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EUROPEAN FOOTBALL WRAP: Haaland masterclass, United wobble and more!

Haaland dazzles, United wobbles and Bayern cruise – Damien Kayat looks back at an action-packed weekend of European football.

Haaland dazzles, United wobbles and Bayern cruise – Damien Kayat looks back at an action-packed weekend of European football.

Two women looking excitedly at cellphone

Back to the Future

I noticed an interesting trend during the first week of the new Premier League season. Much like the CGI dinosaurs that populate a Jurassic Park film, a forgotten species seems to have been brought back from extinction: the center-forward.

City won the league last year without a recognized frontman while Son and Salah shared the Golden Boot operating off the wings. But it seems as if the Prem has got a bit nostalgic for the old-fashioned number nine.

Darwin Nunez looks to be a massive part of this ‘evolution’ (see what I did there). Liverpool’s new number-nine is a penalty-box predator in the mould of United legend Ruud van Nistelrooy. He helped rescue a point for Liverpool against an energetic Fulham side spearheaded by the mischievous Mitrovic.

The Serbian trickster highlighted the importance of an active goal threat for those sides fighting for survival. While he never scored this weekend, Arsenal have undoubtedly been emboldened by the acquisition of City utility man Gabriel Jesus. Arteta is using him as the focal point of his attack and I have no doubt that the goals will follow.

But it was Erling Haaland who shone brightest this week. The ‘Striking Viking’- to borrow a wonderful moniker from the match commentary- looked sensational in City’s 2-0 away victory against West Ham. Haaland almost seems to fly in the face of Guardiola’s vision of suffocating possession.

He loves to run in behind and exploit space (as evidenced by his brilliant 2nd strike). But I think his arrival heralds a slightly new City approach. Despite all their success, City do tend to attack in a one-dimensional- yet effective- fashion. They emphasize side-to-side movement and break down teams on the flanks.

Haaland changes that point of reference with the ability to go through the middle. The sale of Sterling seems to back up this subtle shift in focus. Furthermore, the Norwegian’s touch is just superb. He isn’t a lumbering target man in the mould of Lukaku (no moonboots here).

He will link up play in the Guardiola spirit and still have centre-backs furtively looking over their shoulders. He could be a real game changer for City in their eternal quest for European glory.

Man United wobble

What was it that United were missing in their dismal 2-1 home defeat to Brighton?

You could ask a hundred United fans that question and you could get a hundred different answers. But I’m pretty sure that none of them would be Marko Arnautovic.

This could be the final nail in United’s mid-table coffin. United reportedly had bid for 33-year-old Bologna striker, Arnautovic rejected.

Where are the standards of this great dynasty? City get Haaland and Liverpool get Nunez. And United respond with a desperate bid for a dollar-store Zlatan.

What is up with United’s obsession with strikers past their sell-by date (Zlatan, Falcao, Cavani)?

You can just imagine the Glazers desperately huddled around a table, wondering which vaguely recognisable name they can feed the fanbase in order to placate them.

And Ten Haig has to share some of the blame this window. His myopic fixation on Frenkie De Jong as the ‘only’ midfield solution has been detrimental to the progression of the club. United should have gone hell-for-leather on signing Youri Tielemans and Reuben Neves.

It would have been cheaper than De Jong and it would have saved the public humiliation of a protracted transfer saga. Also, does Ten Haig only watch Dutch football? It’s like he has recently been let out of a Truman Show-type reality show where only the Dutch league existed. The fact that McFred is still the starting midfield combination for Manchester United is unacceptable.

Honestly, heads should roll for allowing this to happen. They just don’t work. They are essentially two CDM’s who can’t defend. They might as well stick Eriksson in there alongside Fred in the meantime. They aren’t protecting the back four as it is; why not have a player in there who can actually retain possession?

Oh, and I haven’t even mentioned the whole Ronaldo debacle. Maybe Ole wasn’t so bad after all.

Bayern looking ominous

Bayern Munich’s opening day demolition of Eintracht Frankfurt was an early sign that this team means business. Sure, they have lost the outrageous goal-scoring of Robert Lewandowski.

But I honestly think that the arrival of Sadio Mane could take this team to the next level. I’m not trying to diminish the contributions made by Lewandowski over the past few seasons. But I feel the combination of Muller and Lewandowski was perhaps losing a bit of its dynamism (particularly on the European stage).

Mane just brings added kinetic energy to this already formidable unit. Just take a look at their current attacking threat. Mane, Gnabry and Musiala are exciting, high-octane footballers that can devastate any side.

This dynamism dovetails perfectly with the fierce football intelligence of veteran German auxiliary forward Thomas Muller. I honestly think this could be the team to beat in Europe this year.

I’m pretty confident that the Bundesliga title is all but assured. Dortmund made heavy work of Bayer Leverkusen, grinding out a tight 1-0 home victory against the ten-man side. The Black and Yellows have goalkeeper Gregor Koebel to thank for securing the three points.

The match also highlighted the chasm left by a certain Norwegian center-forward. This could be a trying campaign for Germany’s perennial silver medallists.

Player of the Week- Leo Messi

I could have easily chosen Neymar ahead of the Argentine magician. Both were superb as PSG romped to a 5-0 opening day away victory against Clermont Foot.

Neymar scored once and set up three other goals. Messi collected a brace and provided one assist. But Messi gets my vote this week courtesy of his outrageous 2nd strike, a close-range bicycle kick that seems to reveal a revitalized Messi.

He struggled in Paris last year, often overshadowed by the youthful exuberance of Kylian Mbappe. But I think that Christophe Galtier will increasingly employ Messi in a central role this season.

He still has a freakish burst of pace that can leave anyone flat-footed. But gone are the days where he is going to run teams ragged for 90 minutes. He needs to be at the fulcrum of this PSG attacking axis. That’s what separates Messi from Ronaldo: Ronaldo could never relinquish the spotlight and conduct the orchestra.

Messi seems to derive the same pleasure from creating that he does from scoring. And this could prove critical in PSG’s quest for European honours.

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