The four Brazilians classified for the round of 16 deserve compliments. But none of the four won their last game in the first phase. Palmeiras and Flamengo drew with American opponents, Fluminense tied with an African team, and Botafogo was defeated by Atletico and Madrid. Would they be signs of technical fall? We will see.
Of the great European teams, only Atletico Madrid, who is never a favorite to win a European title, has not qualified for the round of 16. The defeat suffered for PSG was decisive.
Flamengo and Bayern Munich should make a balanced game. The two teams stand out for the control of the ball, with approach and exchange of passes, and for being quite offensive. Many goals may occur. The German team plays with the defense very advanced, and the defenders are big and slow. Flamengo can enjoy with passes on the back of the defenders for the quick strikers Bruno Henrique and Luiz Araújo.
On the other hand, Bayern gets a lot with the ball, exchanges many passes in the opposing field until someone infiltrates and finish. Bayern has an outstanding midfielder, a star (Kimmich). The tips are fast, dribbling. The exceptional center forward Kane moves a lot and usually receives the ball between midfield and defense to give decisive passes. Flamengo will have to be more compact. Musiala, centralized half, has been missing a lot. He has been replaced by veteran Müller, who was a great player and is increasingly more discreet.
Fluminense is less likely to win Inter Milan than Flamengo to beat Bayern. Inter has improved a lot in the last game. It works with three defenders, with two wings that advance a lot, and uses the quick transitions of the defense ball to the attack. Fábio, Thiago Silva and Arias have shone. Keno, excellent dribbling, enters the second half and improves the team. I imagine Renato Gaúcho considers it important that he enters later, against a more tired defense. The coach did the same with Ferreirinha at Grêmio. The best should enter from the beginning.
Real Madrid and Manchester City shone in the last round. City, in the 5-2 rout over Juventus, returned to act as in his best moments with the return of midfielder Rodrigo. He controls the ball and the game. It is the bridge between defense and attack, always with great choices and precise passes. City will face Al Hilal.
In Real Madrid’s victory over Salzburg, 3-0, Vinicius Junior was the highlight. Real’s new coach Xabi Alonso organized the team as he had great success at Bayern Leverkusen, with three defenders, two wings, three in midfield and two strikers (Vini and García). Mbappé is recovering from gastroenteritis and perhaps acting against Juventus.
After the group stage, it is time for the jaguar to drink water. As much as we commentators value team performance, analyzes are usually based on results. Not always what you play better wins, especially in a single decisive match. Football has several logic that intersects. The teams that delight, win and win titles are the revered forever for history.
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