Here, a tactical discourse unfolds.
Hundreds of football matches are played every week around the world. However, there are only a few games that can present a tactical discourse among them. STN Sports has prepared a series of tactical analysis of the matches.
Football Museum. Photo｜Reporter Hyungju Lee (Manchester/Football Museum, UK)
-[Lee Hyeong-joo’s Total Football], 94th story: The topic is inverted center back, win and loss is bridging the gap, and the
goddess of victory smiled at the team that filled the gap well.
Manchester City held the 2022/23 season European Football Association (UEFA) Champions League (hereinafter referred to as UCL) semifinal second leg against Real Madrid at the City of Manchester Stadium located in Manchester, Greater Manchester, Northwest England, England on the 18th (Korean time). We won the match 4-0. Manchester City advanced to the final with a total of 5-1 in the first and second games, and Real finished the tournament.
Real Madrid was so lethargic. From the beginning of the game to the end, it collapsed without being a big threat to the opponent Man City. The tactical factor is big for Real to play this game. Real failed to bridge the gap between the 2nd and 3rd lines (1st striker, 2nd attack line, 3rd midfielder line, 4th defensive line).
In the match between the two teams in the semifinals, the tactical topic was the ‘inverted center bag’ that Man City comes out with. Simply put, in Manchester City’s 4-1-4-1 formation, one centrally located centerback instantly rises up to form a 3-2-4-1 formation and then bombards the opponent with numerical superiority.
‘Inverted centre-back’ John Stones’ heat map against West Ham United in the last league. It’s not like that of a center back. Photo┃Manchester City official website
Real played very well in the first leg against Manchester City, who sank FC Bayern Munich with that tactic in the last eight. They scored the opening goal on a counterattack after an organic player defense, and came close to winning, but Kevin De Bruyne’s mid-range equalizer in the second half resulted in a 1-1 draw. And this goal changed a lot.
In the first leg, Real defended well, but Man City momentarily created a 3-2-4-1 formation and took advantage of numbers around the Real box. De Bruyne’s mid-range shot also came out of space in such a situation. In the second leg, Real had to face Manchester City, who would come out more aggressively to win, on a more familiar ground with home fans at their backs.
Because of this, Real came out with a 4-2-3-1 formation, not the 4-3-3 formation that came out in the first game, which led to a defeat.
The 4-2-3-1 formation has the advantage of having two defensive midfielders in front of the four, but at the same time it means that there is space between the 3rd line corresponding to the ‘2’ and the 2nd line corresponding to the ‘3’. do.
This game was a game where the one who dominates the midfield wins. Real’s 4-2-3-1 formation (between the 3rd line corresponding to ‘2’ and the 2nd line corresponding to ‘3’), Manchester City’s 3-2-4-1 formation (3rd line corresponding to ‘2’ and 2nd line corresponding to ‘3’) Between the two lines corresponding to 4′), which team was better at filling the gap was the key to the game. Looking at this gap, it was as if the match had been decided.
Starting lineups for both teams. Photo┃Produced by reporter Lee Hyeong-joo
Man City were good players in building up by filling the gap in the space. An organic movement centered on Rodri and inverted center back John Stones, who boasts peak form, came out. Because of this, Man City reached the opponent’s danger zone without much resistance and was able to create scoring opportunities.
‘Inverted centre-back’ Manchester City John Stones. Photo┃Newsis/AP
But Real Madrid was different. Every time Real Madrid caught the ball in midfield, it was blocked by strong pressure from the opponent. Giving a long ball is a low-probability attack, and Real’s player composition was not suitable for a long ball. The short counterattack centered on Vinicius Junior, who showed off his strength in the previous season, was also not easy as the defensive line went down.
For this reason, it was common for Real to lose it in the process of developing the ball from the 3rd line to the 2nd line. In addition, even if they managed to drive the ball up, the attack was delayed due to the opponent’s pressure, or the attack could only be attempted after the opponent’s defense was fully formed.
Man City ran through Real’s camp as their own playground and broke through Real’s defense. Real, on the other hand, struggled to advance the ball and failed to create any significant chances. Real, which lasted through the 20th minute thanks to goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois’ phenomenal save, eventually collapsed. This led to a 4-0 win for Manchester City.카지노사이트Man City ran through Real’s camp as their own playground and broke through Real’s defense. Real, on the other hand, struggled to advance the ball and failed to create any significant chances. Real, which lasted through the 20th minute thanks to goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois’ phenomenal save, eventually collapsed. This led to a 4-0 win for Manchester City.
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola. Photo｜Newsis/AP
Man City’s outstanding players moved organically with manager Pep Guardiola’s excellent tactics. On the other hand, Real lost completely in a tactical battle with the opponent, and the players were not in good condition. The players had to bear a lot too. This made the game flow unilaterally, leaving one team in the finals and the other team being eliminated.
Pep Guardiola, who managed to avenge the loss a year ago, told the BBC, “We feel comfortable at home. Personally, I have been feeling heartbroken for a year because of what happened last season (last-minute come-from-behind loss to Real Madrid).” It was a feeling that there was a lump in it. Everything went down today,” he said, expressing his overwhelming feelings.
He continued, “This victory will receive a lot of praise, but at the same time, there is a final. We have time to mentally prepare. We will prepare well.”