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Have you ever had that dream where you’re playing for your favourite team, thrown on in a desperate bid to find a goal? And the game is against a side you’ve never heard of, part of some arcane tournament that’s suddenly of vital importance? Oh, and it’s being played in your parents’ back garden? Just us? Well, that’s the closest parallel we could think up for Copa Gianni, where the group stages have served up the weird, wonderful and woeful in equal measure. If you haven’t been paying attention, here are some “highlights” so far.
Goals, goals, goals: Let’s be honest, if you’re a neutral tuning in on a weekday afternoon, or in the dead of night, you want to see goals – and Copa Gianni has certainly delivered. There have been 148 in 48 games, a reliable ratio of more than three per game. We’ve seen seven-goal shootouts (Mamelodi 3-4 Dortmund, Juventus 2-5 Manchester City), an eight-goal epic (Porto 4-4 Al Ahly) and, er, a 10-goal classic (Bayern Munich 10-0 Auckland City). There’s been quality to match the quantity too, with highlights from Kenan Yildiz, Miguel Merentiel, Mamelodi’s Lucas Ribeiro channeling 80s Brazil and of course, Lionel Messi. Attacking flair, dodgy playing surfaces and a relaxed attitude to defending have given the tournament a fun, knockabout pre-season feel that will please casual fans, and wound Gianni Infantino to his core. Everyone’s a winner!
