World Soccer

2020 Champions League Final Preview and Prediction

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The parrots and sheep will predict Bayern Munich to win the 2020 Champions League Final, but the smart money is on Paris Saint-Germain to win. 

Not only do PSG have Neymar and Kylian Mbappé, two of the top four players in the whole world, they also have Ángel Di María who himself is easily a top ten player in the world. 

All three of these players have excellent chemistry, and all three are too fast and too skillful and creative in 1v1 situations for any defender or defenders to contain. You may stop them a few times, but they are all capable of torching multiple defenders in a row on multiple occasions throughout any game against any opponent. 

In addition to PSG’s attack, which is the best in the world, PSG also boast a central defense led by Thiago Silva, arguably the world’s premier defender. Normally, PSG start Thiago Silva and Marquinhos together in the center of the defense, but it appears that Marquinhos will once again play as a defensive midfielder where he is also imperious, skillful, lightning fast, and an excellent ball-winner. 

For all the hype and praise surrounding Bayern Munich, PSG is the team with the better players. The French side should’ve won the Champions League every year that Neymar and Mbappé have been playing together.

Bayern Munich seem to be the favorite of most of the journalists and pundits, which is quite odd considering PSG’s attack. Why would you bet against Neymar and Mbappé…and Di María for that matter. The only explanation is that these journalists and pundits hold some sort of animosity towards Neymar. It’s never really been clear why there is so much animosity toward Neymar. The only incident that sticks out is when he rolled excessively after being fouled in the 2018 World Cup. This incident appears to have really incensed lots of people, and it really is quite fascinating that this one incident caused so much hatred. 

Neymar is the most fouled player in world football, and anyone who watches his games can see how often and how hard he is fouled. Fouls on Neymar are frequently vicious stomps and cleats to the ankles, calves, and feet. Anyone who calls Neymar a diver clearly doesn’t watch him play very much.

As good as Bayern are, they can’t match the firepower and defensive class of PSG. Robert Lewandowski is a deadly and clinical striker who is likely the best Number 9 in the world, but as good as Serge Gnabry and Ivan Perišić are, they are several levels below Neymar, Mbappé, and Di Maria. Bayern have been successful even though they have left Coutinho on the bench for Thomas Müller for much of the season. Bayern normally start Perisic over Kingsley Coman, but the Frenchman Coman is a very skillful and electrifying player who is likely more dangerous and more difficult to defend than Perisic. Having Coman starting would cause more defensive headaches for PSG.

One could argue that starting Coman and Coutinho as the wings to the side of Müller would give Bayern a stronger and more dangerous attack, but arguments such as these frequently elicit comments about how Bayern shouldn’t alter their lineup. Such an argument also rocks the boat in a world where groupthink rules.

Bayern have been operating on the idea that Thomas Müller and Coutinho can’t play together because they would get in each other’s way, but Coutinho excels on the left wing where he often plays for Brazil, in addition to playing as a right wing if Neymar is playing.

Nevertheless, Bayern have four excellent wing options. If this writer were facing off against a loaded PSG side, he’d pick Coman and Coutinho over Perisic and Gnabry. It is controversial, but they are outstanding attacking players who are a nightmare for defenders. Many people argue that altering a consistently successful team for a final is a risky and bad idea. But, Bayern’s defense are going to be in trouble for most of the game. Can they stop PSG’s attacking trio? Bayern might need to raise their firepower.

Alphonso Davies as a left back is one of Bayern’s biggest weapons, and having Davies and Coutinho on the left side would certainly cause PSG’s right back Thilo Kehrer plenty of headaches. He and Presnel Kimpembe are the weak links in PSG’s squad if you can even call them weak links. The former plays for Germany and the latter plays for France.

The French side’s other weak spot is their back-up keeper for Keylor Navas, but this should be offset by the scoring threat of Neymar, Mbappé, and Di María. It wouldn’t be crazy to suggest that they are the best attacking trio since Brazil 2002 World Cup trip of Ronaldinho, Rivaldo, and Ronaldo or Barcelona’s attacking trident of Lionel Messi, Luís Suárez, and Neymar.

Bayern vs. PSG presents an entertaining midfield battle. Bayern have Thiago and Goretzska, but PSG have Marquinhos and Paredes (and possibly Verratti. Not to mention Gueye. The midfield battle hasn’t been the media’s focus in the build-up to this game, but PSG’s midfield with both Marquinhos or Gueye with Verratti is arguably better than Bayern’s. Once again, if one really thinks about the two teams, it isn’t clear why many have Bayern as their pick.

Bayern are an outstanding side whether it’s Neuer in goal or Thiago Alcantara and Goretzska in the midfield or Davies at left back or Müller and Lewandowski in the attack, but PSG has three attacking grandmasters whose skill and threat outweighs any collective team skill or cohesion that Bayern have.

Despite Bayern being the favorite of most, look for Neymar, Mbappé, and Di María to have too much class and speed for Bayern Munich.

Prediction: Paris Saint-Germain

How AC Milan Should Line Up with Zlatan Ibrahimovic

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AC Milan have talented players at every position, so it’s anyone’s guess why they have been playing so poorly this season. Nevertheless, the blame should fall mostly on their coach Stefano Pioli due to his poor utilization of his talent and his misguided lineups. Pioli routinely fails to start Paquetá, Giacomo Bonaventura, and Rafael Leão together, and the word for this is incompetence.

Assuming Milan are smart enough to not sell Paquetá to Paris Saint-Germain, this is how Milan should lineup with Zlatan Ibrahimovic now on the squad for the second time, and it’s really the Front Six that is the most interesting discussion.

Milan already have a world-class striker in Rafael Leão, and they would be wise to start him alongside Ibrahimovic up top. Two striker lineups are rare nowadays, but they didn’t use to be. Since Bonaventura is an excellent playmaker and trequartista, it makes since to start him behind Ibrahimovic and Leão as the team’s trequartista or Number 10.

Ibrahimovic always appreciates having teammates who can play his level of quick combination jogo bonito, and Leão certainly has the creativity, technical ability, and playing style to partner with Ibrahimovic. Frankly, Ibrahimovic is lucky to have Leão whom this writer believes one day will be the best Number 9 in the world. Both strikers play like honorary Brazilians, and it should be exciting to watch them play together, assuming that Pioli actually does it. 

Milan are also fortunate enough to have Paquetá who is an outstanding midfielder who qualifies as a fantastista, and he can play as a Number 8 or as a Number 10. Having Paquetá and Bonaventura together on the side should provide plenty of possession, creativity, and service to the forwards. Paquetá’s best position to maximize all of Milan’s talent is in the midfield behind Bonaventura and alongside Frank Kessie, who, while technical, isn’t as creative and skillful as Paquetá and Bonaventura. This leaves Bennacer to anchor the midfield as a regista, which is the position that he plays best in.

Milan’s problem so far has been the player selection of the coach Pioli, and Pioli appears to be a very poor judge of talent so far. Frankly, it’s incredible that coaches like this are allowed to continue to bench their best players without any repercussions from Milan’s higher-ups.


Christian Pulisic Faces Tough Competition for Playing Time at Chelsea

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There can be no doubt that Christian Pulisic’s $73 million move to Chelsea was the biggest move ever for an American footballer, and by all appearances it appears as though the 20-year-old is the most impressive American footballer yet. Nevertheless, Pulisic faces intense competition for playing time despite starting Chelsea’s last two matches.

Although he was unfairly, heavily criticized by Chelsea fans, Willian is an absolutely world-class Brazilian footballer who Pulisic will be competing with for playing time. As Pulisic plays as a wing for Chelsea, he also will competing with Pedro and Mason Mount for minutes.

While Pedro and Willian are already both world-class players, Mount also looks to be an elite player who plays with great technique, creativity, directness, and speed. Mount like Willian or Pulisic or Pedro for that matter plays well centrally as a playmaker, and this allows Chelsea’s manager Frank Lampard to have quite a bit of flexibility with his attacking lineup.

In short, having four excellent attacking midfielders/wingers/forwards is a great problem for Lampard to have, but from an American fan’s perspective it also means Pulisic might not be starting every match and going 90 minutes.

On paper it would appear that Pedro and Willian are far superior to both Mount and Pulisic, and there is a possibility that Lampard could deploy Ngolo Kante and Jorginho as the central or defensive midfielders with Pedro, Kovacic, and Willian lining up in front of them as a line of three.

Kovacic is another world-class player for Chelsea as Kante and Jorginho are, and his ability to be deployed as a true attacking midfielder or playmaker behind Olivier Giroud should not be underestimated. Kovacic didn’t always get as much playing time as he deserved at Real Madrid, but he’s an elegant, graceful, and creative playmaker who deserves his starting spot for Chelsea. This reality makes the competition between Mount and Pulisic even stiffer.

Nevertheless, Pulisic has proven himself to be an electric and aggressive attacker with great creativity and directness, and the presence of stiff competition at Chelsea will not impede his progression as a player or his rise to fame. Let’s not forget that Pulisic already played for Borussia Dortmund, one of the top clubs in the world. The Premier League would appear to be more en vogue than the Bundesliga right now rightly or wrongly, and this will only increase Pulisic’s game and quest to demonstrate that the United States has finally produced a world-class player.

 

Kylian Mbappé Is Still Not on Neymar’s Level

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Many observers and pundits have argued that Kylian Mbappé has already surpassed Neymar, but with all due respect to Mbappé’s phenomenal talent and speed, Neymar is still the far superior player. Here’s why:

First Touch: Neymar vs. Mbappé

Neymar’s first touch is second to none, and only Lionel Messi has a comparable first touch. The Brazilian’s first touch is essentially on par with Ronaldinho’s, and Ronaldinho had the best touch of any player ever. As good as Mbappé is, he doesn’t have the same velvet-soft first touch of Neymar.

Dribbling: Neymar vs. Mbappé

You could argue that Messi is the world’s best dribbler because he easily ghosts through crowds of players, but Neymar certainly has way more tricks in his trick bag. The reality is that Messi never displays the tricks that Neymar uses to blow past defenders. The Argentine uses small changes of direction and speed to beat defenders, and Mbappé doesn’t have the repertoire of tricks that Neymar executes effortlessly. Neymar’s tricks aren’t just flashy with no result; he uses his tricks to blow past defenders and charge the penalty area. Neymar leaves defenders for dead, which is why he is so savagely hacked by defenders who can’t keep up with him.

Passing: Neymar vs. Mbappé

Mbappé can certainly deliver a good pass, but Neymar utilizes both feet interchangeably to deploy short passes, long passes, chips in the air, final balls through the defense, and service off corner kicks and dead balls. Neymar is arguably the best passer in all of European football, and he showcased this with Barcelona when he led Europe in assists one year when Messi was injured. When the PSG Number 10 plays with Brazil, the entire passing goes through Neymar where he receives the ball and releases it and it’s immediately played back to him again as he leads his team toward goal. For all the talk of Neymar being a selfish player, there isn’t much proof of that in his passing statistics for PSG or Brazil.

Shooting: Neymar vs. Mbappé

Mbappé’s shooting is nowhere close to that of Neymar. The Brazilian is just a much better striker of the ball than the Frenchman, and he’s also more accurate and ruthless in his finishing. Mbappé hasn’t really shown an ability to take free kicks well yet, but maybe he simply is down the pecking order on both of his teams. Nevertheless, based on their play with PSG, one would have to say that Neymar is a much more dangerous striker of the ball with both feet. You wouldn’t be wrong in saying that any kind of goal that the Brazilian can score with his right foot he can also score with his left.

Conclusion: Neymar vs. Mbappé

Mbappé is a true prodigy, and he’s a joy to watch with speed that’s God given. But that doesn’t make him better than Neymar. Being the best Brazilian player since Ronaldinho is really saying something, and Neymar is on track to eclipse Pelé’s goal-scoring record for Brazil. Don’t forget that Neymar is also lightning fast, and no defender can really catch him except maybe Rafael Varane, who could have been an Olympic sprinter.

Neymar has some qualities that seem to annoy some people, but calling Mbappé better is disrespectful and just not accurate.

 

 

Neymar Needs a Big 2019

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The Brazilian superstar Neymar needs a big 2019 as Kylian Mbappe has taken some of the spotlight off him, and he was once again unsuccessful at winning the Ballon d’Or. There can be no denying his talent and consistently great performances for club and country, and the Brazilian is perhaps the most skilled player in world football. Any close analysis of how he plays reveals a two-footed mastery of dribbling, passing, and scoring within a team concept. To deny him of this is to have an agenda.

Nevertheless, Neymar has been under attack and the object of ridicule somewhat unfairly since the 2018 World Cup. Some criticism of Neymar at the World Cup was deserved as Neymar frequently did 10 rolls too many when only one was needed when avoiding injury from hackers. The Brazil Number 10 is an expert at avoiding ankle and knee injuries from the frequent dirty tackles that he receives where only his jumping and pulling up his feet and knees saves him from serious injury. For Neymar to simply allow people to take out his legs without jumping out of the way and tucking would be madness. But, at the 2018 World Cup Neymar rolled too much, and he made a spectacle of himself. He cut a ridiculous figure where his sensationalized rolls took away from his brilliance with the ball, and it appears that he has eliminated the excessive rolling.

As simplistic as it sounds, Neymar’s combination of electric speed and quickness combined with his skill makes him unique. A close comparison of Neymar to Cristiano Ronaldo displays how much better the Brazilian is at individual tricks and dribbling. Cristiano Ronaldo as good as he is lifts his feet too high off the ground for his stepovers and doesn’t really go anywhere after doing them whereas the Brazilian’s are smooth and low to the ground, plus he explodes past his defender after executing one. This type of skill makes Neymar the world’s best dribbler even though Lionel Messi also dribbles through seas of defenders. Neymar has the skill needed to win the next Ballon d’Or, but it will be an extremely difficult task, as he must defeat Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Mbappe.

The Paris Saint-Germain and Brazil 10 will need a dominant showing in the Champions League, and he will need to win the Champions League while playing better than Mbappe. This last part will be the hardest because trying to outplay Mbappe will negatively affect PSG’s play. Continuing to look to win and combine with the France World Cup winner is the best recipe for Neymar to win the Ballon d’Or.

Neymar has garnered some hatred and annoyance from many football fans, and he’ll have to be less odious in 2019 if he wants to win the 2019 Ballon d’Or. Losing to Luka Modric this year has to have bothered Neymar as Modric didn’t win the World Cup, and it’s proof that you don’t have to be Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo to win it. Of all the players in world football, Neymar has the most tools at his disposal to win the Ballon d’Or, and it’s hard to believe that it along with winning the Champions League isn’t his top priority this year.

 

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Arturo Vidal Is an Outstanding Signing for Barcelona

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Arturo Vidal was an excellent signing for Barcelona, despite criticism to the contrary, and the Chilean is a world-class midfielder who fits Barcelona’s style of play. Vidal is a technical center midfielder who defends and attacks well, and this why Barcelona signed him when they had the chance.

Arturo Vidal is easily one of the very best two-way center midfielders in the world

Many pundits and journalists questioned the signing of the Chilean Number 8 claiming that he didn’t fit the profile of a Barcelona player, but the profile of a Barcelona player is one with outstanding technical ability who plays one-to-two touch soccer. This is exactly how Vidal plays. Any descriptions of Vidal as primarily a toughness player or an athletic player are inaccurate.

Anyone who has seen Vidal play for Chile with Alexis Sanchez and the rest of the squad for the last five years would never doubt Vidal’s ability to play Barcelona’s style of play. The reality is that Barcelona have a history of signing the top South American players, and Vidal is arguably the best box-to-box midfielder in the world, and he even scores a lot of goals for a midfielder.

There’s a myth that only players exactly like Xavi Hernandez or Andrés Iniesta or Sergio Busquerts are Barcelona players, but this isn’t the case. For example, Lionel Messi doesn’t play like those players. Despite being a world-class passer, Messi’s game is primarly based on dribbling past defenders and going straight to goal. Messi doesn’t pass you to death. He attacks the goal relentlessly.

Vidal is exactly the player Barcelona needs to win the Champions League again. He helps Barcelona both in its defending in the midfield and in its passing and attacking play. As good as Ivan Rakitic is, he’s nothing close to Vidal who possesses a level of skill on the ball and athleticism that Rakitic lacks. Vidal’s shooting, scoring, and dead balls bear witness to the Vidal difference. Ever as a penalty taker, the Chilean is known for crushing unstoppable penalties into the upper corner.

There has been a lot of criticism of off the field issues for Vidal, but there’s really no evidence that these have affected his play or that his playing level has dropped from his Juventus days. As a Bayern Munich player, Vidal wasn’t used enough due to Bayern’s tendency to rotate players and even change those same player’s positions.

For all the criticism of Vidal’s character, it’s important to remember that people criticized Diego Maradona, Ronaldo, and Ronaldinho too. Ronaldinho was essentially run out of Barcelona and tossed overboard for supposedly being fat, but even today several years into retirement Ronaldinho looks trim and his weight appears essentially the same as when he played.

As well as Paulinho played last season, Vidal should play even better as he is a level above Paulinho in his technical skill and defending. Vidal should prove to be not only a Barcelona style player but also a standout and reference point for the Catalan giants.

France Is Now the 2018 World Cup Favorite

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With only four teams left in the 2018 World Cup, France is now the clear favorite to win the tournament. From the goalkeeper to the center forward, France has the most talented squad in the tournament, and several scuffles against Uruguay in the quarterfinals likely strengthened team unity and resolve.

Kylian Mbappe is easily France’s best play. The 19-year-old forward can beat anyone off the dribble with speed or skill, and he can score with either foot. Against Argentina in the first round of the knockout rounds, Mbappe not only scored two goals, but he also made unstoppable runs behind the defense for his teammates to simply chip the ball to him on the run. On two occasions, his teammates hit him 50 yard passes in the air that he softly brought down only to get hacked by Argentina. This ability to blow past defenders and instantly control passes out of the air made him impossible to defend without fouling. The French forward is also excellent 1v1 in tight spaces from a standstill, and this combined with his passing makes him the best player left in the tournament and arguably the best player for the entire tournament.

France also boasts a world-class midfield anchored by N’Golo Kante as the defensive midfielder who is widely regarded as the best in the world at that position, and the midfield also includes Paul Pogba and either Corentin Tolisso or Blaise Matuidi. Pogba is something of a hybrid midfielder as he is center midfielder with a playmaker and Number 10 skillset. Pogba is next to impossible to push off the ball, and his individual skill level with the ball is world-class. Matuidi has been a very consistent performer for France who always provides non-stop running and defending for France, but his technical skill is a level below Tolisso’s. Tolisso is smoother technically and uses both feet whereas Matuidi is primarily left-footed. Nevertheless, Matuidi always performs, and he does occasionally score. Deschamps might have a difficult decision picking between the two.

France’s defense is also world-class. The two French center backs, Raphael Varane and Samuel Umtiti, both start for Real Madrid and Barcelona respectively, and how many national teams can say that their two center backs start for those two clubs? The fullbacks or outside backs for France have been excellent despite being considered the back-ups by most people. Djibril Sidibe and Benjamin Mendy were supposed to be the starters, but Benjamin Pavard and Lucas Hernandez have been excellent. One starts for Stuttgart and one starts for Atletico de Madrid, so neither were unknowns playing for small clubs.

France is the second best talent producer in the world after Brazil, so it’s no surprise that France has a stacked squad again who are performing well in the World Cup. France had deep runs in 1998, 2006, and 2014, so France often perform well in the tournament.

This World Cup is France’s to lose, and not winning the 2018 World Cup at this point would have to be viewed as a choke or at least a failure. The tournament is cleared of all the killer shark teams like Germany, Spain, Argentina, and Brazil, so France should win.

France’s Best Lineup for the 2018 World Cup

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Didier Deschamps has selected a deep and talented roster for the 2018 World Cup, albeit with several big snubs including Karim Benzema, Kurt Zouma, and Kingsley Coman. Nevertheless, France will have a great starting lineup at the World Cup with Kylian Mbappe being France’s best player.

Alphönse Areola has made a strong argument to be the starting goalkeeper for France with his excellent season with Paris Saint-Germain where he showed his ability to make big saves, but Deschamps will likely be starting Hugo Lloris in goal as he has been the goalkeeper for France for years without ever giving France a reason to drop him.

Djibril Sidibe is France’s best right back option, and the Monaco right back is an attacking threat down the right sideline. Benjamin Mendy is France’s best left back option, and the Manchester City outside back can actually play either right back or left back.

France’s center backs are one of the team’s strong points with Raphael Varane and Samuel Umtiti being the clear starters. Zouma was a snub from the roster, but Umtiti is one of the two starting center backs for Barcelona. Varane is a level above Umtiti in terms of skill, defending, and speed, but Umtiti is still  arguably a world-class defender. The midfield and attack is where the real lineup battles are.

N’Golo Kante will start for France as the team’s defensive midfielder anchoring the midfield, but the real question is who will start with Paul Pogba further up in the midfield? Corentin Tolisso is a starting center midfielder for Bayern Munich, and he’s likely a better player than Blaise Matuidi. But, if France starts Kante and Pogba then perhaps starting Thomas Lemar as more of an attacking midfielder is a more aggressive option for France. A midfield of Kante, Pogba, and Lemar balances defending with playmaking and attacking skill. Pogba is something of an anomaly as all great players are. He’s a center midfielder with the attacking skill and creativity of a forward. Pogba is an excellent 1v1 dribbler, playmaker, and scorer, but he doesn’t need to really be the attacking midfielder on paper to be effective and show all his skill.

The French attack is slightly handicapped by the omission of Benzema from the squad as Olivier Giroud is a slower less skilled and less direct forward, but Giroud is a good center forward with plenty of talent. Mbappé is the real attacking threat for France, and Deschamps will likely start him on the left wing with Antoine Griezmann on the right wing. A bold move would be to start Ousmane Dembele over Griezmann as Dembele has shown over the last few months with Barcelona that he is a special talent who can score, pass, and dribble with both feet. Dembele has had a trial by fire by playing with Lionel Messi and Coutinho, and his skill and speed have skill stood out despite playing with those two world-class players.

No one really knows exactly who France will start, but Mbappe will be the star regardless.

Mario Balotelli Is Still the Best Italian Player

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Italian criticism of striker Mario Balotelli and Italy’s continued exclusion of him from their rosters is getting old. Balotelli is clearly the best Italian player. Even on their best days, neither Lorenzo Insigne or Ciro Immobile could reach Balotelli’s ability with a 10-foot pole.

This season with Ligue 1 side Nice, Balotelli has reminded everyone with his 14 goals so far why he continues to be a much sought after striker in European club football. Despite being the best Italian player and the player who performed the best in the 2014 World Cup, Balotelli was again left off Italy’s most recent roster even though the Azzurri didn’t even qualify for the 2018 World Cup. Even for a meaningless game, Italy still excluded Balotelli.

This season might be the best season of the Italian’s career, and his combination of skill, creativity, speed, and strength are still a nightmare for defenders. Although a striker by trade, Balotelli has always displayed world-class passing ability, which includes the ability to provide assists or unlock defenses.

Recently against Paris Saint-Germain, Balotelli was all that PSG’s defenders Thiago Silva and Presnel Kimpembe could handle. The Italian’s side Nice has a talented and cohesive squad that features excellent players from the defense to the attack. Balotelli not only has pass masters in the midfield behind him, but he has electric and creative attackers with him up front. From all appearances, the Italian thrives with him teammates and enjoys playing with them. 20 plus goals is within reach for Balotelli this season.

Balotelli has a tendency to loss focus in games too often and to engage with the referees too much, but you have to wonder what’s really motivating Balotelli’s critics. The striker has proven over his career that he can be dangerous and effective in any league, and he has proven that he performs well at the international level as well. Balotelli was one of the only Italian players to perform well at the 2014 World Cup, but after the tournament, he was blamed by the Italian press, fans, and coach for Italy’s exit from the tournament. Coach Cesare Prandelli went as far to call selecting Balotelli for his World Cup squad a mistake. If it was such a hard roster decision, then why did Prandelli start him rather than just using him as a substitute. Prandelli clearly rated him enough to start him.

No other Italian player has the same ability to score off any free kick within 40 meters. Any free kick for Balotelli is something close to a 50/50 chance of scoring, which displays his overall technical ability and scoring threat. Of all the Italian players, only Balotelli truly worries even the very best of the elite defenders.

Balotelli remains the best and most special Italian player. No other Italian player has his technical skill and creativity, and no other Italian player is better at eluding defenders, passing, and scoring.

Coutinho Has Already Impressed at Barcelona

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Philippe Coutinho has stood out and impressed in all of his games for Barcelona so far, and this last weekend he proved once again along with Ousmane Dembele to be a worthy partner for Lionel Messi.

Coutinho received rave reviews while playing for Liverpool in the English Premier League, but it’s fair to say that he was still wildly underrated on a global scale. One could argue that Brazil really began to see a resurgence under its coach Tite when Coutinho began starting for the Seleção. This last thing was the real indicator of just how good Coutinho was. Anyone who can stand out for Brazil when Neymar is also playing is really a special player.

The individual skill and dribbling of Philippe Coutinho stood out when he was just a teenager with Inter Milan, and now with Barcelona, it’s clear that Coutinho was exactly the caliber and type of attacking player that Barcelona needed. Barcelona needed another player like Andrés Iniesta, and don’t believe any of the rumors that Iniesta is really close to retiring at only 33 years old. El Ilusionista will be playing at a magical and world-class level for at least two more seasons.

With Barcelona, Coutinho has shown that he not only has the individual skill for a club like Barcelona, but he also has the passing ability to fit in instantly with Barcelona. Coutinho excels at quick one-to-two touch passing, long distance passing, and incisive passes to open up the defense and create goals. The Brazilian also knows how to score.

Even before the Brazilian was sold to Barcelona, Coutinho was one of the top five players in the world, but that fifth place spot was a tie between Coutinho, Isco, and Paulo Dybala. Now, Coutinho has to be considered by himself in that fifth place spot below Lionel Messi, Neymar, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Kylian Mbappé. You could argue that Coutinho is better than Mbappé because of the combination of the Brazilian’s passing, dribbling, scoring, and free kick ability, but Mbappé’s combination of skill and speed are even more impressive than Coutinho’s. Known mostly for his speed, Mbappé has already shown that he can leave defenders for dead with inventive and magical trickery. The French winger and forward also scores with both feet and provides plenty of assists.

Ray Hudson provided the commentary for beIN Sports for the Barcelona-Athletic match, and Hudson noted how he had underrated Coutinho’s ability to turn away from defenders and navigate tight spaces. The Brazilian’s ability to elude defenders is probably his best quality, and if Neymar is still injured when the 2018 World Cup arrives, then Brazil will need Coutinho even more.