MASTERS VS APPRENTICE: ZIDANE BEATS ANCELOTTI

Real Madrid went past their German counterparts Bayern Munich in keenly contested that could have gone either ways if certain events did not happen.


If Arturo Vidal had converted his spot kick and Javi Martinez avoided being sent off, who knows what would have happened.

Credits go to the Madrid team lead by Zinedine Zidane for their consistency at the Estadio Santiago Bernabeuas they won 4-2 to help the French apprenticeget one over his master Carlo Ancelotti.

There have been several upsets as well as stereotypes in the past as apprentices faced their former masters. A recent one is that of Louis van Gaal and Jose Mourinho. The pair worked together at Spanish side Barcelona, wining two La Liga titles. LvG was the boss while the Portuguese coach his mentee.

Mourinho took parts of LvG’s philosophy, amending it to suit his own vision and desire to always win. They were at opposing sides at the Champions League final in 2010. LvG led the German side while Mourinho’s Inter Milan team shocked them. Inter had stunned Barcelona in the semi-final and with Diego Milito’s brace, they defeated Bayern to lift the Champions League. In England, Mourinho played a draw but won one other meeting to go ahead of his master.

Same Mourinho had an assistant at Porto – where he first came to limelight. Andre Villas-Boas confessed that Mourinho was his idol, hailing him on many levels. Mourinho is ahead in their head to head. Even Mourinho’s assistant at Real Madrid AitorKarankahas not defeated his master.

There are several others like that of Brian Clough and Peter Taylor, Sir Alex Ferguson and Steve McClaren, Louis van Gaal and Ronald Koeman.

If Ancelotti remains the head coach of the Bayern side, he would likely meet his apprentice again in continental tournaments, and then we would get to see more of their master-apprentice duels.

For now, Real are yet again in the last four of the Champions League, alongside AS Monaco, Juventus and Atletico Madrid.