Bayern v Chelsea: The Report

By David Lee Wheatley

Fresh from the disappointment of losing his place in the Spanish national squad alongside Blues team-mate Juan Mata for their country's forthcoming World Cup preparations, striker Fernando Torres made a magnificent impact only eight minutes into UEFA's showpiece Super Cup clash involving Chelsea and Bayern Munich in Prague.

The match had been billed all week as a needle-filled head-to-head between trainers Pep Guardiola and Jose Mourinho, but having each played down their supposed rivalry, it was finally down to business on the field of play.

Belgian ace Eden Hazard displayed grace and skill when firstly turning smartly and then running with absolute gusto from his own half, before playing the ball wide for Andre Schurrle on the right. The German sent in a pinpoint low cross for Torres, who was deadly from inside the box with an emphatic finish on the half-volley, leaving Manuel Neuer no chance.

Bayern were almost totally in control of possession after falling behind, which led to a fine save from hometown boy Petr Cech down low to his left following a good effort from French danger-man Franck Ribery on 16 minutes. Muller then got free on the right side of the penalty area only to see his shot blocked into the side-netting by Cole.

Goalscorer Torres blazed a shot over the bar as the half neared an end, as Europa League holders Chelsea attempted to put a golden seal on a first-half full of counter-attacking menace from Mourinho's men.

Reigning European champions Bayern bit back spectacularly two minutes after the restart when the inspirational Ribery collected the ball 30 yards from goal, advanced and unleashed a powerful right-footed drive past the despairing reach of Cech. He almost struck again immediately after, but the finish was tame in comparison with the equalising effort.

Fans of the Bavarian giants were in full voice as their heroes became increasingly threatening in their forays forward, with a 55th-minute free-kick from the left by Ribery finding Robben in space amongst a snoozing Chelsea rearguard, but he ballooned high and wide when in position to do much better.

Guardiola was getting animated on the touchline, as Bayern's undoubted dominance failed to translate into a second goal; it was all German pressure by the hour mark and the Blues were struggling to cope.

Brazilian defender Dante almost undid Bayern's hard work when inexplicably losing possession on the edge of his own area to Schurrle, his cross finding Oscar who's straight shot was met by the onrushing Neuer's legs. The resultant loose ball pinged out to Lampard 20 yards out, but he fired way over.

What a contest it was turning out to be; especially in comparison with several Super Cups of the past that've largely flattered to deceive, eventually lulling most observers into a peaceful sleep through utter boredom. In contrast, both sides on view tonight desperately wanted to win and were putting up a great fight to claim the honours, while fans inside the stadium were creating a cacophony of noise.

With 12 minutes remaining, captain Frank Lampard sent in a tempting corner from the right which was met by a David Luiz flick-on in the direction of Ivanovic behind him. The Serbian reacted quickly to head agonisingly against the crossbar, while keeper Neuer flapped at thin air.

Chelsea were coming on strong and Neuer was forced to pull off a smart point-blank save from a Luiz leaping header shortly before a savage blow was dealt to the west Londoners' hopes of victory with a red card for the over-zealous Ramires with only four minutes left on the clock.

The two sides couldn't be separated and so matters moved on to extra-time; a daunting prospect for a tiring 10-man Chelsea team, or so it initially appeared.

However, two minutes into the first-half of added time, Hazard received the ball on the left before cutting in menacingly and hitting a 15-yard thunderbolt under a slow-motion Neuer to defy the odds. They then retreated ever deeper into their defensive third to see out the rest of the opening extra-time period, while blocking everything Bayern threw at them.

Bayern were back in the hunt after the resumption of play and Mandzukic was denied an equaliser by an incredible Cech save when it seemed a certain goal.

Mourinho waved his arms furiously to get the Chelsea fans and players rallied for one last Herculean effort, as Ribery lined up a free-kick with time ticking away. The Man-of-the-Match curled a delightful effort towards the top corner, only for the defiant Cech to palm it away to his right.

It looked for all the world that Chelsea were going to hold on, but injury-time saviour Javi Martinez shattered their dreams with a neat finish from inside the area to take the tie to penalties.

In a tense atmosphere, the first three kicks from each side were beautifully executed and then star man Ribery made it 4-3. Afterwards, Ashley Cole got lucky when his attempt hit the inside of the post before trickling in and it was still all to play for. Bayern then made it 5-4, leaving sub Romelu Lukaku with the task of keeping his side in the contest. His penalty was far too soft and much too close to Neuer, who made the short leap to his left to gather the ball easily and hand the prestigious trophy to the Munich outfit.

If this evening's show is a sign of things to come when the world's premier club competition gets underway in earnest, then we can look forward to a compelling list of fixtures throughout the campaign as the continent's greatest clubs do battle for right to call themselves Europe's best.

Twitter: @davewh1980

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Bayern v Barcelona - Pep greets old friends to new home

By David Lee Wheatley

The glamour friendly between Bayern and Barcelona at the Allianz Arena kicked-off late due to traffic problems around Munich causing a slight delay to proceedings.

Shorn of their head coach Tito Vilanova, Barça faced up to the prospect of seeing former mentor Pep Guardiola sitting in the opposition dug-out.

Though Vilanova's replacement Gerardo Martino had been installed before the tie, it was decided he would take up his duties today, leaving Jordi Roura in temporary charge of the side.

Barcelona lined up without several star names, due to their choosing to leave out international players who featured for Spain and Brazil during the Confederations' Cup tournament held beyond the climax of the league season.

Bayern, by contrast, settled on a strong starting eleven and set out in the familiar Guardiola formation of 4-3-3 with a false number nine, just as Barcelona still employ.

In the early exchanges, Barcelona looked dangerous in their Catalan flag away shirt, the diminutive Lionel Messi sending a shot just wide of the left-hand upright after only 30 seconds.

However, Bayern came back when Toni Kroos forced Pinto into a smart save in the 3rd minute with a powerful low strike, which was beaten away by the Barça reserve keeper. Only a minute later Robben looked odds-on to score, but defender Adriano got across to deflect away his effort following great work on the left from Ribery. The French international was involved in everything, going through the middle before setting Alaba free on the left edge of the penalty area, but the Austrian hit the ball straight at Pinto.

There was no let-up from the European champions, as Ribery stood-up a great floating cross for the onrushing Lahm. Often a full-back, Lahm occupied a midfield berth last night and it paid dividends when his back-header gifted the Bavarians a 14th-minute lead.

At the other end, a long spell of Barça possession led eventually to a great chance for youngster Sergio Roberto, but he seemed to flinch when Neuer approached and toe-poked his effort wide.

It was very much a case of role-reversal when compared to Pep's days at Camp Nou; the sharp movement and incisive passing coming from Bayern amid slow, deliberate play from the visitors.

Strong penalty claims were turned down when danger-man Ribery got bundled over by Bartra after 21 minutes, but the referee was having none of it. Just a minute on, Muller clipped the top of the crossbar with a neatly-lofted ping at goal.

Barcelona almost levelled when Tello sent a low, curving 20-yarder just right of goal on 38 minutes and five minutes later Alexis Sanchez dinked a seemingly harmless cross from the right, but Munich defender Rafinha chested it down on to his own post. Luckily, it bounced out for a corner kick. Barcelona were beginning to look more like the best version of themselves once again.

After a raft of substitutions from both sides, the second period got off to a sedate start with Barcelona slowing the action down substantially.

It was Ribery again causing havoc to engineer the first real opportunity of the second half after 56 minutes when the winger cut inside, then out, to create space enough to get a shot off. His attempt only found the arms of the grateful goalkeeper Oier, on for Pinto. Shortly afterwards, a Lahm pass from the right located former Barcelona midfielder Thiago Alcantara free in space against his old team, but he couldn't quite get the ball out of his feet allowing the defence to block.

Due to some dallying in their own 18-yard area, Barça stupidly lost control of the ball to Ribery, who played the ball back across goal from the Bayern right to sub Mandzukic. The Croatian striker fired a powerful hit to the keeper's left, but Oier was equal to it.

Bayern, in their blue change strip, were taking the game by the scruff of the neck and Barça seemed devoid of ideas with which to respond; lots of possession short of the final third often amounting to nothing.

Powerhouse Bayern midfielder Schweinsteiger entered the fray in the 68th minute, but must feel a tad concerned about his position in the squad with the level of competition now in place at the club. On top of those who started the game, there's also starlet Mario Gotze waiting in the wings for a slot in the middle of the park.

The contest was effectively over when striker Mandzukic put the seal on victory from point-blank range following a fine right-wing cross by Contento with four minutes of normal time remaining.

It'd be wrong to read too much into the result, as Barça were missing numerous mainstays of the first-team and therefore were at a disadvantage from the outset. But, the German juggernaut looks set to steam on through to another campaign of great success under Guardiola on this evidence.

Bayern line-up R-L: Neuer; Rafinha, Boateng, Dante, Alaba; Kroos, Thiago, Lahm; Robben, Muller, Ribery.

Barcelona line-up R-L: Pinto; Montoya, Bartra, Mascherano, Adriano; Dos Santos, Song, Roberto; Alexis, Messi, Tello.

Twitter: @davewh1980

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Pep the player

By David Lee Wheatley

Pep Guardiola built his reputation in the coaching arena as ‘B’ team coach at Barcelona, before taking the reins to the senior side in 2008. Four glorious years later, the captain-turned-coach walked away due to the constant pressure he felt in charge of one of the biggest clubs in the world.

Guardiola jetted off with his family on a year-long sabbatical residing in Manhattan, New York City, while agreeing a return to the game around the turn of the year as Bayern Munich trainer; the contract between the parties began in June.

I take a look back at a playing career that laid the foundations for the success that was to follow for Guardiola the coach.

Replicating the path worn in facilitating his switch into team leadership, Josep Guardiola started out in the ‘B’ side of the Barcelona set-up as a first step into professional football after developing his skills throughout a youth career at the club’s famous La Masia academy from the age of 13. Following a year of mainly appearing for the ‘B’ team, he was elevated permanently to the first-team squad on the back of several impressive performances.

The defensive midfielder made a starting spot his own during the 1991-92 campaign when driving Barça on to the La Liga and European Cup double. Replacing experienced international Guillermo Amor in the centre of the park, the 20-year-old displayed style and poise way beyond his years and he was quickly recognised as a rising star.

Making an international debut in October 1992, Guardiola went on to appear 47 times for the Spanish national side. But for injuries, the elegant ball-playing midfield man would surely have achieved more caps for his country.

Meanwhile, back at club level, the starlet formed part of Johan Cruyff’s ‘Dream Team’ that retained the league championship in 1993 and 1994, but got smashed 4-0 in the Champions League final that year by a force of nature in the shape of a resurgent Milan.

The situation went sour under the Dutch legend, with fourth and third place finishes in 1995 and 1996 pushing Cruyff towards the exit door. Revered English manager Bobby Robson took over the role and led a Guardiola-inspired Barça to trophy wins in the Copa Del Rey and European Cup Winners’ Cup in their only season together.

Foreign interest in the services of club captain Guardiola began, with Serie A giants Roma aggressively pursuing the player. Barcelona were reluctant to let their ‘son’ leave and negotiated a new contract with the technically-gifted midfielder until 2001.

Unfortunately, a calf injury ruined the 1997-98 campaign, as Guardiola missed out on the opportunity to impress new boss Louis Van Gaal. He made just six La Liga appearances, as his team-mates cemented the domestic league and cup double without their captain in tow. An operation meant he was forced to miss the World Cup of 1998, which was a huge blow to a player that achieved everything for his club and desperately wanted the top international football prize to add to the collection.

Despite returning to action the following season, Pep developed a problem with his ankle leading to further surgery in an effort to correct the issue. It was a crying shame that his body was failing him at an age when he should have been enjoying the prime of his footballing career.

Nearing the end of his contract, it was announced that Guardiola would be leaving for pastures new. Surprisingly, he chose much smaller club Brescia with which to experience his first taste of club football outside of Spain. Evens so, the prospect of teaming up with Italian legend Roberto Baggio seemed a mouth-watering prospect.

A remarkable turn of events were set off by a positive drug test for the banned substance Nandrolone after a league game against Piacenza in October 2001. Guardiola pleaded his innocence; those that knew him attested to it. However, the much-loved Catalan hero got slapped with a four-month ban from the game; six years later he was cleared of any wrongdoing, but to further extend the agony the Italian National Olympic Committee (CONI) re-opened the case in 2009 before they found him not guilty once again.

Following such a damaging career downturn, he elected to continue his Italian adventure by joining long-time suitors Roma in the Italian capital. He played only four times before resuming his Brescia career with another thirteen games in the blue-and-white colours of the northern Italian team.

Lucrative spells followed in Qatar with Al-Ahli and Mexican Primera Division side Sinaloa, fuelling Pep’s passion for travel and new challenges abroad, before he called time on his career in 2006.

The rapid movement between three different countries at the tail-end of his playing career goes a long way towards explaining his decision to accept the head coach position at German Bundesliga club Bayern Munich; another culture, language and lifestyle for a man that actively seeks out such challenges.

Treble-winning Godfather of Bayern Jupp Heynckes will be a tough act to follow, but if there’s a man that can succeed in such circumstances it is Guardiola, the King of Catalonia.

Twitter: @davewh1980
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