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Álvaro Morata can’t believe his bad luck. image: screenshot
Morata’s ‘phantom triplet’ and 6 other things that stood out in the Champions League
Morata dreifaches VAR-Drama
A hat trick in a Champions League game – almost all forwards dream of that. For Juve forward Álvaro Morata, his three goals against FC Barcelona were a nightmare. Because none of them counted. On each occasion, the 28-year-old Spaniard was a bit too close to goal and thus offside, as revealed by the VAR in all three cases.
All three denied Morata’s punches in rapid advance. Video: transmittable
Morata was on the brink of despair. After his third offside goal, the two-time Champions League champion with Real Madrid sought out Dutch linesman and referee Danny Makkelie for a long time. “Well now it counts,” Morata seemed to be asking. A little later, the referee could not suppress a small smile on his baton teeth when the VAR informed him that Morata was offside again. The Spanish, on the other hand, found it less funny because he was always quite close.
The offside test:
Minute 15: Offside. image: screenshot
Minute 30: Offside. image: screenshot
Minute 55: Offside. image: screenshot
Anyone who thinks that there has never been a single player “ghost hat-trick” (photo) in football history is wrong. The same fate that Morata befell Stuttgart striker Mario Gómez in 2019. At that time, the VfB forward, who has since retired, also scored three goals against SV Sandhausen, but all three goals were denied by the referee from video.
Winners of the first Barça exchange
Before this season there was a spectacular exchange of players between Juventus of Turin and FC Barcelona. The two midfielders Arthur and Miralem Pjanic changed clubs. Barça sold Arthur to the champion of the Italian series for 72 million euros and secured the services of Miralem Pjanic in exchange for 65 million euros.
The Barça fans couldn’t believe it and wondered: A 23-year-old “super talent” for a 30-year-old player who seems to have passed his zenith a long time ago? How is that? They got the answer last night. While Arthur, who had not really arrived at Juve, was only substituted in the 83rd minute and could not put any accent, Pjanic pulled the masterful strings alongside Frenkie de Jong in the Barça defensive midfield. At Barça, only Messi was the one who caught the ball the most and, at 12.32 kilometers, the Bosnian was also the most enthusiastic of all the players.
Pjanic has ab. Image: www.imago-images.de
Ronaldos shit
Cristiano Ronaldo was not allowed to participate in last night’s game because he tested positive for the corona virus again before the game. The Portuguese station “TV1” reported yesterday that the five-time world footballer had already passed 18 tests and was positive on all occasions. No wonder the frustration runs deep. Before the game, the 35-year-old Portuguese wrote on Instagram that he felt “good and healthy.” A bit later, he described the standard PCR test as “crap” in a comment.
image: instagram screenshot
But CR7 doesn’t let the fun get spoiled in quarantine. Wearing the Juve jersey, he completed a short training session on the treadmill in the afternoon; his output then continued to be very similar to Ronaldo’s …
The 17-year-old gallop
“Youth, take charge!” Something like this is currently the slogan in the Champions League. Marcus Rashford, Kai Havertz, Jadon Sancho and Erling Haaland are in their early 20s, but have been known for a long time by soccer fans around the world. But the younger generation is already pushing. Four 17-year-olds left their mark at least partially yesterday.
- Pedri (FC Barcelona): The Spanish Under-21 international arrived at Barça from Las Palmas for € 5m in the summer and was sent to the pitch against Juve for the third time in a row. He did an excellent job on the left wing and harmonized very well, especially with Messi.
Pedri is not impressed by Cuadrado’s entrance. Image: keystone
- Ansu Fati (FC Barcelona): Barça’s second super talent came in for Ousmane Dembélé in the 66th minute and took the penalty to make it 2-0. Deep in injury time, he then missed the safe 3-0 when he wanted to leave Martin Braithwaite instead of shooting himself.
- Giovanni Reyna (Borussia Dortmund): Under Lucien Favre, the American boy is always established this season. In offensive midfield, he always creates moments of surprise with his speed and ball safety. Also yesterday in Dortmund’s 2-0 win over Zenit St.Petersburg.
- Jude Bellingham (Borussia Dortmund): He entered the game against Zenit in the 84th minute for Reyna and fit in perfectly with the team. In injury time he set up 2-0 through Haaland’s header.
Dortmund’s 2-0 against Zenit de Haaland. Video: transmittable
Soccer coach, not a model
RB Leipzig lost 5-0 to Manchester United yesterday. But the Germans weren’t as desperate as the result sounds. However, the most striking of the guests was Julian Nagelsmann’s jacket. When asked about his taste for fashion after the game, the RB coach reacted with considerable irritation. “Your jacket won’t end up in the closet like a lucky jacket, will it?” Asked a Sky reporter. Nagelsmann, who already stood out in special suits in the Champions League finals in the summer, only replied:
“Let’s not talk so much about my clothes. I wear what I like. I’m a soccer coach, not a model. “
Nagelsmann looks like a model next to Solskjaer. Image: keystone
Navas makes the new
PSG goalkeeper Keylor Navas didn’t have much to do in the 2-0 win over Basaksehir Istanbul. The Turks fired 16 shots, but only four of them reached the Costa Rican goal. Shortly before the end, Navas apparently felt Manuel Neuer in himself, a little bored.
There is no other explanation for his excursion in the 84th minute. The PSG goalkeeper collided with a ball in his own penalty area and then happily walked down the sideline before passing the device to Moise Kean and returning to the area.
Excursion from Navas to Basaksehir. Video: transmittable
Kean is blooming again
Speaking of Moise Kean: The former Juve super talent was flagged as a bad buy at Everton last season and thus loaned out to PSG in the summer. In Paris, the 20-year-old Italian seems to finally flourish. The center forward finally gets the needed confidence from coach Thomas Tuchel and Kean returns it right away.
Against Basaksehir he scored both goals for a 2-0 victory. He had previously scored two goals in Ligue 1 in a 4-0 win against Dijon. And after Neymar’s injury-related glitch, Kean could have too much playing time in upcoming games as well.
