Guardiola again fighting his Spanish shadow

Pep Guardiola might not be a particularly pleasant companion for family and friends over the next few days. The 45-year-old Spaniard might be paying full, and more than ever, attention to football and his desperate dream.

Recently he mentioned that nothing counts for him and his German club other than winning this season's Champions League. Now it could well be that the man that once created a rarely seen dominance in world football with Barcelona will once again experience the limits of his style ideas. Again it could be a Spanish club which stands in his way to happiness.

In 2014 it was Real Madrid. In 2015 it was Barcelona. Both games were semifinals in the Champions League. And now, in 2016, Atletico Madrid could be the next stumbling stone having won the 2015/2016 Champions League semifinal first leg 1-0 (Saul Niguez scored the early goal in minute 11). Guardiola seems to be haunted by a Spanish shadow when it comes to the crunch games.

Putting it bluntly: Bayern was a big disappointment in Madrid, at least for 50 or so minutes. The fact that the Bavarians improved their at first boring and uninspired game in the second half keeps their hopes alive of making it to the Champions League final in Milan on May 28. But the Madrid's performance indicates that Guardiola's game plan might not have enough variety and passion.

Guardiola himself mentioned his time in Munich would be an unfinished one if he and his team were not to manage to win the most important club competition in Europe. Regarding that, Guardiola is facing his most important ever game when it comes to the second match against Atletico next week. Guardiola left Barcelona taking a sabbatical in New York to prepare for a new adventure, this time one abroad in Munich.

Joining a foreign club was Guardiola's attempt to get rid of his coaching "childhood" in Barcelona, his first job in coaching at world-class level. Munich was his second post. But it was clear expectations would be sky high, meaning it would not be enough to succeed in the German championship and cup.

Next summer Guardiola will start for new pastures as he joins Manchester City. He will have left his indelible mark in Munich. However if he again fails to win the Champions League, he will have to go on getting rid of his past and the Spanish shadow that still follows him.

Next Tuesday, when the second leg against Atletico will be played, is pay-day for Guardiola. In Madrid, Guardiola and Bayern found out that it is not enough to just play full speed for 45 minutes to make your dreams come true. Bayern in the return match will have to add much more passion to their quality. And Guardiola will have to develop much more trust in the abilities of players like Mueller and Ribery who might not be the ones standing for the kind of football Guardiola favors.

Key topics in Guardiola's match-plan in the game were the flanks and central midfield. Kingsley Coman (right wing) and Douglas Costa's (left wing) jobs were to get behind Atletico's defense before their box. Both were supposed to be supported by Bayern's left and right backs Juan Bernat and Philipp Lahm.

In central midfield, Guardiola chose players with precise passing ability as well as an enormous ability in man-on-man situations such as Xabi Alonso (immediately in front of Bayern's back line), Arturo Vidal (battling to regain possession) and Thiago (his reading of the game and world class passing).

It was a surprise that Thomas Mueller (scored most of Bayern's Champions League away goals/4 in 9 games) and French winger Franck Ribery were on the bench at first). Ribery had some problems in training and Mueller is not regarded as a man sticking to the game along the flank.

Sounds like a clear plan, but Atletico, or better, Diego Simeone is a coach who is not afraid to change his style if he feels it is necessary. This time Simeone's team, regarded to be the world's best defense, attacked nearly in front of Bayern's goal which surprised the Germans. The Bavarian's left and right back were blocked, and could not go forward. Atletico closed down the flanks on top and strangled Bayern's game. The German's were unable to develop pace in their attacks and their game was too easy to read.

In the first half, Simeone's philosophy "mentality beats quality" was the one working better. Bayern (winning only 41 of the man-to-man duels) also had their problems having only one Robert Lewandowski on the pitch. Was it Guardiola's mistake to leave out Ribery and Mueller for 45 minutes? Most German fans accused Guardiola to have made a fatal mistake to leave out Mueller. "No Mueller, no party" one wrote on a social network.

The Spaniard might think about this question for the next days and maybe come to the conclusion, to adopt parts of the philosophy of his Madrid colleague Diego Simeone, the master of passion and unpredictable football. Guardiola and his Bavarian team need guts when it comes to his next chance of being truly successful outside of Spain.

"We will have to show much more courage," Bayern keeper Manuel Neuer said. Bayern coach Pep Guardiola admitted: "On this level in the Champions League you need to perform well over 90 minutes. I don't know what happened in the first twenty minutes."