PEPE vrs LIONEL MESSI: The least envious job in modern football is to tackle a certain Lionel Messi. The Lilliputian has proved time without number a thorn in the flesh for most centre backs as well as defensive midfielders. After Jose Mourinho’s Inter Milan succeeded in taming the merciless Lionel in the 2009/2010 Champions League season courtesy Javier Zanetti, no other player had been able to contain the tricky Argentine until Pepe was thrown into the fray to man mark the current world best player in last season’s El Clasico series. The Portuguese did a fair share of his job ‘taking care’ of Messi but with rather harsh repercussions; he was sent off. Pepe will be playing at centre-back in today’s game but will still come up against his nemesis as Messi will be employed as a false nine. Messi, who loves to see Iker Casillas in goal (Messi has scored 13 times against the Spanish number one) will be a tricky customer to deal with. Patience and discipline will be the key words for Pepe but ‘El Pulga’s’ dribbling at pace, trickery and perfect style, even in executing his signature move will prove much of a handful for the Portuguese centre-back. This will be the main battle in the El Clasico. The winner of this key battle will surely hoist the flag of victory at the end of 90 minutes. I call this THE BATTLE OF BEAUTY (Lionel Messi) AND THE BEAST (Pepe).

CRISTIANO RONALDO vrs DANIEL ALVES: I prefer to call it the battle of the flanks. Daniel Alves is famed for his attacking verve up field, sometimes even playing as a right sided midfielder due to the amount of possession Barcelona chalk in most of their games. Barcelona’s strongest side is undoubtedly on the right hand side where Dani Alves (RWB), Xavi (RCM) and Pedro (RWF) operate. Sometimes Lionel Messi drops deeper onto that side of the field to receive and/or exchange passes with fellow South American, Alves so as  to start an attacking move. The telepathy that has been struck between Lionel Messi and Daniel Alves cannot be overemphasised and the link up play between the two is more than perfect. Anytime Daniel Alves is pinned back by two highly effective left-sided players, the Barcelona team suffers (as demonstrated by Valencia’s Jordi Alba and Jeremy Mathieu in a La Liga game at the Mestalla last month). On the other hand, Cristiano Ronaldo is known for his ability to cut in from the flanks, drifting into central positions in the process to shoot at goal. The Portuguese’s temerity to outfox Alves and to nullify his threat will break down Barcelona’s play from the right whilst Alves’ runs down that flank will be for Barcelona’s gain. Alves, a right wing back already has 5 assists in the La Liga………..same number of assists as Mesut Ozil, a playmaker for Real Madrid. This battle will also be very crucial as Daniel Alves’ crosses and passes down the right hand side is as important as Ronaldo’s runs and driftings from that flank.

KARIM BENZEMA vrs GERARD PIQUE: It’s highly anticipated that French striker Karim Benzema will lead the attack for Real Madrid ahead of Gonzalo Higuain. The former Lyon star has been in scintillating form this season scoring 7 goals in the process. Benz is an all-round, all-action typical centre forward who runs the channel so effectively and his link up and hold up play is worthy of adulation. Benzema will look to switch with Ronaldo during the game but will always almost come against Gerard Pique. The Spain central defender has developed many aspects of his game following his return to Iberia from England. Fitness problems have blighted his season as the towering central defender has made only 8 appearances out of a possible 15 in the La Liga this term but he should be more than capable of tracking the runs of Benzema. Gerard Pique is very good in the air and his ability to win the aerial battle against Benz will be a key deciding factor. On the downside, the Shakira-driven La Masia product has accumulated 5 yellow cards; this goes a long way to prove that his tackling has become careless these days.

XAVI HERNANDEZ vrs XABI ALONSO: In midfield, I call this battle THE BATTLE OF THE REGISTAS (deep lying playmakers). The two La Furia Roja team mates will lock horns in the middle of the field to ascertain the true boss of midfield. Xabi Alonso will be deployed in a more defensive role as his other midfield partners will be assigned other specialised roles. Alonso has grown into his role as the most important player at Real Madrid (in my opinion) with his wide range of passes (mid range, cross field and short passes) and killer ‘through balls’. His defensive qualities cannot be overelaborated with strong neat tackles and perfect break up play. His calming influence has also been a source of inspiration for a young Madrid midfield as has his leadership. The box-to-box midfielder will sit back to screen the back four whilst also creating chances from deep within midfield. Xavi Hernandez on the other hand has repeatedly demonstrated his talents time without number and will be relishing a clash with his Spain team mate. Xavi in my candid estimation has been the best central midfielder in the last decade with some intricate passing and excellent ball control coupled with overall intelligent play. Xavi orchestrates the midfield with aplomp and is very deadly from set pieces. The multiple top assist award winner in the La Liga already has 5 assists to his name and together with his partners, Sergio Busquets and Andres Iniesta, Alonso will have his hands full. Again, Xabi Alonso has always struggled against Barcelona’s midfield whilst Xavi Hernandez has always performed exceedingly against Real Madrid’s midfield. The winner of this battle will clearly boss the midfield or should I say win the midfield battle and will help catalyse their respective team to victory. The game of football is won from midfield, isn’t it?

PEP GUARDIOLA vrs JOSE MOURINHO: Pep Guardiola has revolutionalised football since ascending the Barcelona throne. The 40 year old has perfected the use of false nines, played central/defensive midfielders as centre backs and the usage of 3 defenders at the back (for example in the games against Villareal and AC Milan at the San Siro). Guardiola is tactically adept and his influence in the modern game has gone unnoticed. His first season at the Camp Nou ended with a haul of an unprecedented sextuple in the 2008/2009 season and since then, trophies upon trophies have arrived at the Camp Nou amidst pomp and pageantry. In his short managerial stint, the former Barcelona defensive midfielder has brought back joy to Catalonia as Barcelona; it’s such a joy watching Barcelona play their tiki-taka football. Guardiola has impressed in all but one of his meetings against eternal rivals Real Madrid since 2008 and has never lost a league game against Los Blancos. In fact, his league outings against the Bernabeu outfit has been very impressive including, albeit infamously, a 6-2 thrashing of Los Merengues at the Bernabeu in his first season and a 5-0 trouncing at the Camp Nou last term. Indications from every corner show that he’ll roll out his favoured 4-3-3 against the most successful team in Spain but any decision to revert to his newly found 3-4-3 (was implemented to accommodate Fabregas and also due to unavailability of defenders earlier on in the season) should not be ruled out. Jose Mourinho will not have Tito Vilanova to poke his eyes but will have to poke the eyes of Cules around the world by influencing his players to make a case against the best team in the world currently. Mourinho, a former Barcelona assistant coach has made more enemies than friends in Catalonia and will be hoping to make more friends than enemies in Madrid and especially among hard core Madridstas this evening. The outspoken Portuguese has won only once against Barcelona since he arrived from the Italian peninsula and that was in the Copa del Rey final last season where Cristiano Ronaldo scored a thumping header to hand Real Madrid their first trophy in as many years. Jose Mourinho has always asked to be judged after his second season; he has always performed admirably in his second season at all the clubs he has managed, hasn’t he? Real Madrid are in the form of their lives notching up a record-equaling 15 consecutive wins in all competitions in their last game against Ajax in the Champions League. ‘’The Special One’’ is expected to roll out his favoured 4-2-3-1 formation but information from various quarters also indicate that a defensive 4-3-3 formation could emerge. It is a battle of REPEAT from PEP GUARDIOLA’s point of view as against REVENGE from JOSE MOURINHO’s troops.

antsiD

Whilst Pep Guardiola has revolutionized football by playing false nines, tiki taka football, midfielders in defence and playing three defenders at the back (the latter two reminiscent of ancient  Italian style of defending), Jose Mourinho has built for himself a reputation that even the wily Sir Alex Ferguson will be envious of. Mou’s record of reigning in the trophies alongside jaw-dropping performances in his second season at every club the Portuguese has managed will be key in this marquee fixture. A quick glance at the La Liga league log clearly reveals Real Madrid in pole position followed by FC Barcelona; three points separating the two, albeit the Catalan giants have played a game more. This titanic clash is potentially a season defining one…. tomorrow’s game is  match day 14, I’m aware and there are more games ahead but I’m headstrong that a win for Real Madrid will all but seal the Liga title for Los Blancos opening up a 6 point gap. Barcelona winning the Clasico series has become the status quo these days as Los Merengues have not won against their eternal rivals in the La Liga since the 2007/2008 season so how does Real Madrid beat Barcelona in tomorrow’s El Clasico?

The formation Jose Mourinho employs tomorrow will be a key ingredient in this fixture. From every indication, the Portuguese gaffer will roll out his favoured 4-2-3-1 formation, which I have a problem with. Apart from the away league game against Valencia in which Mourinho preferred to play 4-3-3, the usual formation has been the aforementioned 4-2-3-1. If Barcelona play a 4-3-3 formation, then the midfield battle will be a case of 2 vrs 3 where Madrid will definitely lose. For me, playing a 4-3-3 formation (such as against Valencia) with the same tactics will be the best for Real Madrid. In that game, “The Special One” employed three defensive midfielders in Sami Khedira, Xabi Alonso and Lassana Diarra. Khedira was given a special role; playing high up the field and pressing the Valencia centre-backs, Adil Rami and Victor Ruiz when Madrid did not have the ball. Pressing will be discussed later on but a 4-3-3 formation is the key thrust here. This will give room for a 3 vrs 3 situation in midfield and as Madrid have stronger players in the middle compared to Barca’s midfielders, Los Blancos can win the midfield battle and build on that to win the game.

Again, direct and counterattacking football should be the answer going forward for Real Madrid. We’ve seen Madrid demonstrate possessive football this term with intricate short passes but to play that kind of football against the author of such kind of football (Barcelona) will be the greatest mistake Real Madrid will ever make. Barcelona are masters of this type of football and teams that have tried to play like Barcelona against Barcelona end up losing. A certain Arsenal quickly comes to mind. There’s a rule at Barcelona called the “6 second rule” where the players have 6 seconds to regain the ball whenever they lose it. And so in a typical game, Barcelona players attack in pairs whenever they lose the ball and try to regain it back within 6 seconds. Madrid playing the possessive kind of football means Barcelona will easily dispossess them of the ball with ease as that is one of the hallmarks of the Catalan giants. Direct football is invariably associated with counter attacking football. Real Madrid have scored almost half of their goals from counter attacks and seem to be the best counter attacking team in the world at the moment. With the presence of lightning-quick forwards in the shape of Cristiano Ronaldo, Mesut Ozil and Angel di Maria, quick counter attacking football should be quintessential for Mourinho’s side on Saturday if they are to carry the flag of victory.

Another point worthy of note is how Madrid should defend against Barca. Pressing high up the field and forming two banks of four when Barcelona is in possession will be the best way to defend against Barca. The Catalans have an admirable philosophy with they way they utilize SPACE on the field of play; they make the pitch seem larger when they have the ball by running into spaces and make the pitch look smaller when the opponents have the ball by closing them down (courtesy the 6 second rule). Sami Khedira and Lass are more than capable of executing this task of pressing and covering space, leaving Xabi Alonso in a less physically involving role but rather a creative one. The two combative midfielders have boundless amount of energy and will be rearing to buzz around the field closing down opponent players when the ball is higher up the pitch. Deep defending will involve forming two banks of four where the formation will look like a 4-4-1-1 formation when the ball is around centre midfield; the same tactics Chelsea effectively used against Valencia in the Champions League on Tuesday.

Without doubt, some players in white will influence the outcome of this game. Cristiano Ronaldo, Angel di Maria and Xabi Alonso to be precise. Ronaldo has been transformed from an individual player to a more complete player since Florentino Perez shipped 80 million pounds to Manchester United for the services of the Portuguese forward. He has scored 107 goals in 109 games thus far and this is an astronomical statistic worthy of adulation. So far this season, the good-looking forward has scored 17 goals plus some 6 assists to his credit (joint top scorer with Lionel Messi who also has the same number of assists too). The Portuguese has scored twice against the Catalans in 2011 and will surely be the main protagonist in this Clasico story. Mostly employed on the left wing as an inverted winger, the former world best will be pitted against a rather ambitious Dani Alves who will prove a tough customer. Angel di Maria is also in the form of his life having already assisted 11 times (top assist provider in the La Liga) so far. Another inverted winger, the left-footed right sided player loves to drift into central positions and his work rate coupled with his skills, tricks, theatrics and flicks will add some beauty to the game. I’ve always reiterated that Xabi Alonso has been the most important player at Real Madrid this season with his accurate cross field passess, intelligent break up play, defence-splitting passes, deliveries from set-pieces and a calming influence in a young Madrid midfield. In my honest opinion, the Basque midfielder has been the best regista (deep lying playmaker) in the La Liga this season alongside Xavi Hernandez. But the problem here is, Alonso has always been uncomfortable playing in a midfield that also contains Iniesta, Busquets and Xavi. Let’s hope the scale of excellent performance tilts in favour of the former Liverpool midfielder on Saturday evening.

Exploiting Barca’s weakness will be the last point of note in this piece. Barcelona have their own flaws. The fact that they play a high line of defence means that playing the ball in behind their defence will find them panicking. Fortunately, they are not blessed with too many quick defenders and Madrid’s pacy forwards should be lurking for over the top passes by Xabi Alonso. Barcelona do concede a number of goals from crosses and set-pieces too. Free kick expert, Cristiano Ronaldo will be relishing the  chance to rattle the net with one of his ferocious trademark free kicks whilst Jose Mourinho will be looking out for the full-backs and Angel di Maria to whip in the crosses from the flanks. Mesut Ozil also takes some perfect corner kicks and as most of Barcelona’s players are vertically challenged, the likes of Ronaldo and sometimes Sergio Ramos may grab the chance to steal the headlines. Another way of exploiting Barca’s weakness is to attack Dani Alves. The Brazilian full-back is famed for his swashbuckling runs up field leaving the right side of Barcelona’s defence exposed. Alves is an important part of this current Barca set up and with 5 assists already to his name due to his ability to bomb forward, Madrid have  to push him back to nullify his threat just like Valencia did at the Mestalla last month. Valencia manager, Unai Emery actually played two left-backs (Jordi Alba and Jeremy Mathieu) to pin Alves down and Barca looked  helpless as all the two goals from Valencia came down the left-flank or right side for Barca, where Dani Alves operates. Cristiano Ronaldo and a more industrious left- sided player, probably Fabio Coentrao will do a great job on Alves.

OTHER POINTS WORTHY OF NOTE

1. Keep Lionel Messi in check. The diminutive Argentine and soon to be enthroned World Best Player for an unprecedented third time in a row has been merciless against Iker Casillas scoring a whopping 13 times against the Spanish number one. He’s odds on to score again……….at the Bernabeu.
2. Take the GAS off FAB….Fabulous Fabregas has been in scintillating form since he returned to his first love, Barcelona. The skillful midfielder has played several roles across midfield and attack including as a false nine and as a second striker behind Lionel Messi. Seven goals and 5 assists is testament to the kind of telepathy the former Arsenal captain has struck with his new team mates.
3. Attack the centre-backs especially Mascherano. Argentine defensive midfielder, Javier Mascherano has grown into his role as a centre back at Barca but still has some way to go. With Carles Puyol out injured, Mascherano will definitely partner Gerard Pique. The former Liverpool star man is very tough with his tackles and the tendency for him to whack down Benzema or Ronaldo (when he drifts into central positions) just in and around the 18 yard box will work in favour of Real Madrid. Masch as he is affectionately called has already amassed 4 yellow cards in the La Liga this season whilst his partner in crime, Gerard Pique, has 5 yellow cards.
4. Home advantage. Madrid have the luxury of playing at home and with more than 70,000 Madridstas drumming their heads off all in the name of raising the morale of the players, Mourinho’s men can simply not disappoint. What’s more, Real Madrid have not lost a single game nor drawn at the Estadio Bernabeu this season (in all competitions) and are currently on a 15 game winning streak in all competitions, which equals a record set way back in 1960/1961. A win against Barca will shatter to smithereens that record and set a new record which will be an incredible feat for Jose Mourinho’s men. On the other hand, Barcelona have been awful in their away games scoring only 8 times and conceding 7 whilst Lionel Messi has only scored once in an away game and 16 times at the Camp Nou. Food for thought!!
5. Finally discipline. Madrid accumulated as many red cards in the Clasico series last term which in the long run, went against them. Attracting a red card in a game of this magnitude is equivalent of shooting yourself in the foot and so the likes of Angel di Maria, Pepe and other prominent members of this detestable clique should be adviced.

Basically, the points delineated above if religiously observed by Jose Mourinho should be enough to clinch a win for Real Madrid. I’ll proceed to predict my first 11 in a 4-3-3 formation. Iker Casillas (GK), Alvaro Arbeloa (RB), Sergio Ramos (RCB), Pepe (LCB), Marcelo (LB), Lass (DMF), Xabi Alonso (DMF), Sami Khedira (CMF), Cristiano Ronaldo (LWF), Karim Benzema (CF) and Angel di Maria (RWF). I hate to predict but a 3-1 victory for the men in white seems to be on the offing with two goals coming in from Cristiano Ronaldo and another from Angel di Maria. HALA MADRID!!

Nigeria have plumetted in the latest Fifa rankings released recently.

The Super Eagles, placed 38 in the last edition in August, fell five places to 43rd in the world.

Nigeria also fell two places in Africa, to sixth.

The team have experienced mixed fortunes recently, losing 1-3 to Argentina in an international friendly earlier in the month, but beating Madagascar 2-0 in an African Nations Cup qualifier.

Cote d’Ivoire are down one place to 16th overall, but remain first in Africa.

After just one month at the top, the Netherlands have relinquished first place to Spain.

Germany (3rd, unchanged) now sit directly above Uruguay (4th, up 1), who occupy their highest-ever position on the global ladder. Other movers towards the summit were Portugal (5th, up 3), Italy (6th, up 1) and Brazil (7th, down 1), while England round up the top eight having lost four places.

Drogba says head injury was the worst he has picked up in his career and thanks everyone who helped him in the immediate aftermath.

Describing his limited memory from the injury at Stamford Bridge, Drogba admits the ordeal was a scary one which ranks as the worst he has experienced in his football career.

“When I woke up I didn’t know what was going on – I was scared,” he told The Sun.

“I couldn’t remember anything from after Norwich equalised until I was being rushed to hospital.

“But I’m really grateful to everyone who helped me, the stadium staff and the medics who calmed me down. They told me I’d been unconscious for between six to eight minutes.

“Not playing was frustrating, but I was lucky I was still alive and I knew it was only a question of time and I’d play football again.”

Drogba continued: “I’ve had some injuries before – I’ve broken a leg and an arm – but this was worse. I had concussion and a perforated ear drum which is why I needed time. I was feeling dizzy and needed to wait for my ear to heal.

“I couldn’t cope with any noise, it was too noisy in my head and I wasn’t allowed to fly because it was too dangerous.”

Chelsea had hoped to give Drogba his comeback from the bench in the midweek League Cup game against Fulham.

However, circumstances of the match, which included the Blues picking up a red card and having to fight all the way to a penalty shoot-out before progressing, meant he remained as an unused substitute.

Reports from Chelsea’s Official Website;

Andre Villas, speaking in Bangkok, has announced that Chelsea has agreed terms with Barcelona for the transfer of Oriol Romeu, a 19-year-old defensive midfielder.

The player has yet to agree personal terms or pass a medical and is currently away with the Spain Under 20 squad which is soon to compete in the World Cup for that age level in Columbia.

‘I don’t want to speak too much about him because he is not our player,’ Villas-Boas added.

‘It is a part of the squad in which we are struggling with numbers because of Michael Essien‘s injury and Oriol is a player with a bright future. He still has to evolve as a player.

‘The Barcelona B team had a magnificent year in the Spanish second division, they finished third. Oriol had an injury during the season but he came back late on and was in time to play for the first team. So he is one of the most promising young players in that position and hopefully we can agree personal terms and hopefully he will pass a medical.’

Oriol began with Barcelona’s smaller neighbours Espanyol before joining the famous Camp Nou academy in 2004, progressing through the ranks until a reserve team regular playing in Spain’s second tier under Luis Enrique.

He made his La Liga debut for the senior Barça side at the end of last season, coming on as a late substitute in a 0-0 draw against Deportivo La Coruna, having also appeared at the beginning of the campaign in a Spanish Supercup loss away at Sevilla.

The 6ft Catalan can also play in central defence and is renowned for his strength and his expansive passing ability.

Villas-Boas also had news on Thibaut Courtois, the 19-year-old goalkeeper who is on the verge of finalising a move from Belgium and is subject to news reports that he is to be loaned out to Atletico Madrid.

‘It is also a question of time and of deciding where we think it is better for him to evolve as a player, in Spain or in another country,’ the manager reported.

‘The Spanish League is an extremely competitive league and Atletico is a great club to be at but it is not decided yet on his future.

‘It is still a couple of days until we can confirm agreement between all three parties.’

Samir Nasri has decided to see through his contract at Arsenal for the coming season

The Sun says he will snub the £115,000-a-week contract being offered by Arsenal in the hope of forcing a £20million move toManchester City.

Nasri, who travelled to Germany yesterday for a friendly against Cologne this afternoon, has told club pals he would still be happy to stay at the Emirates for the final year of his contract.

Asked last night whether Nasri’s future at Arsenal is sorted, boss Arsene Wenger said: “Not completely but I want him to stay. He knows that.

“Hopefully we can sort that out in the coming weeks.

Chelsea’s new Manager Andre Villas Boas is bent of landing some English players.

Manchester Citywinger Adam Johnson, Bolton’s Gary Cahill, Jack Rodwell ofEverton and Birmingham’s Scott Dann are being linked with the Blues.

But a Chelsea source admitted to The Sun: “It’s a big problem for Andre. Unless he can get rid of some of the overseas players he is restricted in what he can do.

“It’s why English players are commanding bigger fees than perhaps they are worth.”

Drogba admits he’s in a one on one battle with Fernando Torres for the No1 spot at Chelsea, even though the new manager Villas-Boas would not comment on the ‘obsession’ over Torres and insists the duo can play together.

But Drogba is not so sure and believes they are challenging for the same place.

He said: “I think me and Fernando are competing for the central role.

“We all know the new manager is a fan of 4-3-3, so nothing is really going to change from last season. For me, it’s not a problem to play with Fernando or without him. That’s the manager’s choice.

“But this is the way it has always been for me at Chelsea. I have been competing with the other strikers in all my years in England.

“When I joined there was Eidur Gudjohnsen, then it was Andriy Shevchenko and now it is Fernando Torres andNicolas Anelka.

“Even two years ago when people were saying there was no competition, we had Daniel Sturridge and Salomon Kalou who could have played instead of me.

“I still have to perform and you can’t be the only striker.”

Shock waves were sent down the spines of most Chelsea fans particularly Essien lovers when an infamous list was supposedly released by the management of Chelsea. Apparently, five to six senior players were being offered for sale; Frank Lampard and Nicolas Anelka (5 million pounds), Michael Essien and Didier Drogba (10 million pounds), Mikel Obi, Florent Malouda and Salomon Kalou (15 million pounds).

The arrival of a new manager (Andres Villas-Boas) meant that the squad had to undergo total overhauling. It has been rumoured that Falcao is set to become a Chelsea player after a deal worth 30 million euros was agreed with Portuguese outfit, FC Porto whilst other major signings are also in the pipe line. Andre Villas-Boas plans to line up his players in a 4-3-3 formation. This tactics requires the use of only one center forward (i.e. Fernando Torres or Drogba) but Villas-Boas is willing to build his team around ‘El Nino’ meaning Drogba has to settle for the bench or better still leave London to seek first team play in another club. Old age is catching up on “Lamps” and so his influence in the middle of the park has dwindled. Salomon Kalou and Mikel Obi have not really performed up to expectation over the years, albeit they are not being used in their natural or should I say preferred position. As for Malouda, I can’t really decipher why he is not wanted but for Michael Essien, it’s a big shock. The 2007 Chelsea player of the year had his own demons to contend with last season as niggling injuries meant that he was reduced to 32 games, 3 goals and 2 assists.

Bayern Munich have been on the look out for a midfield enforcer since the departure of former club captain, Mark van Bommel to AC Milan during this year’s winter transfer in January.  That’s why Bayern’s continuous pursuance of Bayer Leverkusen’s defensive midfielder Arturo Vidal has not been much of a surprise. The Chile international was one of the best players in the German Bundesliga last season scoring some 10 goals and recording another 11 assists which are very interesting statistics for a defensive minded midfielder. Vidal’s experience in Germany’s elite league suggests that he can continue his good performance at Bayern Munich from where he left off at Bayer Leverkusen. Newly appointed Bayern Coach, Jupp Heynckes was the manager at Bayer Leverkusen last season meaning t he knows Vidal’s ability and qualities better. So why can’t Bayern bring in Vidal? The asking price for Vidal is around 15 million but Bayern are ready to offer just around 10 million. Michael Essien’s price tag is exactly 10 million meaning that Essien can make a quick switch to the Allianz Arena. Defensive midfield was a major problem for the Bavarians last term as Toni Kroos, Anatoliy Tymoschuk and Luiz Gustavo were not able to impress when given the opportunity.

Michael Essien is therefore the perfect piece in the Bayern midfield puzzle. Essien, who cost Chelsea some 26 million euros around 2005 is undoubtedly a world class player and may fit straight into the starting 11 of most top clubs, well apart from Real Madrid. The 28 year old has vast experience and will be very vital for Bayern’s 2011/2012 campaign. Bayern manager, Heynckes is very likely to employ a 4-4-2 formation meaning Essien can easily partner Schweinsteiger in the centre of midfield. Bayern’s 2010/2011 campaign was nothing to write home about mainly due to their midfield and defensive problems but with Essien in the squad, die Rekord wield a versatile player who can commute between defence and midfield with ease. Remember Essien can play quite a number of positions; centre back, right-back, defensive midfield, right midfield, centre midfield and attacking midfield.

Bayern is not the only club chasing “The Bison”. AC Milan, Tottenham and Real Madrid are also monitoring the situation. Whilst a move to Tottenham is not likely to be facilitated (due to the rivalry between the two clubs), a move to Italy will best suit Essien’s playing style but the question is will he slot into the first eleven at the first time of asking? Milan have quite a number of deep-lying midfielders and all-round players and so Essien may just not be needed. Real Madrid would have been a good destination as the Ghanaian would have reunited with his former trainer, Jose Mourinho, but the abundance of talents in that Madrid midfield will trigger him to think twice. A host of other clubs may be after Michael Essien but for now, the best option should be Bayern Munich, a club ready to conquer Germany and Europe.

At the German powerhouse, Essien will be assured of Champions League football and offered the opportunity to play in an exciting league and to emulate former Ghana international defender, Samuel Osei-Kuffour, who spent 12 trophy-laden years at the club. Bayern Munich as a club is undergoing a transition stage; reigning in new players has become the order of the day at the Roten have secured the services of four players so far this summer: Rafinha (full-back), Manuel Neuer (goalkeeper), Nils Petersen (striker) and Takashi Usami (winger). Well, Chelsea’s Michael Essien will also be welcome at Bayern Munich.

POSSIBLE FORMATION (for now) WITH MICHAEL ESSIEN IN THE LINE UP (4-4-2)

NEUER

RAFINHA            -                 TYMOSCHUK              -           VAN BUYTEN                -                LAHM

ROBBEN             -                   ESSIEN                       -        SCHWEINSTEIGER           -            RIBERY

MULLER

GOMEZ