The Week That Was: European Adventure

Modified Oct 03, 2013 18:53 GMT

5. Arsenal 2-0 Napoli:

Being drawn into the group of death i.e with Marseille, Dortmund and Napoli, Arsenal were wildly expected to suffer.

Despite sitting at the top of the Premier League with 5 wins out of 6. Despite losing one match in the last 21 competitive games (including a magnificent away win at Munich) and despite spending a record 42.4 million pounds in acquiring the services of Mesut Ozil, the foremost No. 10 in the world, Arsenal have been very functional. Less flair more grit. Less opulence and more determination. Less breeze and more back breaking labor. Napoli themselves were coming off a very assured run and having beaten Dortmund in matchday 1, looked set to beat Arsenal at the Emirates, which co-incidentally would have been Rafa’s first win at the Emirates.

Arsene would be having none of it. While celebrating 17 years in charge, his team selection massively hampered by the huge injury list, the footballing lesson dished out by his team to Napoli was on par to Bayern schooling City. Arsenal started with such intensity, drive and determination that the match was over within the first 15 minutes. As the famed @Zonal_Marking noted- while Arsenal were splendid, Napoli were just a bunch of hair cuts.

The spotlight though for a change wasn’t on Ramsey (who failed to score-Tom Clancy died. RIP), but on new boy Mesut Ozil – as his sublime first time pass into the goal was a sight to behold. While Giroud bullied the CB’s into submission, Arsenal’s mid field of all central mid fielders snarled all over the place. With the job done, they then shut shop inviting Napoli pressure-which never came. A performance for the ages. I order you to watch the highlights. Go on. You know you want to.

Highlights

6. Ajax 1-1 AC Milan:

The script was all about Balotelli in this one. Fresh from his first penalty miss of his senior professional career, he was tasked with taking one in the 90′+3rd minute and he took it extremely well. That’s now 22 out of 23 scored.

Ajax huffed and puffed but never really threatened except when they scored (duh) in the 90th minute. But the delirium and joy would prove to be short-lived as Balotelli with one of the most blatant of dives ever, Bale would do well to copy, won the decisive penalty.

AC Milan have fallen on hard times and Allegri seems to be on borrowed time, but investing their money, scarce now, in Balotelli is one of the smartest decisions ever made by them. They may lack the big names that for so long strutted their stuff at the San Siro, but the mentality of winning and winning ugly is still in abundance.

Highlights

7. Steaua Bucuresti 0-4 Chelsea:

Well the script is familiar. Mou brings back Mata from the depths. Displaying amazing foresight in finally starting last year’s Chelsea player of the year, who’s assists numbers are through the roof, he cemented his position as the “Special One”, as his team ran out rampant. Or something. Well if you are a Chelsea fan then anyway.

And let’s be fair, only Chelsea fans watch Chelsea play.

But if you insist, then here are the highlights

8. Zenit 0-0 Austria wien

Yada yada…. Yawn