Problems for Barcelona and Messi, star coaches take a beating: Takeaways from Champions League QFs

The Champions League this season is different. There are no home-away ties, no fans in the stadium, but most significantly the lack of usual suspects in the semi-finals.

After a round of single-legged quarter-final ties, the semi-final line-up constitutes of two German and two French sides, a first in the competition’s history.

Bayern Munich are the only team among the regulars to make it to the last four that includes Paris Saint-German, the big-spending French giants who have regularly underachieved in the competition, RB Leipzig, a 11-year-old club staring to find feet in German football and Olympique Lyon, the fallen giants of Ligue 1. Bayern Munich are the only side among the four to have previously won UCL.

Barcelona, Atletico Madrid, Manchester City and Atalanta have fallen by the wayside with only the Italians firmly expected to be on this side of the result when the draw for the quarter-final was made.

But the Champions League, even in its condensed form, has managed to retain its magic. Every quarter-final provided a stunning narrative. Be it Leipzig reaching the zenith of their journey so far or Barcelona hitting the lowest of lows.

Here are the key takeaways from the Champions League quarter-finals:

A new batch of coaches emerge

When Hansi Flick, Julian Nagelsmann and Rudi Garcia took over their coaching assignments at Bayern Munich, RB Leipzig and Lyon respectively, they would probably not have expected to reach the Champions League semi-finals.

Even for Flick, the prospect appeared daunting as Bayern were placed fourth in the Bundesliga and struggling for form when he replaced Niko Kovac mid-season.

But these managers who aren’t necessarily household names in football management have made a mark in this season’s Champions League in what already is the biggest achievement of each manager’s career. Even Thoman Tuchel breaking PSG’s quarter-final hoodoo is no mean feat.

Read: What were you doing at 11? Twitter reacts to RB Leipzig reaching Champions League semi-finals

Their success appears even more significant in the backdrop of the failure of two managers desperate to land European success for their respective clubs. Pep Guardiola and Diego Simeone, two of the finest managers of the past decade and also two of the top three highest-paid managers in world football, exited the competition with plenty of questions to answer.

There has been a lot of attention on Leipzig boss Nagelsmann, who is just 33, and Bayern boss Flick, who was Germany’s assistant coach for eight years. Flick has turned Bayern into a world class unit in just a space of months while Nagelsmann reputation continues to soar.

As for Simeone and Guardiola, one wonders if the page has turned on their glorious chapters.

Did the big guns run out of steam?

It’s only the second time since the European Cup (now Champions League) was launched in 1955 that there will be no teams from either Spain, England or Italy in the semi-finals. Teams from these nations have won 43 titles out of the 64 editions so far.

So, what led to the change?

One of the major factors could be fatigue. The French league was concluded early by points per game due to the Covid-19 pandemic while the German league restarted a month before leagues in England, Spain and Italy resumed. Thus teams from Germany and France were more rested compared to their counterparts from Italy, Spain and England.

Another indicator of fatigue playing a part is the number of late goals that we saw in the quarter-finals. 40% of the total goals scored in the four ties came in the last fifteen minutes. All of those eight goals were conceded by teams that went on to lose the match.

Six out of those eight goals were scored by substitutes, suggesting that fresh legs made all the difference for teams. Kylian Mbappe, although not on the scoresheet, was pivotal in helping PSG score those two late goals against Atalanta after he came on.

Read: Heartbreak for Atalanta, great escape for PSG: Twitter reacts to thrilling Champions League match

Barcelona, Manchester City, Atalanta and Atletico Madrid were perceived to be more match-fit having only recently completed their domestic leagues, but it didn’t quite pan out that way.

What next for Barcelona?

The headline result was certainly Barcelona’s loss to Bayern Munich. More significantly, an 8-2 defeat to Bayern Munich. Barcelona, along with Real Madrid, have been the dominant force in Europe in the last decade and with Lionel Messi in their ranks, they are used to famous nights in the competition.

But having already lost the La Liga this season, their capitulation against Bayern exposed how far Barcelona have fallen behind the elite. The Bavarians toyed with the Catalans who simply had no answer to Bayern’s pace, movement and guile.

Data check: From Bayern Munich’s goal rush to Barcelona’s woes, key stats from incredible UCL match

The likes of Messi and Luis Suarez cut sorry figures as Bayern bossed the game from minute one to last. And when Phillipe Coutinho, a player Barcelona signed for £142 million, on loan at Bayern, came on and scored twice, it further highlighted how poorly the club has been run in the last few years.

In the aftermath of the defeat, media reports suggested that Messi wanted to leave before the new season began, a development that could send the Catalans further into turmoil if it materialised.

Also Read: Time for change at Barcelona: Is Lionel Messi the solution or is he part of the problem?

An ageing squad, another managerial change and with potential replacements turning their backs on Barcelona, the club is in crisis. If there were any doubts about it, they were shattered by the hammering dished out to them by Bayern Munich. There’s nowhere to hide now.

Quiet round for stars as unlikely heroes emerge

Champions League knockout stages are all about the superstars. It’s a stage that separates the great from the good. The quarter-finals were expected to be another playground for the big guns with the likes of Messi, Neymar, Mbappe, Robert Lewandowski and Joao Felix all in the mix.

However, it was a relatively quiet round for the big guns with heroes emerging from elsewhere. Although Neymar and Mbappe delivered big performances for their team, the Brazilian didn’t have his scoring boots on and missed two clear chances that could have cost his side.

Lewandowski was once again involved but by his recent high standards he only had one goal to show on an evening when Bayern scored eight. Thomas Muller and Ivan Perisic were the stars of the show for the Bavarians before Coutinho’s cameo.

Messi had a quiet evening for Barcelona, so did Suarez who did score a goal but didn’t carry enough threat during the course of the evening. Raheem Sterling missed a sitter for Manchester City even though Kevin de Bruyne got on the scoresheet.

Read: Different year same stuff, it’s not good enough: De Bruyne blasts City after Champions League exit

However, it was the turn of less likely heroes like Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting and Tyler Adams to claim a bit of limelight with their superlative performances. This was definitely a welcome change for neutrals.

Are single-legged ties the way forward?

The relative success of the single-legged ties at the quarter-finals stage has triggered a debate whether Uefa should look at making this format permanent and do away with the two-legged format that has pretty much been the trademark of the competition.

The single-legged ties have been highly dramatic and have managed to retain the intrigue of the two-legged affairs. There’s no confusion of the away goals and teams have gone for it from the word go in in these single-legged affairs, unlike the first legs of the two-legged ties where teams tend to play safe.

Another argument for having single-leg affairs is fewer games for players. The footballing calendar is packed and the Covid-19 pandemic further highlighted the issue. Some easing of the calendar while retaining the drama could be a way forward for Uefa.

However, there’s more to it than what meets the eye here. More games mean greater revenue for all stakeholders. Champions League is a lucrative competition and if it loses its monetary benefits, the idea of a breakaway league of top clubs that’s been floating around for a while would be further strengthened.

Also home and away games in the Champions League allow the local fans to witness the competition without having to spend a lot. Single-legged ties at neutral venues would change that and it wouldn’t be an ideal development for football as and when fans can return to the stadiums.

Moreover, it would be premature to write off the two-legged ties in terms of the drama that they bring. Last year’s semi-finals provide evidence of just how fascinating two-legged ties have been in European competitions.

Single-legged ties may provide better chances of an upset, thus giving an underdog a better chance of reaching the latter stages, but a two-legged format tests a team’s ability and ensures that the more deserving team qualifies.

There will be more answers to certain questions that have been posed by this pandemic when the semi-final action begins on Tuesday. As PSG take on RB Leipzig and Bayern Munich face Lyon, there’s more to come in this season’s Champions League.