Villarreal are rarely in the media in terms of transfers or football politics. While Real Madrid made all the back pages in all the newspaper outlets for their pursuit of Cristiano Ronaldo and as Barcelona sacked Rijkaard, bringing in reserve team boss Pep Guardiola and a number of new signings, Villarreal were quiet as usual. They made some astute signings in Llorente and Ibazaga, whilst retaining their best players, such as Marcos Senna and Santi Cazorla. Yet on Sunday night, a wonderful game between Villarreal and the always entertaining Atletico Madrid was all about Robert Pires and Simao Sambrosa.

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Many have claimed the Champions League is losing the ethos of attacking football or even questioning whether it was ever present in the first place, with sides very concerned over conceding an away goal. Yet teams don’t need to worry about this in the Group Stage and it showed on Tuesday night. The games were played in a similar spirit to that of Euro 2008.

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It has been a long time. Actually it’s been eighteen years to be precise since Liverpool won their eighteenth league title. Since then, Manchester United’s dominance of the Premier League has threatened to overthrow the Merseyside club as most the successful domestic side in the country. Yet after a number of years, that has seen the style of play change, managers come and go and the club itself change hands to Americans, is 2008/09 finally the year in which Liverpool win the title?

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Mastering the art of commentary and punditry is a rare feat these days. Too often the man behind the microphone is pigeonholed as a caricature. Since the days of Barry Davies and Brian Moore, the quality has diminished. The voice of a great commentator encapsulates the crowning moment of a football match perfectly. These days, many stunning goals, immaculate tackles and finely-threaded passes are not appreciated for what they are by the summariser on television.

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Enter the top ten defeats of all time. Naturally many matches are remembered for incidents occurring of and on the pitch, perhaps with violent clashes, technical master-classes and shifts in power concerning who rules the footballing world.

No.10 France (4) 3-3 (5) West Germany 1982 World Cup Semi- Final

An epic football match marred by Harold Schumacher’s tendency to rush out to take out man or ball, in a mindset where the end justifies the means, as it did for the Germans. The match was level between the two sides with Littbarski rifling in a shot and a Platini penalty to equalise. Then Schumacher took out substitute Battiston (whose attempted shot went just wide), knocking him unconscious and leaving him with two less teeth. Later when Platini went for a header, when Schumacher came to claim the ball; Platini was left clutching his shoulder. Tresor scored with a hooked finish for France, followed by a thunderbolt from Giresse, Rummenigge pulled one back, before Fischer sent the match to penalties – a first in the World Cup. Schumacher made the headlines, by moving early off his line (a ploy not noticed by the officials) and saving twice from Six and then Bossis. The great French team of Platini and Tigana could not progress ‘because the officials did not do their job’ as the BBC commentator put it.

No.9 Real 0 -5 Barcelona 1973 Primera Division

After being voted out of the captaincy at Ajax, Cruyff left for a club that too was valued on playing beautiful football. In this match he crossed superbly twice to result in goals, and scored a gorgeous goal. Receiving the ball in the edge of the area from the left he burst forward to the left past the despairing lunge of a  Real defender, running towards another defender, he quickly shifted the ball onto his right then again onto his left, always shielding the ball from the defender. To top off a superb performance, he finished with aplomb, blasting the ball through the keeper’s legs. To this day Cruyff and his Barcelona team-mates hold the record for Real’s heaviest defeat in the Bernabeu in an El Clasico, an astonishing achievement.

No.8 Arsenal 4-5 Man Utd 1958 Old Division One

The Busby babes came to North London, with a brand of exciting attacking, youthful football. They raced up a 0-3 lead in the first half, and the match seemed to be as good as over. Yet in the space of three minutes The Gunners came racing back and clawed back to a 3-3 score-line. The reputation of the Manchester United side came through, showing mental strength to score twice through the devastating Denis Viollet and Tommy Taylor to an unreachable 3-5 lead. Yet in the dying minutes The Gunners pulled a goal back, leaving a tense finish in which Vic Groves almost equalised. A few days later, the Red Devils flew out to Belgrade to meet Red Star in the European Cup. After a victory, their plane stopped to refuel in Munich. Therefore the game at Arsenal’s historical Highbury was to be the last arena where the famous ‘Busby Babes’ strutted their stuff in England.

No.7 England 3-6 Hungary 1953 International Friendly

The first defeat at Wembley by a team outside of the British Isles broke an undefeated streak since 1901 against such teams. Finally showed how different styles had evolved in contrast to the stereotypical gung-ho British football and it was no fluke. The Hungarians played a pass and move style, with a strike-force of ‘that fat little chap’ (The England player who referred to the Hungarian legend would later live to regret his words) Ferenc Puskas and Nandor Hidegkuti, who played in a revolutionary half-striker role, ghosting between the lines of midfield and attack, impossible to pick up. ‘The Mighty Magyars’ were seen to many as the influence to Rinus Michel’s ‘Total Football’ concept with their fluid formation and interchange of positions. The return game in 1954 was even more one-sided with Hungary annihilating England 7-1.

No.6 Real 11-4 Barcelona 1943 Kings Cup Semi Final

The words Generalissimo or Franco will crop up in remembrance of this semi-final. 3-0 up from the first leg, the Catalans were favourites to meet Bilbao in the final. Yet before the start of the second leg, they were paid a visit by the director of state security, who emphasized the unpatriotic Catalans were only living in Spain on behalf of the generous Franco. Therefore they were forced to throw the match, and even with ten men at half time, it is believed that only such a reason would cause such a loss. The conspiracy theorists continue to look to this dressing room visit. Real still managed to lose the final to Bilbao, after all of their favourite dictator’s help against their arch-rivals.

 It was always going to be billed Lionel Messi against Sergio Aguero. It was Barcelona and Atletico Madrid in what was the biggest game of the weekend all across Europe. Both players have been burdened with that tag.

Yes, they’ve both been compared el Diego. What doesn’t help the hype is Aguero shacking up with Maradona’s youngest daughter Gianina, who is pregnant with their first child. While Roberto Gomez of Marca may dream of the possibility of offspring with out-of-this-world footballing ability combining the genes of both, the Rojiblancos will be intent on mounting a title challenge to keep hold of and match the ambitions their Romario-esque superstar.

Messi has been busy saving Barcelona once more, having scored twice off the bench midweek in Donetsk. The Catalan outfit seems more focussed on the task at hand, unlike last year, but the constant changes in formation and tactics from rookie coach Josep Guardiola, has caused a lack of consistency. There were several talking points other than Iniesta’s haircut in the opening minutes. Barcelona were rampant.

This was the side that won the Champions League in 2006 and not the one that stuttered to a trophy-less season last year. The home side had three set pieces and profited greatly from each one. Messi was instrumental in two of the goals. First Rafael Marquez glanced home at the near post, then Messi himself was fouled, with Eto’o sending Coupet the wrong way from the spot. Finally Messi curled home a quick free-kick, with consent from the referee.

The Nou Camp crowd were chanting ‘ole’ after eleven minutes; such was the shock of their barnstorming start. Yet, inspirational captain Maxi Rodriguez took advantage of cantera product Sergi Busquets’ error to curl home a sumptuous effort. Was it game on? Not if Samuel Eto’o had anything to do with it.

The striker, who had an uncertain future during the summer, seems to be paying back the fans with some very determined performances. He chested down Xavi’s floated pass turned Ujfalusi inside out and slotted home with the ’keeper committed. While Barcelona celebrated a breathtaking start, Atletico’s anguish was compounded with an injury to Maxi. 4-1 and game over.

Liverpool fans must have been enjoying the total confusion in the Madrid side’s backline, certain that Torres would be able to exploit the positional errors in his former side’s defence. Kun Aguero was anonymous with one attempt to do it all himself blocked by the Barca defence, but all the action was at the other end.

One spectator commented upon the game comparing the six goals scored over four games in the Premier League earlier today with this game itself. Six goals in only 28 minutes, it was unbelievable attacking and shambolic defending which made it impossible to look away. Iniesta drove at the defence, cut in and shot. His effort bounced off the near post and fell into the path of Eidur Gudjonsen who tucked it home.

The efforts continued with Iniesta curling a shot onto the post. The rebound fell to Messi, who dragged his shot wide, with Eto’o attempting to head it in. On a night like this, you couldn’t blame him. Yet there was a sour note, as Antonio Lopez brought down Messi, who had a noticeable gash on his thigh. He was booked for this terrible tackle – he should have been sent off. Xavi then danced down the right flank and cut back for Gudjonsen whose shinned effort blazed wide. Messi was through the middle twice inside a minute, bearing down on goal, but he clipped his first effort wide, while Heitinga remembered his job as a central defender and made a fine recovery tackle. It was a high point for the Dutchman on a night of new lows.

The one notable chance was unsurprisingly created by Aguero, who skipped past four Barcelona challenges and floated a ball to the far post, where Luis Garcia cut in, but his touch let him down. It could have been 10 goals for the Blaugrana, such was their dominance. While Barcelona were at their free-flowing best, they were aided by the ineptitude of the referee, who was unable to display who was on the receiving end of the numerous yellow cards he brandished.

This caused much confusion, with one of Ujfalusi or Lopez being on two yellow cards but still playing on the pitch. Another who was in the mood to confuse views was Javier Aguirre who started a centre back at right back and a full back in the middle. The Mexican then brought on a defensive midfielder with a penchant for the nightlife in Ever Banega for a frustrated Aguero. The midfielder made several dirty tackles with one elbow on Busquets revealing a unsporting side of the youngster.

Samuel Eto’o was brought off to a standing ovation, with £16.1m replacement Thierry Henry joining the part. But the Frenchman’s luck (or lack of) in Spain continued, as he lost possession easily with his first touch and then was unfortunate to be booked. Messi had one last part to play before he was taken off for Bojan. The diminutive playmaker controlled a pass at an awkward height, flicked the ball around his marker, and ran past him, before sliding in Gudjonsen, whose curled effort was caught by Coupet.

The Spanish tabloids will have no doubt made extra column inches for the Argentinean attacker’s performance. Despite a poor start, Henry received a spectacular lift. A wonderful, incisive passing move involving Xavi and Bojan set up the Frenchman to rifle home from the edge of the box. Bojan tried to get into the act but scuffed his shot wide. The most impressive showing was how the ‘full court pressing’ game continued throughout the ninety minutes with each player determined to make an impression.

Last season, Aguero embarrassed Barcelona scoring twice in a 4-2 victory. It was the crowning moment in a season in which the Argentine was named player of the season, having scored 19 goals and led Atletico back to the Champions League. This time Messi outshone his international strike partner and Barcelona stated their intentions for the rest of the season. Due to the fixtures, every side has to play the top four consecutively. Atletico at least have the Madrid derby to bounce back in. No? I didn’t think so. As we move into another mind numbing international break, Barcelona displayed a blueprint on how football should be played. It ended 6-1 to Barcelona.

Tomorrow Real Madrid plays Espanyol in the second game between the two cities. With Los Blancos in imperious form as well, could there be another goal fest? For this season so far, La Liga has had an edge in terms of entertainment over its rivals. Let us hope it continues.

Player loyalty is a trait lost among the piles of £50 notes which so many of today’s footballers live in. Once that first big wage comes into their account, the alienation process begins. The footballer isn’t still a local lad from the same background as his fans, but instead a new man. He moves to a suburb, away from his roots and becomes totally immersed in a world of materialism, models and money. Yet, as we all know, there are a few players, who still remain exceptions to the rule.

Names such as Paolo Maldini, Raul and (horrible) pundit Mark Lawrenson’s favourite duo, Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher, still embody the ideals of loyalty and badge before wealth. There is a thin line in terms of loyalty and its opposite, which can be blurred on occasion, as Frank Lampard showed us this summer. Pining for a move to Inter Milan in a bid to be reunited with his old boss Jose Mourinho, Lampard eventually set his heart on a stay having been persuaded by a five year deal and £150,000 a week. Throughout this summer, we were entertained by shallow footballers, flaunting their desire to join another club, yet upon failing to realise their dream of doubling their wages, return, put out reassuring quotes in the media, and of course doing everyone’s favourite act – kissing the badge. This is not just about Emmanuel Adebayor and Cristiano Ronaldo. While they may dream of AC Milan or Real Madrid, money is the motivating factor and is secondary to little else.

Yet a footballing heaven is the dream for a number of players. Joseba Etxeberria is one of these. The winger has remained in the Basque country for his entire footballing career and his ties to Atletico Bilbao are so strong that the loyal player has signed a one year extension with an enormous weekly wage of £0 a week. In a side where nearly all the players derive from the Basque state, the ‘cantera’ policy of the club and team selection suggests that this idea will be very well received. That’s the difference between Frank Limper’s loyalty and that of someone like Exteberria. Despite having claimed a letter from a fan changed his mind, during the unfortunate passing of his mother, a £10,000 per week increase in the contract offer with the addition of another year may have been the deciding factor.

Rarely do we see those who are motivated by money thrive elsewhere. Many speak of a curse following those who depart Arsenal on acrimonious terms. Nicolas Anelka had his head turned by the interest of Real Madrid and left for £23m in 2000. Since then, he is the most expensive player in world football, but has become a journeyman in terms of his performances on the pitch. Only at Bolton did he threaten to blossom into the player Arsenal fans dreamt he would over 10 years ago. There are examples all over the world, such as Rafael Sobis, once rated the next big thing, had stagnated badly and departed to the UAE, where at least he’ll secure his financial future albeit in a league of very poor sporting standards.

Others lose their innocence and joy for the game once seeing dollar signs in front of their eyes. Ronaldinho of Barcelona from 2003-6 was the greatest player on the planet. Then an addiction to the nightlife made him a shadow of the player he was. Sure the ‘fat’ jibes didn’t help, but on the whole it was his fault. Only now, having signed for AC Milan, earning roughly £6 million a year, is he showing glimpses of the world’s best player. Others make poor career choices, with Mauro Zarate initially moving to Qatar for a huge contract, but regretting his decision and leaving desperately on loan, now he is flourishing at Lazio with 6 goals in 5 games.

Yet others have different principles. Homegrown players from clubs such as Barcelona, Real Madrid, AC Milan and even Bilbao, have an undying loyalty to their club. Carlos Puyol is living the Catalan schoolboy’s dream in captaining his dream side, while the triumvirate of Raul, Guti and Iker Casillas have remained with Los Blancos since the beginning of their careers. It does help being (deservedly) paid on par with the biggest foreign stars though. Paolo Maldini has been at the peak of the game for roughly twenty years winning a number of European Cups and Serie A titles but never loses the motivation to win. This mentality stops the attractiveness of money affecting him and he provides a perfect role model for many young footballers. In being the captain of the club for such a long time, he has accumulated respect for displaying traits which all players should. Compare this attitude to that of Ashley Cole, who claimed to have aspirations of becoming Arsenal captain, but nearly ‘swerved off the road’ upon hearing of a £5,000 per week decrease from his original contract offer. Aside from admitting dangerous driving and use of a phone in his hand whilst driving, he also confirmed his appetite for the pound.

Etxeberria may not have been at one club all his life, having made seven appearances for Real Sociedad whilst a youngster, but this gesture is brilliant. The former Spain international and current Bilbao captain stated “I wanted to do this gesture but never did I want to set a precedent.” Hopefully he does indeed do so. The game is so full of money that essentially the England captain earns roughly in a week what the Prime Minister earns in a year.

Huge rises ticket prices have killed the almost religious following from the working class fans, whilst laughably many of these millionaires claim that they need a rise to secure their financial futures, stupidly unaware that the current economic climate makes it far worse for the average man in the street. We should be glad Joseba Etxeberria has done this, and hopefully others of similar high regard in world football take notice and do the same.

Bar the English interest, this was the pick of the ties for the second match-day in the Champions League. The UEFA Cup and Super Cup holders face the Spanish Champions, with a plethora of big names on either side. The big news was the absence of Club legend and Champions league record goal-scorer Raul Gonzalez, with Gonzalo Higuain stepping in as he has done recently.

Within the opening 2 minutes, a Ruud Van Nistlerooy cross reached Higuain, whose powerful header was tipped over the bar by Malafeev. It was a sign of things to come in an opening and exciting match. Very soon after this warning, Van Der Vaart slid ball across the box and Hubocan, the Slovakian defender, knocked it in with Van Nistlerooy lurking. Robben then caused danger by playing the ball to the strikers, and it broke loose for Van Nistlerooy, but his shot was blocked by a last ditch lunge.

On 10 minutes, Robben beat two men and reached the by-line. He crossed low across the box, but fortunately for Zenit, the ball was cut out for a corner. The Zenit players didn’t seem to move out of their box quickly or press well, despite their reputation as a well drilled unit. Los Blancos were playing their best football of the season in the opening 15 minutes, with Zenit shell-shocked. Soon after Zenit got back into the game, as the full-back Sirl was on the end of a fine passing move, but his cross was cut out before it reached Pobgrebniak, the Russian striker, who missed out on Euro 2008 due to a knee injury.

Yet there were still glimpses of threat to Zenit, who struggled with Madrid’s mobile play and especially their crosses, with Hubocan once more getting a last ditch touch. Zenit’s full backs began to influence proceedings with Sirl crossing but neither Arshavin nor Pobgrebniak could add the finishing touch. Soon after Zenit broke, as Higuain’s pass was behind Ramos, with two consecutive dummies from Zenit fooling the Real defence, but as was the story of the game, Zenit couldn’t make their domination of the situation tell. Iker Casillas bravely dived on the ball ahead of Pobgrebniak, the keeper taking a kick in the chest for his troubles, but the lead remained intact.

The attacking pressure from the Russians continued as Arshavin shot from edge of box, but it was comfortably into the arms of Casillas. But on 24 minutes, the £24 million pound signing from Dinamo Moscow, Danny, met a Arshavin cross at the far post, with a fine stabbed finish. Ramos failed to pick up Arshavin in his defensive area and it proved costly, while Cannavaro played Arshavin onside before the original move. Van Der Vaart could have restored the lead almost instantaneously but his shot was palmed away by Malafeev.

On the half hour mark, Van Der Vaart shot directed into the path of Ruud Van Nistlerooy, by a flailing Zenit foot, and the prolific striker fired in his 62^nd goal in only 87 appearances for the club. Who needs Raul, who was anonymous at Betis on the weekend, when you have this man? Another Dutchman almost helped make it three, with a delightful backheeled flick into the path of Higuain, who lifted his shot over the keeper and the bar under pressure from the last man. As the half drew to a close, the game became stretched as a Denisov cross was palmed out for a corner by Casillas, from which the ball was deflected a number of times and eventually ended up in the arms of a grateful Casillas. The Real Madrid legend threw the ball out to Arjen Robben, who turned his man a number of times, but his ball across the six yard box couldn’t be turned in by Argentine Higuain.

Anyukov drew a corner but the Swiss referee Massimo Busacca blew for the interval, much to the anger of several members of the Russian giants, who felt they could have made the most of the corner. The second half began with Zenit attacking and it almost resulted in a goal. Tomas Hubocan, desperate to atone for his earlier error, went for the header and there were shouts for handball from the Zenit players, but was Hubocan who was surprisingly booked. The game always had an edge and Madrid striker Ruud van Nistelrooy quickly followed the Slovakian into the book for a foul on Andrei Arshavin.

Arshavin played an instinctive reverse pass to Anyukov but move, one of several promising attacks, broke down. Real faced wave after wave of Zenit attacks, with several goalmouth scrambles occurring, while Casillas was performing heroics as usual. The best chance came to Pobgrebniak who spooned his shot over as he fell down close to the goal line. The game was essentially a rematch of the Euro 2008 semi-final between Russia and Spain, but this time the Russians were far more influential in their play, with Arshavin particularly menacing. Real’s defence moved deeper and deeper as they tried to stop the Russians getting in behind, causing their strikers to be isolated up front. But when they did Higuain’s shot was saved.

Fatih Tekke’s effort from Dominguez’s cross was saved at point blank range by Casillas, while at the other end Real’s forwards managed another counter attack, as Robben took on his man but dragged his shot wide. On 78 minutes, Zenit exploited Ramos’ adventurous attacking play, by attacking the space he leaves behind him, with Arshavin hits the post from the resultant cross. In stoppage time, Arshavin cut inside, fooling Van Nistlerooy (yes, Real were being dragged back to such an extent) and Heinze, and setting up Danny, whose effort went over with aid of Pepe. It was unthinkable as to how the home side hadn’t forced home an equaliser. Zenit dominated but didn’t find the cutting edge which any Champions League challenging side needs.

It is quite right to say the Spanish Champions stole all three points, especially based on the second half. Real showed great resilience and clinical finishing and needed a huge amount of luck to escape as they did. Zenit will be wondering how they have zero points after two games in which they should have taken at least two points.