Madrid vs City

[Coach]

Re: Penalty shootouts, composure and common sense wins them, stupidity does the opposite. Anything other than the ball in the corner is anything but gambit.

[mcal]

I think having a good penalty technique, research on opposition penalty takers, and being able to hold one’s nerve are a lot more relevant than luck.

...penalty shootout is a combo of luck and better goalie.
Also what goalie was more active during match seem to be more warmed up to final event.
Note, Madrid 'keeper was more active while City goalie was relaxed at his end while his outfield players were peppering Madrid goal.

...luck comes in where you have a given poor shooter evidenced by that one shoot that went directly at the goalie.
Was the player hoping goalie will dive which many have done in the past? He was poor because the shot was soft.

[wiseone]

You may be the only person in the world who thinks Bernardo Silva (one of the most technically gifted players on earth) is a "poor shooter".

You are not giving the GK Lunin any credit by calling his save "luck". Lunin knew that players often try a Panenka penalty by chipping it down the middle of the goal. His research told him that a technician like Silva was the most likely to do it. Hence he stood still, and Silva did as he predicted.

...luck comes in where you have a given poor shooter evidenced by that one shoot that went directly at the goalie.
Was the player hoping goalie will dive which many have done in the past? He was poor because the shot was soft.

[mcal]

You may be the only person in the world who thinks Bernardo Silva (one of the most technically gifted players on earth) is a "poor shooter".

You are not giving the GK Lunin any credit by calling his save "luck". Lunin knew that players often try a Panenka penalty by chipping it down the middle of the goal. His research told him that a technician like Silva was the most likely to do it. Hence he stood still, and Silva did as he predicted.

...luck comes in where you have a given poor shooter evidenced by that one shoot that went directly at the goalie.
Was the player hoping goalie will dive which many have done in the past? He was poor because the shot was soft.

...hence luck.
Note, I never said Silva is a poor player, but that particular time he was poor, and yes credit to to the goalie for standing firm.
When the chips are down blast the damn ball, there is not retake, there is no tomorrow.

[wiseone]

[Kabalega]

There are three key steps to a good Peña:
1. Vary your approach to the ball to throw off the goalie.
2. Place the ball as far away from the goalie’s reach as possible. Usually the top and bottom corners or Panenka.
3. Pace of the ball. Usually fast, hard or occasionally slow enough to cross the line after the goalie has gone one way.

One or two of these steps can get the ball across the line.
Poor pena takers don’t bother to do any of these steps.

At this level every player should be decent at any of these steps. However, there are always exceptions.

I remember Messi used to have a poor pena record (by his standards) because he didn’t bother with these steps. Argentina’s new management team finally fixed him before the last WC.

Madrid vs City
If you watch both teams in the huddle before the penalties. Real Madrid was psyched, pumped up and loose. While Man City were tense and nervous. A couple of them looked scared. Did they practice penalties at all? Anyway, at that point, I knew City were going to lose.

It boiled down to which team was better prepared?

[Coach]

The face tells a thousand tales. In the shootout, it tells the future. Look at Bentaleb’s facial expressions, not once did he look at his opponent, big puff of the cheeks, “just shoot between the sticks and hope for the best”.

Those seconds in the lead up to the strike are akin to the boxers stare down as the referee reads the riot act. This is the Tyson moment, dare one look back into the eyes of the beast before them?

The most obvious example of this was Andriiy Shevchenko vs Liverpool. As the camera zoomed in, feet, trepidation, terror. Before striking the ball he knew he’d missed.

[mcal]

There are three key steps to a good Peña:
1. Vary your approach to the ball to throw off the goalie.
2. Place the ball as far away from the goalie’s reach as possible. Usually the top and bottom corners or Panenka.
3. Pace of the ball. Usually fast, hard or occasionally slow enough to cross the line after the goalie has gone one way.

One or two of these steps can get the ball across the line.
Poor pena takers don’t bother to do any of these steps.

At this level every player should be decent at any of these steps. However, there are always exceptions.

I remember Messi used to have a poor pena record (by his standards) because he didn’t bother with these steps. Argentina’s new management team finally fixed him before the last WC.

Madrid vs City
If you watch both teams in the huddle before the penalties. Real Madrid was psyched, pumped up and loose. While Man City were tense and nervous. A couple of them looked scared. Did they practice penalties at all? Anyway, at that point, I knew City were going to lose.

It boiled down to which team was better prepared?

...they did, just that they are used to winning matches at the full regulation time.
The way they played Madrid half field all day showed their frustration not putting the ball more in the net.
Top class attackers, vs top class defenders.

[Coach]

How Real are able to escape from such onslaughts unscathed defies all reason. Munich have thrown more hands than E.Honda. Nothing given.

[joplass]

How Real are able to escape from such onslaughts unscathed defies all reason. Munich have thrown more hands than E.Honda. Nothing given.

There is something in this Madrid team that no other team has. You always feel like they found ways to win games not matter the odds.

[Scipio Africanus]

How Real are able to escape from such onslaughts unscathed defies all reason. Munich have thrown more hands than E.Honda. Nothing given.

Real finally against the ropes. Collecting haymakers. 2-1 to Bayern!

[mcal]

...that Sane goal na real world class.
Two world class teams with world class players.
This is real football on display.

Btw, I did not know Sane is the offspring of a Senegalese father. But why him dey fight Mane for dressing room?

[joplass]

How Real are able to escape from such onslaughts unscathed defies all reason. Munich have thrown more hands than E.Honda. Nothing given.

Real finally against the ropes. Collecting haymakers. 2-1 to Bayern!

One can never count Real out. They have a better chance of winning games than losing them.

[Coach]

Beyond witchcraft.

[Coach]

Madness from Kim.

[mcal]

Madness from Kim.

...madness it could be but world class players know how to make you commit.

[Coach]

Kim was trying to invoke his inner Jong Un and in the process was more Basinger than anything else. Open all hours.

[txj]

...that Sane goal na real world class.
Two world class teams with world class players.
This is real football on display.

Btw, I did not know Sane is the offspring of a Senegalese father. But why him dey fight Mane for dressing room?

I find him very frustrating. Almost always flatters to decieve

[txj]

Kim was trying to invoke his inner Jong Un and in the process was more Basinger than anything else. Open all hours.

Poor from Kim. Has never quite got going at Munich.
But wasn't helped tonight by Goreztka.

[txj]

Still think Tuchel can pull this off...

[Sleaky72]

Still think Tuchel can pull this off...

Real long shot.
Beating Madrid at the Bernabeu
is a huge ask