The Warm-Up: Ryan Sessegnon is up and running for Spurs
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Updated 12/12/2019 at 08:57 GMT
A goal on his first start for the youngster, and a great day at the office for Atalanta
Manuel Neuer of FC Bayern Munich saves the ball from Ryan Sessegnon of Tottenham Hotspur during the UEFA Champions League group B match between Bayern Muenchen and Tottenham Hotspur at Allianz Arena on December 11, 2019 in Munich, Germany
Image credit: Getty Images
SMACK!
A small thing in the bigger picture, but it’s a shame Mauricio Pochettino never really got to give Ryan Sessegnon a run in the team. Injury kept the egregiously talented teenager on the sidelines until November, by which time the crisis was firmly raging.
Anyway, Pochettino’s loss is Jose Mourinho’s gain, and we all know how he loves to bring young footballers through. Sessegnon got his first start in Wednesday’s dead rubber against Bayern Munich, and though Spurs lost, he picked up his first Spurs goal. Like this:
Now, The Warm-Up don’t know what footballers dream about when they make their big moves, or in the long days and dark nights as they recover from injury. But we’d bet that scoring goals is a big part of it, especially for 19-year-olds.
And we’d bet further that “battering the ball past Manuel Neuer at 200 miles an hour” is an incredibly satisfying way to fulfil that daydream. Let’s just hope Sessegnon enjoyed it, before Mourinho sticks him at left-back and orders him never to cross the halfway line again.
Hooray for Atalanta
The most intriguing story of Wednesday’s Champions League games came in Ukraine, at the tremendously named Stadion Metalist, where Atalanta rudely put three unanswered goals past their hosts Shakhtar Donetsk. In the process, the Italians jumped from last in the group to second, securing their place in the last 16.
Fair to say this didn’t look likely after their first three games. They lost them all, conceding 11 in the process, before finally pinching a point from City in the fourth. But another pile of goals came to their rescue: after Shakhtar and Dinamo Zagreb drew 2-2 and then 3-3, an unlikely path opened up. As long as they won their last two games …
… and they did! Which is officially A Good Thing. Last season they played with style and verve, scored 103 goals in all competitions, and eventually finished third in Serie A. This season they’re banging them in again, despite an injury to last season’s top scorer Duván Zapata. Also there’s this guy:
Watch your footing
So now that we know next week’s draw for the last 16, let’s have a look at those teams that ended up second in their groups, and so have become the Official Banana Skins. Teams that the group winners will not want to play.
Or to put it another way, which lucky team gets to stand around looking confused and happy while PSG self-immolate again?
The Warm-Up doesn’t do predictions, and never will, but for our money the really awkward draws here are Tottenham, Atalanta, and maybe Borussia Dortmund. Spurs will have had a couple of months of Mourinho, which is generally the recommended amount. Atalanta will be pressure-free and free-scoring. And Dortmund might have moved Lucien Favre on by the new year.
But the two Madrid teams are floating around ominously: they may not be in vintage form, but Real Madrid win games in Europe they’ve absolutely no right to, while Atleti are coached by Diego Simeone. That’s nobody’s idea of fun.
Well, except Diego Simeone’s.
IN OTHER NEWS
Manchester City scored their 500th goal under Pep Guardiola’s management. That’s 500 goals in three and a bit years, well over 100 a year. Not bad going, on the whole. What a pity that they will all be overshadowed by that time he waved two fingers at the fourth official.
RETRO CORNER
The Warm-Up isn’t quite sure how or why we ended up searching Youtube for Peter Reid compilations. But we’re glad we did. What a player.
HAT TIP
Today is election day in the UK, and When Saturday Comes have been good enough to round-up the manifestos of the three main parties. There’s plenty of differences to dig into, but all three parties are officially in favour of safe standing.
This is a huge moment for a campaign which has worked tirelessly to turn public and political perceptions from rock bottom to widespread acceptance. The result of a consistent message backed up with sound research, relatable case studies and a steady programme of practical demonstrations for those still wavering, it’s surely become a best-practice example of how to run a steady, consensus-building campaign for an extremely emotive and sensitive subject.
WSC also have an interview with Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn and Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell, Arsenal and Liverpool fans respectively.
COMING UP
After a hard day exercising your franchise, why not unwind with a long cool evening of Europa League? We suggest starting with Standard Liege vs. Arsenal, then following that up with Rangers vs. Young Boys, because neither British side is officially through yet and something weird might happen.
Tomorrow’s Warm-Up will be the first official address from the new Prime Minister of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Mr Tom Adams.
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