Opinion

How Madrid, Barca UCL displays show Spain reign is under threat

The first round of matches in the 2019-20 UEFA Champions League has added weight to the suspicions raised last season that Spain's La Liga has just about lost its invincibility.

Messi Bale

Lionel Messi, left and Gareth Bale Source: Getty Images

Liverpool's triumph in an all-English final against Tottenham Hotspur not only underlined the power and influence of the Premier League but also might have signalled the changing of the guard in the echelons of European club football.

Mega clubs Real Madrid and Barcelona had won the last five Champions League trophies between them before Jurgen Klopp's men capped a superb season by becoming continental champions for the sixth time.

La Liga had been the undisputed king of Europe as Cristiano Ronaldo, Luka Modric, Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez ruled supreme with a quality of attacking football to match.

But European football has always come in cycles which can be classified thus:

  • Spain and Portugal won the first seven titles from 1956.
  • The Italians took the next three from 1963.
  • The Dutch and Germans dominated for seven years from 1970.
  • England provided seven winners in eight years from 1977.
  • Italy came back with four wins and five finalists in 10 years from 1989.
  • England responded with four wins and five finalists in 14 years from 1999.
  • Spain won five straight from 2014.
Watching Barcelona and Real Madrid struggle in their first matches in this season's competition makes us wonder if we've seen the best of these two famous clubs that have played such a fundamental role in making the Champions League the juggernaut that it is today.

It is always risky to dismiss such great clubs that have success in their DNA but the evidence is damning.

Borussia Dortmund made Barcelona look second rate at Signal Iduna Park and coach Ernesto Valverde would have felt mightily relieved that his side got away with a point from a goalless draw.
Barca owed their thoroughly undeserved point to goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen, who had an inspired evening that was crowned by a splendid save from a Marco Reus penalty, although in fairness he did move forward before the striker's kick was taken.

Real Madrid were torn apart by Paris Saint-Germain at the Parc des Princes.
Madrid did not have one single shot on goal in a 3-0 rout that spoke volumes of the Spaniards' technical and tactical troubles that emerged last season.
Zinedine Zidane, who must have the shadow of jobless Jose Mourinho hovering above him, would have lamented the absence of key men Sergio Ramos, Marcelo and Modric but by the same token PSG were without their expected regular strike force of Neymar, Kylian Mbappe and Edinson Cavani.
Spain's other representatives Atletico Madrid and Valencia had mixed fortunes.

Atleti needed a last-gasp goal to snatch a home 2-2 draw with Juventus while Los Che sprang a surprise by beating Chelsea 1-0 at Stamford Bridge.

Neither team, however, is seen as an overall winner.
Barca and Madrid should be able to recover from their initial struggles and reach the round of 16, although Inter and Galatasaray respectively are not the sort of teams you would want to face when things are not going right for you.

It's probably too early for a Spanish inquisition but the knockout phase should give us a clear indication of where Barca and Madrid are at - should they get there.

Yet, the feeling is that Liverpool's 2-0 win over Spurs at the Metropolitano last season might have signalled the beginning of the end of the reign of Spain.

The Premier League's finest are as strong as ever, the best of the Bundesliga can never be discounted and there are signs that the Serie A's elite are back in business.


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4 min read
Published 19 September 2019 4:28pm
By Philip Micallef

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