The home team in this game
Real Madrid soccer team
In 433, with Alaba still unavailable, Militao, Nacho, Carvajal, Mendy in defense, Casemiro, Kroos, Modric in midfield, Benzema, Vinicius, Valverde in front.
Manchester City football club
Instead, it's almost the strongest lineup, with defenders RubenDias, Laporte, Walker, and Cancelo, midfielders Rodri, B. Silva, and De Bruyne, and forwards Jesus, Foden, and Mahrez.
The strategy of the two teams soon became clear after the start of the game.
Manchester City football club
It's quite a response, actually.
Real Madrid soccer team
Tactical flavor, and the
Real Madrid soccer team
On the other hand, they just play their own soccer and rhythm, and will say so because
Manchester City football club
Being extraordinarily careful at the outset.
Real Madrid soccer team
has used two consecutive goals in a very short period of time to take out Paris vs.
Chelsea
Manchester City football club
Knowing that they wanted to come to this, they were very careful not to be seen to have any weaknesses, and on that premise
Manchester City football club
The two wingbacks didn't press on, and the midfield didn't want to press on either, clearly
Real Madrid soccer team
There's space exposed in the center.
Manchester City football club
The midfield here, however, refused to bring the ball over as if they suspected that position was a setup, instead insisting on just giving the wing a go to break out, and at most they let B.Silva take the ball for a bit of an attack and let it out very quickly, clearly wanting to only rely on the front three to finish the attack, with the midfield not wanting to make up for the second wave of insertions.
Real Madrid soccer team
This side, I should say, is very weird. Even if we re-watch it again after the match, it's hard to tell whether they are setting a trap or they really can't do anything about it. Personally, I think it's really hard to play, so
Real Madrid soccer team
I can't afford to do that.
Manchester City football club
What is it that you're fighting about, or what is it that you're trying to get out of?
Manchester City football club
Players break the ball, they're just very set in their routines, they're just playing intensive defense in the middle of the field letting the
Manchester City football club
After a failed short pass, a direct kick forward, a quick pass to Vinicius for an impact, and since Benzema was already being watched by the two center backs, and everyone was scared to death of him, Vinicius would be in space.
Real Madrid soccer team
Just play Vinicius rush, try to see if there's a chance to pass to Benzema or else just shoot yourself and do nothing else because they're so afraid that the defense will drop, so
Real Madrid soccer team
It's really just kicking your own stuff and not at all trying to target the
Manchester City football club
The feeling.
Manchester City football club
On this side, there is targeting, but it's a very careful approach, and of course they're afraid of
Real Madrid soccer team
The destructive power of the two strikers, Benzema is surely now better than even Levein, and must not be allowed the opportunity to shoot at the goal, while if
Real Madrid soccer team
It would be even more dangerous for a player to go up and give Benzema support, so the
Manchester City football club
Having been in a full matchup situation, they just let B. Silva and Foden, who were in great shape, see the time to step up their offense.
Manchester City football club
Only two of them are intended to leave the guarded area, and the others are basically in fixed positions to avoid
Real Madrid soccer team
Attack.
second half (of sporting competition)
Real Madrid soccer team
The best chances were actually in the first 11 minutes when they created two good chances for Benzema, a header from the box right in the center of the pitch and a cross for him to meet a clearance, both of which were actually pretty good, after that
Manchester City football club
Controlling the tempo and not wanting to play with speed, then going into one-on-one one-on-one mode between Walker and Vinicius, after that
Manchester City football club
There were many times when the pressure
Real Madrid soccer team
The outside of the box, but there was never the usual picture of 3 or 4 men rushing into the box to create a shooting opportunity, clearly not wanting to be hit on the counter.
De Bruyne was the center of discussion after the game as he was subbed off for not playing well, but I think the same can be said for Modric as well, in the first half De Bruyne looked obviously a bit confused, he had to do a 'very real' confirmation of his teammates' position every time he got the ball before he passed it on, and he himself kept to his duties by standing still and not stepping forward, even if he did.
Real Madrid soccer team
He didn't guard him or leave large open spaces in front of him, he didn't even rush forward as if he was afraid of being caught in a trap, which of course was much less destructive, but strangely Guardiola didn't seem to be in a hurry or lose his temper, as if this was an established tactic.
The first half ended in a stalemate, while the second half began with a
Real Madrid soccer team
Just to make a surprise attack, in fact, just short of breaking first, there was already a sense of inauspiciousness at this point, as the
Manchester City football club
The response seems to be a little slow, and the
Real Madrid soccer team
Still messing with my own game, surely I'm firing at a specific time anyway, before the second half kicks off & ends.
But as time goes on.
Real Madrid soccer team
Obviously there is to increase the counterattack force, only increase Vinicius just, he is the second half at the beginning of the physical release, and then constantly since the dry disk, non-stop pedal car, but you know very well that this is Ansche's ploy, the first he is to use a single large amount of exertion to delay the situation and allow the midfield time to slow down a little bit of return to the physical to avoid being
Manchester City football club
Serial Attack (he knew the second half
Manchester City football club
would do so), and the second is that he went to Walker on purpose, to get Vinicius to consume Walker to make the
Manchester City football club
The sidewalk collapsed.
Not even halfway through the second half and already two important shots, Vinicius at 51 with a 45 degree pass to the left to the center of the 18 yard box, Modric surprisingly didn't draw a shot when no one was watching and the ball didn't stop well enough for the final shot to be blocked, and then Walker at 57 with a very nice ground pass directly behind the post that ripped through
Real Madrid soccer team
All over the defense, De Bruyne almost formed a one-touch catch, but he hesitated and stumbled when he stopped the ball, which was taken down by the arriving Malitao and passed back to the keeper. Both goals proved that the main midfielders on both sides of the field were not in good form, and caused two substitutions that were a key watershed in the latter part of the game.
