Look at that Champions League boot! #2

In the match played at the Stadio Olimpico, the Germans thrashed Lazio 4–0, with each goal more spectacular than the last. Without a doubt, the Bavarians imposed their style of play, just as they have been doing for the past year in the Champions League, making it clear that they are undoubtedly one of the top contenders to win the trophy. But let’s take a closer look at the players’ boots, as we’ve spotted some rather curious things, particularly among the German players.

We’ll start with two specific cases: Lewandowski and Goretzka, which are similar and intriguing. On the one hand, we see that Bayern’s number 9 has been playing in a pair of old Phantom Venoms for some time now and has practically never changed them. Everyone knows about the split between the Polish striker and Nike, but many thought he would soon find a new sponsor; photos with Puma were leaked, but on analysing the situation, it doesn’t seem that any deal has been finalised.

Another similar case is that of Goretzka, who took to the pitch yesterday wearing a pair of Mercurials with the outer side darkened but leaving the instep area exposed. Here too we find another identical case: a player currently without a contract who is playing in boots painted black. We’ll see what happens with these two players, whether they’ll continue with Nike or switch to another brand.

The match played in Bucharest ended 0–1 to the visitors, who kept a clean sheet and, thanks to a spectacular bicycle kick from Giroud, took home three vital points. The match didn’t offer much in the way of footballing excitement, but we noticed a few things about the players’ boots that many found far more interesting than the match itself.

Former Fiorentina defender Savic has been wearing Puma Future 6.1 boots for some time now. Here too, we see a player wearing boots that are already old and a generation behind. We’re not quite sure what’s happened or what the defender is waiting for, but we’ll surely be seeing him in these boots for a long time to come.

Another case of boots that haven’t been updated is that of Chelsea defender James, who is still wearing a pair of Nike Mercurial MDR3.0s. We think this time it’s the player’s decision and not the end of a contract with a brand.

19 consecutive wins – a statistic that sounds simple but is anything but. Pep’s lads are making life a nightmare for every opponent they face, and with their proactive, elegant style of play, they managed to secure victory in the first leg of the round of 16.

The most interesting details are undoubtedly the darkened boots of Sterling, yesterday’s captain, who has been wearing Nike Phantom Venom boots for some time. Another player we saw wearing unusual boots is Ederson, the goalkeeper, who, after his contract with Nike ended, tried adidas, then Uhlsport, and now we see him wearing Puma; we’ll see if this is a temporary or permanent move.