Big Midweek: Real v Bayern, Ronaldo, Wenger, Mustafi

Game to watch – Liverpool v Roma
It might not be a tie to please the purists – those who would prefer the ‘Champions’ League to be a rather more literal competition. After all, this is England’s third-best club against Italy’s current bronze medallists, the team that finished fourth in the Premier League last season against the side that came second in Serie A. Neither has been champion of their country since 2001.

Yet this is a tantalising pair of matches, an intriguing clash pitting two forgotten, faded powers against one another. Liverpool have not been in a Champions League semi-final since 2008, while Roma have never reached this stage in their history. “I do understand that people thought it would be Barcelona v Manchester City,” Jurgen Klopp said on Tuesday. “But it’s not, because it’s football. Roma and us, both teams deserve it.” This is fresh, this is new, this is different.

Neither side would ever have dared dream of reaching the final four of Europe’s premier competition at the start of this season, and yet neither side will approach this first leg with trepidation. Liverpool are the favourites, but Roma overcame a three-goal deficit to conquer Barcelona in the quarter-finals. They should not be underestimated. This is David versus David; the Goliaths do battle in the other semi-final.

Some may consider Roma the underdog, but the Italians are unlikely to be daunted by a raucous Anfield atmosphere. The Giallorossi came from behind to beat Napoli in Naples last month, and have lost just once away in Serie A since last February.

This is a squad comprised of youngsters in Patrick Schick, Alisson and Cengiz Ünder and experienced professionals in Aleksandar Kolarov, Edin Dzeko, Federico Fazio, Radja Nainggolan and Daniele de Rossi. The manager, Eusebio Di Francesco, is one of Europe’s brightest.

They also head into this game with momentum in their favour. There were no weekend complaints from Di Francesco of “dangerous pitches”, nor unnecessary digs at their relegation-bound opponents. Roma travelled to a side battling the drop on Saturday and beat SPAL 3-0. If only West Brom had been dispatched so convincingly earlier in the day.

That deflating draw revealed a chink in the armour of Liverpool, one Roma will look to ruthlessly exploit on Tuesday. If they can beat Barcelona over two legs, Liverpool must at least keep an eye on their rear-view mirror as they look to race into a first-leg lead.

Player to watch – Mohamed Salah

“When we came out for the Champions League training before Man City, I said, ‘Come on everybody, let’s go out naked because no one will realise – they are just looking at Mo.'”

Klopp knew there was more than an element of observational truth in an otherwise jovial message to his players earlier this month. All eyes would have been on Mohamed Salah regardless of who Liverpool faced in the Champions League semi-finals, so phenomenal has the Egyptian been. But the powers of the narrative should never be overlooked, and his current club have been drawn to face his former one. Both parties have found more suitable partners since parting ways, but one will look on in envy at their old flame by the end.

There is an argument to suggest Virgil van Dijk will be Liverpool’s most important player at Anfield. Roma benefited from a solitary away goal in the first leg of their quarter-final against Barcelona, allowing them to recover from a seemingly irretrievable position. The hosts will be keen to build a healthy lead to take to the Italian capital next week, yet will understand how crucial it is to keep a clean sheet.

But Salah will naturally command the limelight. His return to the Premier League has been an undoubted success, yet there would be a tinge of regret if he is forced to watch the club he left for greener pastures take part in next month’s final. It would be impossible not to wonder what might have been.

Salah himself is the perfect man to avert that danger. The 25-year-old has played 26 different teams at least once this season, and has only failed to score against three of them. Liverpool are yet to face Brighton at home, while the Egyptian made up for a lack of goals against Swansea by assisting two. Manchester United have been able to thwart Salah in a way no other team has. If 32-year-old Ashley Young can nullify him, 32-year-old Aleksandar Kolarov might even fancy his chances.

Team to watch – Red Bull Salzburg
A European campaign that started on July 11 was never expected to stretch into April and May. Salzburg began what was expected to be a transitional season nine months ago in the second qualifying round of the Champions League, Marco Rose kick-starting his managerial career with a 6-0 aggregate win over Hibernians of Malta. The next stage would not be so kind: exit on away goals at the hands of Rijeka was never part of the plan.

It has been a blessing in disguise. Salzburg thrashed Viitorul Constanța in a Europa League play-off round to reach the group stages, and have not looked back since. Top spot was rewarded with ties against Real Sociedad, Borussia Dortmund and Lazio, each with the Austrian side painted as the underdog, each with the Austrian side emerging victorious.

History could be about to repeat itself. Despite Salzburg having already beaten Marseille in the group stage this season, the French side are favourites to advance from their semi-final meeting. Rose has won 36 and drawn 13 of 52 games in his debut season of first-team management, yet Marseille are seen as an obstacle too far.

Salzburg will fancy their chances. They are five points from retaining their Austrian Bundesliga title, are in the final of the Austrian Cup, and stand on the precipice of surprise Europa League glory. The most unfathomable Treble is in their sights.

Manager to watch – Arsene Wenger
Arsene Wenger has overseen three European semi-finals in 22 years at Arsenal. A 1-0 victory over Lens in the UEFA Cup in 2000 provided the perfect platform to reach the final, only to lose it in heartbreaking fashion. A 1-0 victory over Villarreal in the Champions League in 2006 provided the perfect platform to reach the final, only to lose it in heartbreaking fashion. A 1-0 defeat to Manchester United in the Champions League in 2009 fast-tracked the heartbreak, and assured a second-leg humbling.

As the eulogies have flooded in this past week, Wenger’s numerous achievements have been immortalised. The Frenchman jokingly compared the praise to attending his own “funeral” at the weekend, and that feels apt. “People speak about you and how you were, so it was little bit interesting on that front,” he noted. “I don’t need to die anymore because I know what it’s like.”

The one success missing from Wenger’s two decades is conspicuous by its absence. The 68-year-old would be loath to leave the club in the summer having delivered European football in each of his seasons in charge without ever lifting a trophy on the continent. It would be the one black mark, the one blot on an incredible C.V. He has one final opportunity to right this wrong.

Fate dictates that Wenger has been handed the most difficult hand out of those remaining. The threat of Marseille, fourth in Ligue Un, should not be underestimated, while Salzburg have already disposed of Dortmund and Lazio. But few would argue that Atletico were not the most daunting draw. If they can clear this hurdle, Arsenal can see the finish line.

For Wenger, this is a final challenge on a personal level. In Diego Simeone he pits his wits against the man viewed by many as the “outstanding candidate” to replace him. Arsenal have the chance to secure Champions League football by winning the Europa League, but Wenger has the opportunity to prove he is not yet yesterday’s man by beating one of his supposed successors.

One-on-one battle to watch – Shkodran Mustafi v Antoine Griezmann
Gary Neville hardly held back in his scathing critique of Shkodran Mustafi during the Carabao Cup final in February. The Sky Sports had seen the Arsenal centre-half exposed by Sergio Aguero, and declared it “pathetic”, “terrible”, “woeful”, “really bad”, “schoolboy stuff” and “shocking defending”. There were no pulled punches to be seen.

Perhaps the pundit had already made his mind up on the centre-half. “I spoke to Gary Neville who said Valencia couldn’t give him away,” Lee Dixon said of Mustafi in March. “Then Arsenal came along and paid £30m for him.”

No-one played more minutes under Neville for Valencia during his ill-fated four-month managerial spell in Spain. The 28-game run included 11 defeats, one of which came at the hands of Atletico Madrid in March 2016, when Mustafi was left flat-footed at the Mestalla as Antoine Griezmann opened the scoring.

Mustafi may own a World Cup winner’s medal, but this is the first time he has ever been beyond the last-16 stage of a European competition. The 26-year-old is running out of time to prove he is worthy of a place in Arsenal’s step into a brave new world. A solid display against a world-class talent would go some way to mending reputations.

Football League game to watch – Derby v Cardiff
Neil Warnock, shrinking violet that he is, reacted to the initial postponement of this fixture particularly well last month. “It’s a complete shambles and we’re on the end of that,” said the Cardiff manager, railing against the decision to call the game off due to heavy snow. The insinuation was clear: Derby, riddled with injuries at the time, were more than happy to have the game delayed.

“The Football League now will try to make us play on the first available date which will be 17 April,” Warnock continued. “That means we would go to Aston Villa on a Tuesday, Norwich on the Saturday and then Derby on the Tuesday, which is another disgrace.

“If it is replayed, it should be on the 24 April after we have had a home game.”

And so Warnock gets his wish. Seventh and falling hosts second and rising. This is Cardiff’s game in hand, and they need to win to hold off the charge of Fulham and maintain a push for automatic promotion. This is Derby’s game in hand, and they need to win to rise above Millwall and back into the play-offs. Let the game begin.

European game to watch – Bayern Munich v Real Madrid
The law of averages suggests that Real Madrid will face a former manager sooner rather than later. Jupp Heynckes was given just one season in the Spanish capital in 1997, the German unceremoniously sacked for finishing fourth in La Liga. As club president Lorenzo Sans said at the time: “If we had not won the European Cup, this would have been one of the worst seasons in recent years.”

Twenty years later, both manager and club are targeting historic achievements. Real seem destined to somehow secure a third consecutive Champions League trophy, while Heynckes is eyeing even more incomprehensible back-to-back Trebles. The German has reached the final of this competition every time he has managed in it, but Real have not lost a Champions League knock-out game in 35 months. Something has to give.

Writer to watch – Matt Stead