UEFA Champions League: What we learnt from this week's action

 The first set of Round of 16 clashes in the UEFA Champions League was completed this week. Four teams have progressed into the next round – Real Madrid, Borussia Dortmund, Juventus, and PSG. The match at Old Trafford which saw Real overcome Sir Alex Ferguson’s Manchester United was by far the talking point of many a discussion this week, but the other teams in working their way into the quarterfinals will receive their fair share of the spotlight in the coming rounds. Amongst the many plots and subplots that panned out, here are a few takeaways that emerged from the clashes this week.

Manchester United – Real Madrid

Sir Alex got his tactics spot on for the game and his side had much the better of Madrid until the sending off. Ferguson having got burnt with a more attacking approach the last two times he’s encountered the Spanish giants, played his cards to perfection. The move was a reflection of his increased tactical nous in Europe, something which he has been often criticized for. The fact that United have only won 2 Champions League titles for all of their domestic dominance continues to be a cause for much heartburn for Fergie during his 26 year reign at United. 

The game also brought to light the increased maturity in some of United’s younger players such as Rafael and Danny Welbeck. Rafael was only a few years back dismissed as a headless chicken and someone who was considered a liability for Sir Alex. This is no longer true as the Brazilian has come of age and is now looking solid both domestically as well as in Europe.

Danny Welbeck, for me, was THE outstanding player for United across the two legs. His electric pace coupled with physical strength and running bodes well for the Manchester club and he offers something different in the four pronged forward line of United’s. Sergio Ramos and Raphael Varane needed to be at their very best to contain the young forward. He does need to improve his finishing though, but this tie has shown that the true blue Manchester lad can mix it with the best in Europe.

Cristiano Ronaldo is currently the best player on the planet - make no mistake. He is single-handedly carried this Madrid team this season and the kind of consistency that he has brought into his game is incredible. He also possesses such an all-round game that he can pose a threat to opposing defenses in more than one way. Good in the air and off the ground, threat at set pieces and with electric pace and dribbling skills, Ronaldo, in my opinion, has just moved ahead of Lionel Messi in the pecking order.

Real coach Jose Mourinho possesses two things in wholesome quantities – European experience and championship winning good fortune. Both were at the fore this week, as he once again took advantage of a fortuitous decision and made the right substitutions that gave his side the advantage. 

Another quality of Mourinho that has helped in his drive to success is his objective ability to see his teams play bad even in defeat.  And Real will need to improve markedly if they are to go on and win the ‘Decima’. Twice United managed to slow them down by taking the pace out of the game and conceding possession daring Los Blancos to take the initiative. 

Jose Mourinho said after the game that ‘the best team lost’. Taken alongside pre-match comments showering praise on the Manchester club, it looks evident that Mourinho is keen on taking up the manager’s role at OT sometime in the near future.

Ryan Giggs’ display on Tuesday night went some way to showing why he has been offered a 1-year contract extension at the tender age of 39. The Welshman has put in terrific performances in the league as well and his 1,000th international bow was earned and not handed to him by Sir Alex.

And, as for Wayne Rooney, while being benched for arguably the biggest game of the season is a setback, it is by no means a sign that it is the beginning of the end for the English striker. However, what it offers is a peek into the change in status that he now carries at Old Trafford. 

Borussia Dortmund – Shakhtar Donetsk

Dortmund are one of the finest attacking teams in Europe. Under Juergen Klopp, they play an attractive brand of football that most opponents find difficult to cope with. But, one of the primary reasons for their below par League defence this season has been their unusually leaky defence. They have already conceded more goals this season than the previous two and it could be a weakness that gets exploited by stronger teams in the latter stages of the competition. But, they still look a good bet to make the semis of the competition.

In Mario Gotze, Marko Reus, Jakub ‘Kuba’ Blaszcyszkowski and Robert Lewandowski, they have one of the most potent attacking quartets around. And how effectively they click will go a long way in determining how Dortmund’s season shapes up in the latter stages.

Mat Hummels has to now start being considered amongst the best defenders in Europe. The German international is a brilliant reader of the game and is also a ball-playing defender who can initiate the offense from the back. Also, a rugged tackler of the football, he has kept his game up even as colleague Neven Subotic has struggled with injury and Brazilian Felipe Santana has been inconsistent.

PSG – Valencia

PSG’s progression really cannot be talked up much. Valencia are a struggling side with nowhere close to the finances that the Parisian club have access to. PSG’s performance was more efficient than destructive as they crafted their victory out. 

What they can boast of is some mercurial talent on their rolls in the likes of Zlatan Ibrahimovic along with Javier Pastore, Ezequiel Lavezzi and Lucas Moura and with the reassuring presence of Carlo Ancelotti at the helm, a man who has overseen successful European campaigns; they will be a tough team to beat.

Juventus – Celtic

The Italian champions effectively ended the tie with their clinical performance away in the first leg. They put up another efficient showing at home to achieve a 5-0 thrashing of a Celtic team that looked out of its depth in this stage of the contest. Juve have to be looked at as genuine contenders and as with all Italian teams, they started slowly, but have been building momentum as they've progressed.

Their defence and midfield match up with the best in the business and they also have veteran experience to call upon. Midfield maestro Andrea Pirlo is having another stellar season pulling the strings at the heart of the Juve midfield. With the industry of Arturo Vidal and Paul Pogba, the Italians have a solid look about them and they are capable of grinding out results if necessary. They do lack a top draw striker though.

For Celtic, it has been a magnificent season regardless of their Round of 16 humbling. Theirs has been one of the stories of the year but the gulf in class between them and the big boys was apparent. Personnel, tactics and experience were the areas they were found wanting and with sound investment in those areas under the astute leadership of Neil Lennon there is no reason to believe we won’t be seeing more of them in coming seasons.