The wake for Pep Guardiola's career was short lived. He didn't so much as rise from the dead as he did just wake up again and tell everyone to calm the feck down.
There were ridiculous question marks over the Bayern Munich manager's head after a weakened side lost to Porto in the first leg of the Champions League quarter final. The night began with more eyebrows raised about his credentials.
Sure, he's masterminded five league titles, two Champions League victories and a plethora of other cup successes in his eight-year managerial career but sure look at the teams he had and all that nonsense. Something to that effect.
He took just 45 minutes to rip the backside off of Porto in the return leg and send the doubters silently back into another night.
But it was Bayern's third goal that stood apart in their 6-1 dismantling at the Allianz Arena.
The team put together 26 intricate passes in the build-up to Robert Lewandowski's first and the final two - a Lahm cross and a deft volleyed touch from Muller - were just simply sublime as the Polish international was laid in to head home one of the finest team goals in a while.
Here's a map of how the move went down.
https://twitter.com/OptaJose/status/590602034786787328
And here's the icing on the already scrumptious cake.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-50y5qqFjEQ
Guardiola is back in another Champions League semi final. He has never failed to do so. He's never failed to entertain either.
Feisty from Heimir. Heimir Hallgrimsson announced his Ireland squad earlier today, ahead of next week’s World Cup play-off semi-final against Czechia. There were four uncapped players named – Harvey Vale, James Abankwah, Bosun Lawal, Josh Keeley – with Lawal in with a good shot of getting a debut, following an injury to midfielder Josh Cullen. […]
Fans are puzzled. Heimir Hallgrimsson has announced his Ireland squad for the World Cup play-off semi-final against Czechia next Thursday. There was even more big news, with the manager revealing at the end of the press conference that he has signed a new contract until the end of the Euro 2028 campaign. Hallgrimsson stated that […]
A huge occasion. Ireland manager Heimir Hallgrimsson has named his squad for his side’s crucial World Cup play-off semi-final against Czechia next Thursday (kick-off, 7.45pm). The winner of the tie will face the winner of Denmark vs North Macedonia on Tuesday, 31 March. QPR attacking midfielder and former England U20s star, Harvey Vale, has been […]