Diego Forlan writes a weekly column for The National, appearing each Friday. The former Manchester United, Inter Milan and Atletico Madrid striker has been the top scorer in Europe twice and won the Golden Boot at the 2010 World Cup. Forlan's column is written with the assistance of European football correspondent Andy Mitten.
I watched three Uefa Champions League games this week where teams needed to come back after heavy first-leg defeats. All were dramatic for different reasons.
Napoli took the lead against Real Madrid before being outclassed 3-1, the same score as the first leg. That showed the gulf in class between the best team in the world and Italy’s third best side.
The gap between a leading German and English side should be closer, but it was not. Arsenal scored first against Bayern Munich and were playing well, only to be hammered 5-1 again by the Germans. However you look at it, 10-2 over two legs is an appalling scoreline for Arsenal. I can see why their fans are not happy and want Arsene Wenger to leave, and why some players are not happy with what’s going on. They’re a huge club, but I don’t agree with Alexis Sanchez letting it be known to journalists that he wants a move. He plays for a team, which means he should be thinking about more than one player.
Sanchez is a great footballer and I can see why he’s frustrated at being part of an under-performing team, especially after he was dropped against Liverpool. I also understand why he may want to move to somewhere he might actually win trophies, but he should still keep it private. He could speak to his manager, or, if that relationship is not good, his agent. Football works that way. That’s what agents are for. Speaking to the media doesn’t help your team, the players who are doing their best for the club you are contracted to play for.
His teammates won’t be impressed with him because he’s cut himself away from them. He’s saying: ‘I’m different, I’m better’ and even though he is, it doesn’t help.
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The 10-2 result led to an explosion of protest and there have to be changes at Arsenal, though I don’t only blame Arsene Wenger. He’s working at a club which has to change their mentality so that they don’t finish third and fourth every season, though that’s still an achievement given he has to compete with the riches of Manchester City, Chelsea and Manchester United. But what if the directors are content with that? Content that Arsenal make money every year and fill their stadium, even if they finish third and fourth? If that’s the case then the directors need to change, too.
If that change of mentality means a different manager then so be it, but rather than go to the media, Arsenal’s players need to shut down, close the doors to the outside and concentrate on themselves. They then need to finish the season in the best way possible.
There were so many goals in the Champions League this week. Borussia Dortmund won 4-0 against Benfica to become the second German team in the last eight. It looks like Atletico Madrid will join Barca and Real Madrid there, with Sevilla possibly the fourth Spanish team.
The Spanish dominance remains, but the game everyone is talking about was at Camp Nou, which saw seven goals.
To come back in a game of football is a wonderful experience. At Atletico, we were losing 2-0 against Espanyol but won 3-2. It gives the players such a huge lift, one Barcelona players will be feeling at the moment after they beat PSG 6-1.
I said that Barcelona could turn it around last week, but I expected more from PSG and their coach, Unai Emery, got it wrong.
I knew his side would defend, but not as deeply as they did. My Uruguayan compatriot Edinson Cavani is most effective when played up front. He should have played in a more advanced role, with the instruction to receive the ball and cause Barcelona some trouble. He’s in form and good enough to do that. Even if he’d have been successful with one in ten balls, he would have still kept Gerard Pique and Javier Mascherano occupied. He’s also been playing well with Angel di Maria, yet the winger didn’t start.
Emery knew that Barcelona would push his players back. They do that to every team, but to be complicit in that by helping them made their job easier. A top-class football team with the players PSG’s quality really should have beeen able to defend a 4-0 lead.
People will ask about Barcelona’s two penalties. Sometimes you get them, sometimes you don’t. That’s football. But Barcelona were excellent in their drive to win the game. The criticism they’ve received in recent weeks, especially after the defeat in Paris, motivated them. It’s like prodding at a caged animal — dangerous.
Barca have regained their poise and Luis Enrique has learnt how to smile again. He went crazy when he ran onto the pitch. He’s enjoying his last few months in charge and I wonder how those Barca fans who jeered him only a few weeks ago feel today.
But maybe now is the time for the positive feeling to spread, because Barcelona will be feeling very confident right now, not just for winning another Champions League, but also the Primera Liga title and Copa del Rey. And who would have thought that three weeks ago?
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