Now the first Champions League knockout games have been completed, some unusual incidents have occurred to say the least.
Despite both Arsenal and Manchester City suffering disappointing home defeats, there was one incident we're not accustomed to; Messi missing a penalty (and then the rebound). This was something that we thought we would only have seen on Fifa.
The Argentine usually converts penalties for fun but last night, he slipped up meaning one thing: Glitches have began to creep into real-life football.
In recent months, clips of Fifa 15 glitches have emerged, providing us with great goals, shocking errors, but more importantly, hilarious moments.
Have Fifa computer games become so big, that they're influencing professional footballers or is it still the opposite? Let's take a look at a few examples and similarities and ye can make your own minds up.
The Good
Forget Rooney, Ronaldo and Van Persie, there's no better feeling in football than when a goalkeeper scores a goal from his own box. It's a rare occurrence that we're only blessed to see once every few years. Tim Howard's famous long range effort against Bolton three years ago seems to have added a new dimension to the roles of keepers in Fifa.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i4SbJpQPA40
Last ditch defending is an art in itself. Some are born for it, others aren't. Call it extra training and analysis or pure expectancy pressure, defenders seem to have the goalkeepers back more these days. When the keeper decides to take a wander out of his box, the centre-half is always there to cover. Recent Fifa games have incorporated a similar feature allowing for a tougher challenge to score, and lets face it, much more craic.
As important as defenders and keepers are to the game, we all turn on the match so see the big-name strikers do what they do best- score absolute crackers. However, rabona goals have become a recent trend again as players make it look so it easy. Is this down to how good they look on the game? Probably not, but you never know. Either way, it's great to see the trick has resurfaced in world football.
http://youtu.be/aONf6WfcsT4?t=3m44s
The Bad
As last night's events inspired this article, we must start off 'The Bad' with Messi's penalty miss. As prolific as he is from 6 yards, he has been known to fail from the spot on Fifa. Could that have caused it? You wouldn't think so, but, then again, missing the follow-up didn't help his case either!!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TRzrJFpoOg0
Remember Nani's acrobatics? Of course you do! It was one of the biggest Champions League sending off debates, after the Man United winger rose high and planted the boot in Arbeloa. I don't think we have ever seen Sir Alex run as fast to confront the referee. Had Nani got the idea from Fifa the year earlier?
There's nothing more entertaining to a neutral (apart from a 40 yard screamer) than a calamity in defence. More so when it gives the striker a tap-in into an open goal. Keeping a clean sheet is the name-of-the-game for defenders so when it goes pear-shaped, players are sacked and controllers (and even TV's) are destroyed.
The Ugly
In recent Fifa games, there seems to be much more physicality brought into matches for gamers entertainment. I have (as most of us have) seen headbutts, boots to faces and players hacked from all kinds of angles. However, what we haven't seen much of are the WWE-influenced 'clotheslines'. The move hasn't been too apparent in recent professional football, but that doesn't mean the Fifa makers have to kick it out.
..And The Sexual
Due to the hundreds of camera's pointing at every angle at football matches, we are able to see the 'Pictures/Videos taken at the Wrong time'. This year's Capital One Cup semi final 1st leg encounter between Liverpool and Chelsea experienced one of these moments. John Terry and Raheem Sterling got into a tangle (and for once, the sexual mix-up was not orchestrated by the defender), imitating similar scenes from Fifa 13.
For some odd reason, players making out (as a way of eradicating some sort of altercation) has become more and more incorporated into Fifa. There is no explanation why, it just happens every now and again. Gary Neville and Paul Scholes must have taken a few tips.
