Here we go.
European crown
The final.
Manchester City football club
Chelsea
There are many similarities between the two teams; Shiekh Mansour vs Roman Abramovich, both teams have a well-funded consortium behind them; Pep Guardiola vs Thomas Tuchel, both teams have tactical geniuses at their disposal; 60.2% vs 57.1%, both teams have a big obsession with possession; Phil Foden vs Mason Mount, both teams have an English star waiting to prove himself!
; Gabriel Jesus vs Timo Werner, both teams have fake forwards who waste scoring chances all day long
There's a lot of differences between the two teams, too
Manchester City football club
Step by step with positional warfare, and the
Chelsea
On the other hand, they rely on straightforward rush attacks to instantly tear apart the opponent's defense;
Manchester City football club
Using the wingbacks to support and stop counterattacks.
Chelsea
Instead, they use 3 defenders + 2 backs to create a regional advantage to control the backfield. With both teams having horrendous attacking tactics and proud defensive strategies, this game is sure to be a great success for both teams.
commander-in-chief
A fine game of chess with a battle of wits (which could become a low-scoring, slow-paced game for neutral fans), so let's start with the starting lineups to see how this game is likely to play out.
A lot of people on the net have mentioned the possibility of Torres or even Aguero starting, but I myself think it's a bogus topic. aguero just came back from injury and had a great last game, but taking away the emotional aspect (Guardiola's willingness to let him go is a testament to his ability to eliminate all emotional influences), the chances of Aguero starting are virtually nil, and at best, you can expect him to change the pace in the final stalemate. At best, expect him to come in at the end of a deadlock and change the tempo. As for Torres, he did prove his nose for the ball in the first few games, but his inability to get back on defense will be a major factor in his inability to start this game, and Guardiola, who is very, very obsessed with a full defense, is unlikely to have anyone on the pitch who can't play effective defense in what could be the most important game in the club's history. However, Torres will most likely be the priority player on the bench, given the recent circumstances.
So, I think all the starters will stay for the second game against PSG, the defense will most likely continue the 4-4-2, the offense can be the target of the two wings as a rush, or Bernardo and KDB back to the organization are options, the wingbacks shrink to support the back is an important matter to stop the counterattacks, Walker and Werner's side of the road duel is likely to kill the blood flow.
Chelsea
The lineup suspense might just be a little more intense.
BACKFIELD: James and AZP should both return to their regular positions (James at center back mainly to stop speedy forwards, but
Manchester City football club
(Obviously no threat in that regard), James' ability to go one-on-one on the right flank, AZP's nose for going up and attacking, and Thiago Silva's leadership from the back are all necessary, so Christensen may be unlucky to miss out on this final.
Midfield: Kovacic is the type of player who breaks with the ball and is used in the
Manchester City football club
The pressing on is likely to be a big deal in the backfield, so the Jorginho sweeper/metronome + Kante box-to-box energy should continue with this two back combo.
FRONT COURT: Mount takes a spot outright and Werner's speed is dealt with
Manchester City football club
An indispensable threat at the high post, leaving a three-stealer at one position, Havertz, Pulisic, and Ziyech. To be honest, I don't know much about the functionality of these three guys, but after reading a few reports, I'm going to go with Havertz. If there are any fans out there who have seen this, please don't hesitate to comment.
In my own opinion.
Manchester City football club
It's still going to be the side that holds the ball more, so
Chelsea
Long rush passes will probably be the main offense (and that's how they'll be more able to really create a threat. Reference reading:
Chelsea
(0-1 Arsenal: ugly win for apprentice Arteta, interesting he-solution for master Guardiola?) , the center backs on both sides, the double backs can feed the ball well to Werner Mercedes, as said earlier, the Werner-Walker duel should be exciting.
For positional play, Rudiger and AZP can bring the ball forward and support the midfield → forward organization, while the wings will be the key to success or failure. chilwell must bet on adding defensive pressure to Mahrez; on the other side James can likewise try a one-on-one with Foden (if the support on the right side can draw Zinchenko away from him). Pressing
Manchester City football club
The winger drops back to assist in the defense and can also put the
Manchester City football club
Counterattacks are minimized, but never because of the
Manchester City
of the unarmed formation and carelessness.
Manchester City football club
Even in the backcourt, it's not difficult to break through the high pressure press with tiki-taka, can Jorginho apply pressure at the right time and lower the pressure?
Manchester City
The efficiency of the counterattack would be
Chelsea
The key to stopping opponents from counterattacking. And of course, the energy of Kante running all over the field, KDB, the biggest threat needs to be controlled by Kante himself.
So how will the game go, Guardiola and Tuchel's tactical talent is not at all in the same world as us fans, or even in the same class as other world class managers (in terms of tactical scheduling alone), and there is a good chance that the tactics and lineups mentioned earlier will completely blow my mind.
Manchester City football club
Will you drive the bus and play defensive counterattack?
Chelsea
Will they line up four defenders and play mainly in the middle of the field? It's hard to say, and we mere mortals can only speculate from past matches. After all, their historical matches are almost worthless due to the drastic changes in their lineups.
