Interesting times ahead for Blues

We now know it will be a Madrid derby in the Champions League final on May 25 in Lisbon after both Real and Atletico overcame Bayern Munich and Chelsea, respectively, in this week’s semi-finals.

They were intriguing encounters, both, but the two sides that progressed were just tactically more astute and better prepared than their opponents over two legs.

I felt the criticism that Pep Guardiola received after the first leg defeat in Madrid was a little on the harsh side, with media and pundits alike condemning him for the possession-based style of play he brought from Barcelona to Munich. Much has been made in recent weeks of teams winning matches with very little possession of the ball and, although I’ve always had an open mind about it being possible to win football matches in different ways, it would still be my preference to try and have more possession than the opposition.