfall. They were guilty of not finishing off the game despite creating more than enough chances - a criticism with which Arsene Wenger will certainly empathise. The decision to bring on Seydou Keita for the dangerous David Villa also surrendered the initiative precisely at the moment when Pep Guardiola's side needed to keep control.

However, while the Spanish giants may have left the door ajar for Arsenal, the Gunners still deserve all the credit they have received for being able to walk through it - not only did they drive their illustrious visitors back through sheer force of will, but Robin Van Persie and Andrey Arshavin took their chances brilliantly.

Ultimately when all is said and done, what do these results actually mean for two of the Premier League's finest?   

Harry Redknapp will certainly be mindful of the fact that a team of Milan's quality can never be counted out. The Italians are unlikely to play so poorly again, and the mercurial duo of Robinho and Zlatan Ibrahimovic are more than capable of ending Tottenham's European adventure if afforded time and space. 

That said, Spurs now carry a priceless lead into the home leg in three weeks' time, where they will hopefully have Bale, Modric, and what will undoubtedly be an electric White Hart Lane atmosphere to spur them on to victory. They are now firm favourites.

For Arsenal, much, much work remains. Arsene Wenger will remember all too well what Barcelona are capable of at the Nou Camp, and that David Villa away goal remains a significant cause for concern. Then there is also the fact that Lionel Messi does not have too many bad days, and may have used up his quota at the Emirates.

But unlike last year, Arsenal have a lead - albeit slender - to protect, coupled with the belief that they can beat the Champions League favourites. Key to their gameplan in the Catalan capital will undoubtedly be the searing pace of Theo Walcott, who ran Maxwell ragged in last season's fixture. Gunners fans will hope his contribution will be even more decisive this time around.

Whatever the future holds, keep the evenings of the 8th and 9th of March free in your social calendar. If the contests at White Hart Lane and the Nou Camp yield anywhere near the amount of drama and quality this week has delivered, we are in for quite a treat.