The tournament is coming to a head with the Champions League summit:
Manchester City
poised for battle
Chelsea
Each of the two powerhouses is as unique as Shiekh Mansour vs. Roman Abramovich, Pep Guardiola vs. Thomas Tuchel, or the quest for possession - 60.2% vs. 57.1% - to the growing potential of Phil Foden and Mason Mount's growth potential, and the goal scoring suspense of Gabriel Jesus and Timo Werner, all highlight their respective characteristics.
However, tactical styles vary:
Manchester City
Pushing forward with positional warfare, and the
Chelsea
Instead, they quickly tore apart the opponent's defense with their rush attacks;
Manchester City
Stopping the counterattack with inward support from the wingbacks, while the
Chelsea
On the other hand, the 3 fullbacks + 2 backs create a regional advantage and control the backfield. Both sides are unique in their offense and defense, and this battle will undoubtedly be a battle of wits and tactics, and perhaps a slow-paced, tightly scored affair for neutral fans. So how will the game be laid out? Let's start our analysis with the starting lineup.
The internet is buzzing about Torres and even Aguero starting, but I think that's just a gimmick; Aguero has just returned from injury, but his chances of starting are slim to none, and he's more likely to be a key player who changes the tempo of the game at key moments. As for Torres, despite a solid performance, his lack of return ability could be a detriment to his starting role. Guardiola, who is obsessed with total defense, is unlikely to play any of his defensively deficient players in this crucial game. However, Torres could be the first choice off the bench.
Therefore, I think the starting lineup for the second match with PSG will remain unchanged. Defensively, the 4-4-2 formation will probably be continued, and the two wings on the offensive side can be used as the target of emergency attacks, with Bernardo and KDB retreating to organize as one of the options. The key to stopping counter-attacks is for the wingbacks to close in and support the backs, and the duel between Walker and Werner on the wings will undoubtedly be a bloody battle.
Chelsea
The lineup is more up in the air.
BACKFIELD: James and AZP are expected to return to their regular roles, with James at center back primarily to deal with speedy forwards, and
Manchester City
Obviously doesn't have that threat. one-on-one ability from James on the right wing, a nose for forward from AZP and leadership from Thiago Silva at the back are all necessary, so Christensen will probably miss this final.
MIDFIELD: Kovacic is a breakaway player with the ball in the
Manchester City
s press could cause trouble in the backfield, so Jorginho's sweeper/metronome coupled with Kante's full-court running will be a key combination.
FRONT COURT: Mount will take a spot, and Werner's speed is dealt with
Manchester City
A key threat in the high press, the one remaining spot will be between Havertz, Pulisic, and Ziyech. To be honest, I'm not too sure about the functional differences between these three, but based on recent reports, I'm predicting Havertz to start. If fans have any input, feel free to chime in.
in my opinion
Manchester City football club
will maintain the possession advantage, so
Chelsea
of long rush passes could become the primary means of offense. With center backs and double backs on both sides of the ball who can get the ball to Werner well, the Werner-Walker edge-to-edge matchup will undoubtedly be an exciting one.
In positional play, Rudiger and AZP can bring the ball forward and support the organization of the midfield → front, while the wings will be the key. chilwell has to step up the defensive pressure on Mahrez; on the other side James can also try to go one-on-one with Foden (if the support on the right side can draw Zinchenko away from the game). Pressing.
Manchester City
The wingers drop back to assist the defense and lower the
Manchester City
counterattacking efforts, but never because of
Manchester City
of the strikerless formation and carelessness. Even though
Manchester City
It's not impossible to try and break through the high pressure press with tiki-taka in the backfield, can Jorginho apply the right amount of pressure to lower the
Manchester City
Counterattack efficiency, which will be
Chelsea
The key to stopping opponents from counterattacking. Of course, Kante's full-court running energy and KDB's biggest threats need to be controlled by Kante himself.
How will the game situation evolve?Guardiola and Tuchel's tactical talent far exceeds that of our average fan, and even exceeds that of other world class managers (on a tactical scheduling level only). The previously mentioned tactics and formations could be completely reversed. Then.
Manchester City
Will they resort to bus tactics and play defensive counterattacks?
Chelsea
Will they line up with four defenders and focus on the center break? These are difficult to predict and we can only speculate from past matches, as their historical matchups have also lost their reference value due to lineup adjustments.
