Nothing that has happened in the past week can compare to the routs suffered by the mighty Bayern Munich and Flamengo.
Borussia Mönchengladbach’s 5-0 for the second round of the German Cup, 3-0 in the first 20 minutes of the game, reminded us, yes, of that other game that had a lot of Germans on the field, although not as many as in Borussia-Park, despite the distinguished presence of goalkeeper Manuel Neuer and Thomas Müller in the Bavarian team, to name the two who were at Mineirão.
Bayern leads the Bundesliga, everything indicates that they will be consecutive ten-time champions this season and had never lost to Mönchengladbach for the Cup. He played complete, with the Polish Lewandowski in charge of the attack and had the right to concede the fourth goal between Neuer’s legs.
An astonishment!
In fact, it’s amazing!, as the Germans say when they speak Portuguese, even more so because Mönchengladbach is only in 12th place in the Bundesliga.
Less surprising, and not even more acceptable, happened at Maracanã in the semifinals of the Copa do Brasil, when Flamengo was run over by Athletico Paranaense.
That it would be a tough game was predictable and, in fact, it was, so many chances to score were wasted by the cariocas or neutralized by the beautiful goalkeeper Santos.
Circumstances that make football the most spectacular of all sports, capable of making detail the predominant factor to define not only the victorious, but also the cruel, cold, predominant executioner.
A penalty goal at the beginning of the first half, like Nikão’s, the result of the recklessness of the experienced Filipe Luís. Paraná took advantage of the rival’s defensive mess.
To top it off, when Athletico was reduced to ten players, with a move also unusual these days, defender Zé Ivaldo left his area, gave the ball to Pedro Rocha and ran to the opposing area where he received it back and made the 3 to 0 definitive, as if it were a hit from the 1970s, a Luís Pereira, without fear of being happy, “cover my back because here I go”.
Forgive the Bavarians and the Flemishers, but what a delight!
There is little doubt about Bayern’s responsiveness; There are plenty of questions about how Gávea’s will react and it will be ein staunen, as Brazilians say when they speak German, if against Atlético Mineiro the team behaves well.
What is guaranteed is a year-end full of emotions in four unmissable games: the two between At(h)lético to decide who will be two-time champion of the Copa do Brasil, the one between Athletico and Bragantino for the decision of the Copa Sudamericana and, finally, the one between Flamengo and Palmeiras for the three-time Libertadores championship.
The latter has a double meaning: the title capable of redeeming all the sins of the two richest clubs in the country and transforming depression into euphoria, including a lot of fallacies and, on the other hand, the defeat that will deepen the depression of those who return of Montevideo without the Holy Grail.
All this with the accompaniment of the steps of the Rooster towards the celebration of conquest that has been waiting for half a century.
Unless the imponderable makes one more surprise.
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