The Weekly Take, Issue 232: First Blood in the Mbappé Sweepstakes

Real Madrid opened up a three-point lead at the summit of La Liga with a convincing 3-1 victory over arch-rivals Barcelona. Newly-crowned Ballon d'Or winner Karim Benzema opened the scoring; Federico Valverde and Rodrygo also registered goals for the Champions League holders. Ferran Torres scored Barça's only goal seven minutes from the end of regulation time; however, it proved to be inconsequential. Real's El Clásico win clearly established that in spite of their Catalan rivals' highly productive off-season, Real remain the team to beat in Spain.

Los Merengues' victory comes in the wake of transfer-related news that is likely to alter how teams approach the upcoming mid-season transfer window in January. Paris Saint-Germain superstar Kylian Mbappé supposedly claimed to be interested in leaving the club just months after rebuffing Real to continue his stint at his hometown club. While Mbappé has since denied this, the fact remains that the Pandora's Box has been opened; adding to the intrigue of the situation is that Real have been pursuing his acquisition for several years now.

There is arguably no club in world football right now in which Mbappé would be a better fit than Real. As undoubtedly great as Benzema still is, he will turn 35 in December. His decline will begin sooner or later. At 23, Mbappé could easily take over from his compatriot in the starting line-up once Benzema begins to age out of his peak years, then provide a decade of elite-level production up front - or perhaps even more.

Real could not have provided Mbappé with a better sales pitch. If he indeed decides to leave the Parc des Princes for the Spanish capital and become Benzema's replacement, Real would not only be set up for success in the present, but the future as well. Rodrygo, Valverde, and Vinícius Júnior, like Mbappé, are all in their early 20s. As the would-be "face" of the most successful club in football history, Mbappé would get the media attention and publicity he has always craved. He would be the undisputed leader of Real's attack - the pecking order would be firmly defined. There would not be any potential ego clashes with players like Neymar or Lionel Messi.

Mbappé has openly stated that having already won a World Cup with France, his next major target is the Ballon d'Or. There might be no better avenue for him to do exactly that than by joining Real. If Mbappé were to sign for Real, his arrival would make them the red-hot favourites to win the Champions League. As arguably the best player on the likely victors of Europe's leading club competition, one could scarcely imagine a more favourable scenario for Mbappé to snag football's highest individual honour.

As if all of that weren't enough, Mbappé would be coached by none other than the greatest football coach of all time in Carlo Ancelotti. The upgrade in the dugout that he would experience after leaving Christophe Galtier behind would be monumental. Ancelotti's tactical brilliance and supreme strategic mastery could very well unlock a new level in Mbappé's game - one that sees him truly emerge as one of the greatest strikers of all time.

The match against Barça clearly showed how great Real already are. If what they showed Mbappé were not enough to convince him, one wonders just what would. The only question mark is this: after so many failed attempts to sign him in the past, would this be a case of "once bitten, twice shy"? Though it's difficult to determine if such is so, one would not fault Real for having this line of thinking.

Of course, Real are not the only club in the "Kylian Mbappé Sweepstakes". You could easily argue that he'd be a good fit at teams such as Manchester United and AC Milan as well. However, the combination of team quality, coaching, setup, money, publicity, and title opportunities that is afforded by Real makes them the obvious front-runners to sign Mbappé.

Perhaps Mbappé's recent denial of the transfer rumours around him is genuine - he might not truly want to leave PSG after all. Nevertheless, every major club who can afford his signing is surely on high alert, and especially after this most recent victory, Real Madrid evidently have the inside track once again.

The Weekly Take, Issue 231: Not How It Was Supposed to Go

AC Milan entered this season fresh off a first Serie A title since the 2010-11 season. The Rossoneri had also enjoyed a productive off-season transfer window in which their most notable signing was Charles De Ketelaere from Club Brugge for a fee of €32 million. Milan were then drawn into a Champions League group containing Red Bull Salzburg, Chelsea, and Dinamo Zagreb; they were expected to top this group without facing too much difficulty.

This has not been the case at all as was shown in Milan's 3-0 loss against Chelsea in their Champions League match at Stamford Bridge. Milan were completely outplayed by the London club in just about every facet - right from opening kick-off, they never really stood a chance. Wesley Fofana, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, and Reece James put their names on the scoresheet in a match which could easily have seen an even larger margin of victory.

For Milan, an outcome like this was certainly not in the script. This was meant to be the season in which they would establish themselves as a team which would not only contend for a back-to-back league title but also make a deep Champions League run. However, based on what was seen in this performance, the latter might just be out of the question. It was a disjointed, incoherent performance devoid of any substance whatsoever. More importantly, the loss left Milan in a difficult position with regard to qualifying for the round of 16 - something which no one would have seen coming at the beginning of the season.

One flaw which Milan's loss to Chelsea exposed was the team's lack of depth in defense. Starting full-backs Davide Calabria and Theo Hernandez were both absent through injury; thus, their backups Sergiño Dest and Fodé Ballo-Touré entered the starting line-up. Both of them turned in dismal performances well below the expected standard at a club like Milan. Dest has to be singled out for a particularly abject performance. There is a reason why the American was shipped out on loan from Barcelona without a second thought on the Catalan club's part. Again and again, he was torched by Chelsea's attackers and made countless errors. Calabria's return cannot come soon enough for Milan.

Speaking of Barça, the absence a player who left the San Siro for Camp Nou has been keenly felt at Milan. Although Franck Kessié might not have necessarily been Milan's best player, he was arguably their most important before leaving for Barça. A versatile box-to-box midfielder, Kessié was an ideal fit alongside Sandro Tonali. While Ismaël Bennacer, who replaced Kessié in the starting 11, is no slouch himself, his game doesn't pair quite as well with Tonali's, and it clearly showed against Chelsea.

As he has been for much of the season thus far, De Ketelaere was somewhat underwhelming. Upon his arrival at Milan, the Belgian was heralded as one of the league's most promising young talents and seen as a potential difference-maker who could be the key to a successful Scudetto defense. However, thus far he has not been playing up to his transfer fee. While there's still more than enough time for De Ketelaere to adapt to Milan's system and emerge as a key contributor down the final stretch of the season, his "growing pains" are nonetheless evident.

Interestingly, De Ketelaere's slow start to his Milan stint might prove to be a blessing in disguise for Milan later this season. He might end up missing out on a spot in Belgium's World Cup team, which would have the effect of keeping him fresher and more rested for key matches in the coming months.

On the surface, this Milan team appears to be more talented than last year's iteration which ended their 11-year league title drought. It's far too early to write them off - they still stand a good chance of making the Champions League's round of 16 and despite being just fifth in Serie A, lie just three points behind league leaders Napoli. However, it's apparent that this season's Milan team just isn't clicking in quite the same way that last season's did - and that could very well prove to be their undoing domestically as well as in Europe.

The Weekly Take, Issue 230: There Are Levels to This

Heading into this season, Manchester United had been coming off their most productive off-season in years. Unlike in previous transfer windows, the Glazers openly brandished the big money to bring players to Old Trafford. These weren't no-namers either - Lisandro Martínez, Casemiro, and Antony all arrived at United, making this, at least on paper, one of United's strongest squads in a long time.

After a slow start to their Premier League campaign, United had managed to get back on track in recent weeks with impressive victories over Liverpool and Arsenal as part of a four-match winning streak. However, Erik ten Hag's team were given a stern reality check by cross-town rivals Manchester City. This latest iteration of the Manchester derby saw City claim a 6-3 victory at the Etihad stadium; Phil Foden and Erling Haaland's hat-tricks combined to give City an extremely one-sided win.

In spite of the enormous amount of money that the Red Devils spent in the off-season, their loss in the derby highlighted one key point: it's not going to happen without a megastar who is a legitimate Ballon d'Or candidate. Although Martínez and Casemiro are certainly above-average starters who would merit a place in just about any team's starting 11 while Antony appears to be an intriguing young prospect with a high ceiling, United were taken apart by such a player.

As has invariably been the case throughout this season, Haaland was close to a one-man wrecking crew for the Citizens. In addition to his three goals, Haaland provided the assists for two of Foden's own trio. The Norwegian is one of two City players who occupies that highest and rarest echelon; Kevin De Bruyne is the other. The effects of having two such players have been evident since the season began. While City currently lie second in the Premier League behind Arsenal, they will almost certainly overtake the Gunners at some point before opening up an enormous lead as they roll to yet another Premier League title by a huge margin. City are also the only English club who have a realistic chance of winning the Champions League.

This brings me back to United. Somehow, despite spending an eye-popping €240 million in the recent transfer window, it can absolutely be said that United "played it safe". This is especially true when considering the calibre of players who were up for grabs. Now, it's true that Haaland would never have signed for United owing to the history between the club and his father who was dealt a career-ending injury by a cheap shot from former United captain Roy Keane. Sadio Mané, who left Liverpool for Bayern Munich, was also off the table due to the rivalry between Liverpool and United. However, United did have many other opportunities to "swing for the fences" but passed on all of them.

This past off-season, Robert Lewandowski left Bayern for Barcelona. In-house friction between Neymar and Kylian Mbappé at Paris Saint-Germain almost led to Mbappé's departure from PSG. Speculation around Harry Kane's future at Tottenham Hotspur continues to circulate. And, if United had happened to have an unusually large appetite for risk, they might even have considered bringing Romelu Lukaku back to Old Trafford in hopes that he might recapture the form that saw him dominate during his first stint at Inter Milan. A large portion of the money United spent could easily have been used to finance the signing of one of these players.

None of this is a knock on any of United's key acquisitions. With their help as well as ten Hag's adept tactical mind, United will probably finish second or third in the league and either win the Europa League or make a deep run in it. However, this is Manchester United we're talking about - the world's most high-profile club with a level of glamour arguably only matched by Real Madrid and Barça. The prospect of being the face of United is something which the club should have leveraged to bring in that all-timer at the peak of his powers. United are thus likely to rue not doing so.

This season's United team do present a formidable challenge for opponents both domestically and abroad. However, in the words of Meek Mill, "there (are) levels to this"; United's timidity in the transfer window (masked by their extravagant financial outlay) has kept them from the topmost level.

The Weekly Take, Issue 229: Another Opportunity Squandered

The most recent Nations League matchday saw Low Countries rivals Belgium and the Netherlands square off in a derby match to decide which team would qualify for the Nations League Finals to be held in June. The Netherlands emerged with a 1-0 victory. Virgil van Dijk scored the only goal of the match.

For Belgium, this was the latest in a series of false dawns dating back to their arrival as a bona fide international football powerhouse in the early 2010s. In Belgium's last four major tournaments, they have been knocked out in the quarterfinals thrice and the semifinals once. To make matters worse, Belgium's quarterfinal exits in the 2014 World Cup as well as the 2016 and 2020 European Championship were ostensibly very winnable matches; indeed, one could make the case that Belgium entered all three of those matches as favourites.

The final remnants of the team which burst onto the scene with such hype almost a decade ago are now gearing up for what will almost certainly be their last World Cup - and perhaps the last in which Belgium are a genuine title threat for quite some time. Six of Belgium's starting 11 against the Netherlands featured in the 2014 World Cup in which they were once predicted to make such a splash. Eight years on, it's beginning to seem as though Belgium might never live up to all the buzz that once surrounded them.

On paper, this is a Belgium squad with the ability to go toe-to-toe with just about any of the world's elite teams. In Eden Hazard, Kevin De Bruyne, Thibaut Courtois, and Romelu Lukaku, Belgium have four players who have established their places among the all-time greats. On top of that, they also have intriguing blend of veterans and younger players that features the likes of Yannick Carrasco, Youri Tielemans, Axel Witsel, Thomas Meunier, Toby Alderweireld, Alexis Saelemakers, and Charles De Ketelaere. Yet, in spite of this impressive squad depth and abundance of talent, Belgium's loss against the Netherlands highlighted several key flaws.

From a tactical perspective, Belgium were thoroughly overmatched. While this was understandable to an extent given the fact that head coach Roberto Martínez was serving a touchline ban, it is not particularly likely that the Spaniard's presence in the dugout would have led to a better outcome; after all, it was almost certainly his tactics which were incorporated. In multiple key matches, most notably in Belgium's Euro 2020 quarterfinal loss against Italy, Martínez has been found lacking in the strategic department. It would not be surprising if Martínez were to be fired should Belgium once again underwhelm at the coming World Cup.

There also seems to be somewhat of a disconnect between the veterans from the original "golden generation" and the younger players. Once again, it isn't difficult to see why this is the case. The older cadre made Belgium relevant at the highest level of international football for the very first time, while the younger group entered the international game at a time when Belgium had already established itself as a force. While this might not necessarily seem to be a major issue on the surface, it has arguably manifested itself in the form of somewhat disjointed, disorganized play.

Additionally, despite having found the net in 49 consecutive matches prior to this match, Belgium were clearly in serious need of firepower up front. Despite their overall depth, they do not have a truly top-tier goalscorer outside of Lukaku, who was absent through injury. This lack of positional balance might ultimately prove to be Belgium's undoing at the World Cup, especially when facing elite defenses. There's not much good in going 18 or 19 deep if the squad has just one legitimate goal threat.

It has been an incredible decade for Belgian football - by far the finest in the history of a country which before it had seen precious little footballing success. This Belgium team should once again make a deep run at the World Cup. Qualification from the group stage is the bare minimum; a quarterfinal spot is expected. But to go all the way and bring home the World Cup for the very first time? The odds of that are, unfortunately, appearing increasingly slim.

The "golden generation" may just be fading to copper.

The Weekly Take, Issue 228: Stumbling Out of the Gates

The first Madrid derby of the 2022-23 La Liga saw Atlético Madrid host Real Madrid. Having entered the match in shaky form, Atlético's slow start to the season continued with a 2-1 loss to their cross-town rivals. First-half goals scored by Rodrygo and Federico Valverde saw Real take a 2-0 lead into the halftime break. Seven minutes from the end of regulation time, Atlético centre-back Mario Hermoso came off the bench to reduce the deficit, but that would be as close as Atlético would come. To cap off the loss, Hermoso was sent off after picking up a second yellow card in stoppage time.

The pre-match buildup was overshadowed by racist remarks targeted at Real striker Vinícius Júnior and his usual goal celebration. While these events seemed to galvanize Real and give them a cause around which they could rally, they appeared to have the exact opposite effect on Atlético. For almost the entire match, Atlético were thoroughly outplayed by their arch-rivals. Frankly, Atlético were rather fortunate to lose by just one goal.

After six La Liga matchdays, Atlético are in sixth place, eight points behind leaders Real. This is somewhat new territory for Atlético as they have finished in La Liga's top three in each of the last 10 seasons, picking up two league titles along the way. Thus, the question must be asked: what exactly is going wrong at the Wanda Metropolitano?

For one thing, Atlético's new off-season signings as well as their loan returnees have not gelled with the players already at the club in the way they had been expected to. Axel Witsel, Saúl Ñíguez, Antoine Griezmann, and Nahuel Molina have all been thoroughly disappointing thus far. Although Álvaro Morata appears to have hit the ground running follow a return from a loan stint at Juventus, his track records suggests that he is likely to regress to the mean before long.

Additionally, the drama surrounding the loan signing of Griezmann from Barcelona does not help matters at all. The French forward is now in the second season of a loan stint from the Catalan club. The terms of Griezmann's loan to Atlético reportedly state that Atlético have an obligation to sign him for €40 million if he were to play 45 minutes or more of at least 14 Atlético matches this season. As a result, Atlético head coach Diego Simeone has been reluctant to start Griezmann; the Madrid derby was Griezmann's first league start of the season. Barça, who believe that Atlético are currently obliged to sign Griezmann as a result of the matches in which he featured last season, intend to sue Atlético regarding this matter. This is undoubtedly an enormous distraction - one which could derail Atlético's season before it even gets off the ground.

Another factor that has caused Atlético to struggle is the alarming decline in form of goalkeeper Jan Oblak. Just four years ago, the Slovenian was the consensus pick as "the best goalkeeper in the world" - and it wasn't even close. Even a year and a half ago, Oblak was in most people's top five goalkeepers worldwide. However, thus far this season, he is almost unrecognizable when compared to the commanding presence who so deftly and ably patrolled the Atlético goalposts. To make matters even more alarming, Oblak is 29 years old - relatively young for a goalkeeper. If he is indeed past his best, Oblak's career arc will have included a remarkably early peak before declining. Considering the fact that goalkeeper is typically the position with the greatest longevity, it's possible that Atlético might have to think twice about retaining Oblak as the starting goalkeeper beyond this season.

Atlético are no strangers to adversity; indeed, in the first few years after gatecrashing Spain's former top table of two, they fought tooth and nail to hang on to that spot and ultimately consolidate it. Now, Atlético might just be facing their toughest challenge since their "arrival" about a decade ago.

Of course, if they are serious about clawing back the deficit to the top three, it's likely that a major shake-up will come in the January transfer window. Changes to Atlético's regular starting line-up may also be necessary. Arguably most importantly of all, any form of clarity on the Griezmann situation will be greatly welcomed.

The Weekly Take, Issue 227: Picked the Wrong Year to Peak

When the draw for this season's Champions League was revealed, one group stood out far above the rest: Group C. Featuring arguably the two best teams as well as three of the five best in European club football right now - Bayern Munich, Barcelona, and Inter Milan - this group was primed to be a bloodbath right from the first matchday.

However, if the match between Inter and Bayern during the opening matchday was anything to go by, that bloodbath will never materialize. Bayern were untroubled right from kick-off; they registered a 2-0 victory while not even playing anywhere close to their maximum level. Leroy Sané opened the scoring for Bayern in the first half before a Danilo D'Ambrosio own goal after the interval sealed the victory.

The result was never in doubt - indeed, even before the match even began, Inter were thoroughly overmatched in every conceivable area. In fact, Inter can count themselves somewhat fortunate to have lost by just two goals in light of Bayern's almost total superiority. Bayern and Barça are the two best club teams on the planet by an enormous margin; it's not even close.

What makes this especially galling is that this is quite possibly Inter's strongest team since their treble-winning team of 2010. This is an extremely well-rounded squad with quality at every position; Inter even made several important acquisitions during the off-season to further strengthen the squad. The arrivals of Robin Gosens, Joaquín Correa, Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Francesco Acerbi, and most notably of all, the returning Romelu Lukaku all appeared to make Inter not only the favourites to win Serie A, but also possible Champions League title contenders.

However, as things turned out, a season which began with so much promise for Inter might very well end up with no major titles at all. Domestically, the Serie A title race could very well be the most competitive title race ever. It figures to be a five-cornered fight with Juventus, Napoli, AS Roma, and reigning champions AC Milan all firmly in the mix. Juve's signings of Adrien Rabiot and Bremer have already made significant impacts. Though neither Roma nor Napoli made any major signings, both have significantly improved from last season. Despite losing Franck Kessié to Barça by way of a free transfer, Milan retained the majority of the core which landed them a first Scudetto in a decade.

As far as the Champions League is concerned, Inter were unfortunately drawn into by far the most difficult group this season - and arguably in the history of the Champions League. The sheer skill gap that separates Bayern and Barça from the rest of the pack cannot be understated. Barring knockout-round draw shenanigans, a Bayern-Barça final is by far the most likely outcome. Somehow, Inter had the misfortune to be placed in a group with not one, but both. Though Inter will almost certainly slip into the Europa League by finishing third in the group and subsequently be the overwhelming favourites to win that, the secondary continental tournament is surely not what the Nerazzurri had in mind when this season began. That said, should they end up there, only a tournament victory would be considered a success.

In just about any other year, this Inter team would have been receiving far more hype than it actually is. Spearheaded by the underrated Lautaro Martínez and featuring the likes of Denzel Dumfries, Nicolò Barella, Lukaku, and Federico Dimarco, Inter have the personnel and the strategic approach to take down almost anyone on their day. However, the key word is "almost" - though Inter are certainly one of the top 10 and arguably even top five teams in the world right now, the gap between them and the top three (Manchester City being the third) is simply too large to overcome. Additionally, though they may be favourites to reclaim the Scudetto they lost last season, the sheer number of contenders presents more opportunities for dropped points. It's not a lock by any means.

Of course, the possibility that Inter will have a highly successful mid-season transfer window and use it to pull away from the pack domestically still exists. However, either way, this season is shaping up to prove to be more difficult than what most Inter fans would have envisioned.

The Weekly Take, Issue 226: Here Comes a New Challenger

Last season, Union Berlin completed the best season in the club's history by finishing fifth in the Bundesliga and qualifying for this season's Europa League by doing so. This was a notable achievement given the fact that Union had been promoted to the Bundesliga for the first time in the club's history just two years prior. The last time that Union had been a top-flight club was in the 1987-88 season when they were relegated from the former East Germany's Oberliga.

During the most recent Bundesliga matchday, Union displayed their credentials as a bona fide contender for a Champions League berth next season by impressively holding Bayern Munich to a 1-1 draw. Sheraldo Becker opened the scoring for Union in the 12th minute before Joshua Kimmich equalized for Bayern three minutes later.

Despite only having 25% of the possession and seldom being in control of the match's tempo, the club from the German capital kept Bayern frustrated and shackled with a resolute, gritty showing. They displayed the same mentality that served them so well throughout last season, showing absolutely no trepidation in the face of the onslaught served by their Bavarian opponents.

When this season began, there were genuine questions about whether Die Eisernen could match their performance from last season after having lost leading goalscorer Taiwo Awoniyi to Nottingham Forest. The Premier League club signed the Nigerian for a fee of €20.5 million, making him the most expensive signing in the club's history. However, ever since Awoniyi's departure, he and Union could not have experienced more disparate fortunes. At Forest, Awoniyi is locked in a battle to avoid relegation to the Championship. On the other hand, Union have taken it up a notch and could even qualify for the Champions League for the first time in the club's history.

Union's strong start to the season has in no small part been driven by Becker's sudden rise. The Surinamese striker has already exceeded his total of four goals from last season. With five in his first five matches, Becker is set to obliterate his career-best of seven; even that figure was accomplished in the far less competitive Eredivisie with ADO Den Haag. Compared to last season, he has spent more time playing centrally as opposed to coming in from out wide - a move that has clearly paid dividends. Becker has also shown good chemistry with strike partner and new signing Jordan Pefok; the pair clicked almost right from the beginning.

From a tactical standpoint, Union's 3-5-2 formation is somewhat unconventional according to the current "meta"; however, it clearly seems to work. Their setup has allowed them to be particularly effective on the counter-attack; thus, while Union tend to concede a great deal of possession to their opponents, this often has little impact on the flow of play. This tactical approach has not only brought Union much success; it has also made Urs Fischer one of the most underrated coaches in European football today.

Like many Bundesliga clubs operating on a rather limited budget, Union have had to work the transfer window for all it's worth - and they have done just that. Pefok, Morten Thorsby, and Janik Haberer were signed for a total cost of €9 million - well below their expected market value. When coupled the influx of revenue the club received from Awoniyi's departure, they could be primed to make a key signing during the upcoming mid-season transfer window.

Union's ascension since their promotion to the Bundesliga in 2019 is somewhat reminiscent of Atlético Madrid's rise in the late 2000s and early 2010s. Like Union, Atlético were a big-city club mired in the doldrums; elite status seemed worlds away. However, through a combination of shrewd signings, tactical brilliance from head coach Diego Simeone, first-class scouting, and ownership willing to do whatever was necessary to deliver success to the club, Atlético went from strength to strength and are today a Champions League mainstay as well as a frequent title contender in La Liga.

It is, of course, far too early to tell if Union will follow in Atlético footsteps. That said, a decade from now, they too could be making deep Champions League runs every year if they make the right moves. They're obviously on the right track - but will they keep it going?