Pep Guardiola and overthinking within the Champions League, one thing that has, sadly for Manchester Metropolis, develop into synonymous with the Spaniard lately.
There are few that might argue that Pep Guardiola shouldn’t be one of many best tacticians of the trendy recreation and possibly even of all time. Nevertheless, on the subject of knockout soccer within the Champions League, the one who usually bests Pep is himself.
101 have taken a deep dive into Pep Guardiola’s largest Champions League blunders, and you’ll learn extra about that here.
For now, although, we’re specializing in how Guardiola carried out in Manchester Metropolis’s first semi-final leg vs Actual Madrid.
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Line-up
The very first thing we’ll look at is Manchester Metropolis’s beginning eleven on the night time.
Some of the apparent indicators Guardiola has overthought a recreation comes within the crew choice.
The Sky Blues typically function with a 4-3-3 that sees one among Rodri or Fernandinho within the holding position. Nevertheless, vs Chelsea within the 2021 Champions league remaining, Guardiola began and not using a single defensive midfielder. The season earlier than that in the meantime, the Metropolis boss switched to a back-three to match up with Lyon (who they misplaced to), deploying Fernandinho as a centre-back on that event.
Vs Madrid, although, Guardiola needed to make do with out Joao Cancelo (suspension) and Kyle Walker (harm).
This led to the previous midfielder having to make use of John Stones as Metropolis’s beginning right-back on the day.
In consequence, although it might seem like an overthinking job from Pep, Metropolis’s defence vs Madrid was fairly normal given the circumstances as he began with Ederson, Zinchenko, Aymeric Laporte, Ruben Dias and Stones.
Midfield was additionally pretty normal with the favoured trio of Rodri, Kevin De Bruyne and Bennardo Silva in from the off.
Lastly, Pep Guardiola opted for a entrance three of Phil Foden, Gabriel Jesus and Riyad Mahrez to start out on Tuesday. Once more, this was a reasonably regular decide from Pep. Admittedly, there might have been a case for Sterling over one among Mahrez or Jesus. Nevertheless, Jesus has simply scored 4 objectives in a single recreation while Mahrez has a superb file within the Champions League over the past two campaigns.
So, from the line-up at the very least, Pep Guardiola didn’t overthink vs Actual.
Techniques
Pep started the match in a 4-3-3 with Gabriel Jesus because the centre-forward, which although it appears apparent, was considerably of a change because the Brazilian has performed most of his soccer from the wing over the past two years.
Nevertheless, barring taking part in Jesus via the center, Pep made only a few main tactical modifications. And even Jesus being deployed up high labored out effectively.
When out of possession the South American and KDB fashioned a make-shift front-two, urgent excessive to disrupt Madrid’s makes an attempt to play out from the again and discover the likes of Modric and Kroos.
On the flanks, in the meantime, Foden and Mahrez stayed vast out and in of possession to stretch and press Madrid, which labored very effectively, particularly within the first 45.
This left Bernardo Silva to drop deeper and generally type a midfield pivot with Rodri. That is nothing new although, as we’ve got seen the Portuguese carry out this position on a variety of events just lately. And, for essentially the most half, it labored effectively, permitting Man Metropolis to bypass Madrid’s midfield both by way of fast passing or Silva bringing the ball from deep to start out an assault.
Additional again, in the meantime, Man Metropolis have been arrange as regular regardless of lacking their two fundamental full-backs.
John Stones (additionally Fernandinho when he changed him) and Zinchenko seemed largely snug transferring right into a midfield position to offer attacking help when wanted, showcasing that, so long as Pep sticks to his regular techniques, the personnel shouldn’t be crucial factor resulting from how effectively the complete squad is coached.
Sure, Fernandinho did battle to take care of the tempo of Vinicius Junior, however as already talked about, Cancelo and Walker have been lacking for the sport and Stones requested to be introduced off, leaving Pep with only a few choices at right-back.
He might have introduced on Ake and performed him out of place at right-back, however the Dutchman shouldn’t be precisely recognized for his tempo both, so it’s straightforward to see why Pep went for the expertise of Fernandinho who additionally offered an help on the night time.
And while some followers have been probably not joyful when Man Metropolis have been solely 2-1 up at half-time. That was right down to the wastefulness of some Metropolis gamers and the sheer brilliance of Karim Benzema, quite than something tactical from Pep.
It was the same story at full-time. Man Metropolis most likely needs to be taking, on the very least, a two-goal result in the Bernabeu. However missed probabilities, Vinicius’ tempo and a silly determination from Laporte means that’s not the case.
Nevertheless, it’s exhausting to argue that Pep Guardiola truly overthought his techniques on Tuesday.
Physique language
Lastly, we’ll check out Guardiola’s physique language from the sport.
And, while the Metropolis boss lower an animated determine on the sidelines for a lot of the 90 minutes, that’s nothing new for Pep.
Amongst his most noticeable touchline outbursts vs Actual got here when he screamed at Mahrez for not crossing to Foden 26 minutes in, when he was booked minutes after Man Metropolis went 3-1 up, and after Laporte’s handball when the Spaniard was noticed sat on the steps trying dejected.
As already talked about, although, all of those actions are fairly normal for the passionate, intense, demanding supervisor. Even getting booked proper after his crew went 3-1 up is pretty regular behaviour. Pep is well-known for persevering with to push his aspect to the restrict even when a recreation appears gained and his aspect are dominating, with Tuesday no completely different.
