บท 52: Chapter 254 Manchester City’s secret tactics shocked everyone!
After the 33rd round of the Premier League, it was immediately time for the Champions League.
Like Manchester City's choice, after playing the game against Real Betis, the entire Barcelona team came to Manchester two days in advance to prepare for the game.
They borrowed the training base of Manchester City's neighbor Manchester United. The training bases of the two teams are next to each other, only a few hundred meters away.
In order to avoid leaking tactics, Pellegrini chose to close the training ground and invited all fans and reporters outside.
This move immediately aroused speculation from the outside world:
"Is Manchester City holding back a big move?"
"That should be the case. I've never seen them training in a closed setting before. This seems to be the first time?"
"I wonder what big move Pellegrini has prepared to deal with Barcelona!"
Blue Moon fans are very supportive of Manchester City's decision to close training.
After all, promotion to the Champions League is priority. It doesn't matter if they can't go to the training ground to watch the team train. As long as they can advance to the semi-finals of the Champions League, it doesn't matter if they endure a few days.
Of course, if Pellegrini keeps training in isolation like this, the fans will definitely quit!
For fans of the Premier League, seeing that Manchester United is in trouble, Manchester City may become the only one in the entire Premier League.
At this time, they naturally hope that Manchester City can defeat Barcelona at home and retain a spark for the Premier League.
Last season, no Premier League team reached the quarterfinals, which made the Premier League somewhat unable to hold its head high in front of La Liga and the Bundesliga.
This season, Manchester City and Manchester United entered the quarterfinals, which somewhat restored some dignity for them.
But this is not enough. If they can go one step further and reach the semi-finals or even the final, that will mark the re-emergence of the Premier League!
At the peak of the Premier League, Premier League teams reached the finals almost every year, and there was even a Premier League civil war between Manchester United and Chelsea.
But last year, with the general decline of giants such as Manchester United, the Premier League's Champions League record entered a low period.
Manchester United is plagued by chronic problems this season, Chelsea has a serious problem with forward inability, and Arsenal's traditional love of losing, and seeing that they can't count on it, they pin all their hopes on Manchester City.
But for the Spanish media and Barcelona fans, they are very dissatisfied with Manchester City's behavior.
Originally, Barcelona's scouts planned to sneak outside the training ground to spy on the military situation, but when they arrived, they were dumbfounded. The other party closed the training base.
This made their intention to spy on intelligence come to nothing!
The Spanish media who accompanied the team on the expedition seized this point and began to attack Manchester City. They believed that the would-be Premier League champions were afraid of Barcelona. Otherwise, why would they go to such trouble?
For a time, news that Manchester City was afraid of Barcelona appeared one after another.
However, most of them were reported by Spanish media, and the British media chose to turn a blind eye.
Manchester City will not pay attention to the cynicism of the Spanish media. If they are afraid of Barcelona, you will know when they get to the stadium!
At the pre-match press conference, Martino confidently stated that he had found a way to restrain Manchester City. In this game, Barcelona will leave Manchester with victory and a spot in the semi-finals.
Faced with the bragging of the Barcelona coach, Pellegrini suppressed a smile while answering the reporter's question:
"Well, we have prepared something new. As for what it is, haha, please come to the arena to see it!"
The Manchester City coach played it safe and did not directly reveal the issue that reporters were most concerned about.
The whole world knows that Manchester City has conducted closed training, so everyone wants to know what they have prepared, but the other party refuses to tell them, which makes them even more curious!
After learning what Pellegrini said at the pre-match press conference, Barcelona coach Martino was shocked and confused.
What 'surprise' did the other party prepare for Barcelona?
The more I think about it, the more uneasy I feel!
…
On April 10, 2014, at the Etihad Stadium, the second leg of the Champions League quarter-finals between Manchester City and Barcelona was underway.
10 minutes have passed since the start of the game, and the score on the field is still 0:0, but Manchester City's tactics shocked many people!
"Uh, did I read that correctly? Manchester City is using our traditional Premier League long pass tactic to deal with Barcelona?"
In the commentary box, Sky Sports commentator Andy Gray's eyes widened and he was very surprised to see Manchester City continuously kicking back to find the forwards after the opening.
"It does look like a long pass. Very few people use this tactic in the Premier League now. Why would Manchester City suddenly use this tactic?"
Martin Taylor also doesn't understand. In the Premier League, long passes are only used by teams ranked in the middle and lower reaches. The wealthy clubs disdain this kind of tactic without technical content.
And with the spread of technical football, even among the teams in the middle and lower reaches of the Premier League, they have begun to take the path of ground advancement. The technical and tactical content is getting higher and higher, and the tactics of long passes and lobs are becoming less and less.
However, Manchester City went against the norm and picked up this retro, non-technical tactic.
What are you doing?
Barcelona's head coach Martino is also thinking about this issue. Is this the secret tactic Pellegrini said?
Is this what Manchester City has been preparing for in closed training for several days?
Are you kidding me?
In the last game, Manchester City's several quick counterattacks made Barcelona nervous. In this game, in order to limit Manchester City's counterattacks, Martino specially arranged players to specifically limit Manchester City's two ball release points - Kroos And De Bruyne.
In the last game, Barcelona did not know these two players well enough and did not restrict them in a targeted manner, giving them the opportunity to instigate a counterattack in the backcourt.
And this time, after realizing the huge role of the two, Barcelona will no longer ignore them.
However, what Martino didn't expect was that Manchester City actually changed their tactics.
They no longer have specific players instigating counterattacks. After they steal the ball in the backcourt, all players who get the ball can instigate counterattacks. The method is also very simple. Aim in the direction of the frontcourt players and move the ball towards the Barcelona half. Just kick it.
In this game, Manchester City did not start Aguero on the front line, but chose to start Negredo, a tall center with the ability to stand up.
Negredo is tall and can stand in position to pass the ball to his teammates. He can perfectly serve as a fulcrum to ferry the ball to teammates who are following up behind him, allowing his teammates to complete the final offensive task.
In the first ten minutes of the game, Manchester City had launched three such counterattacks.
Although he couldn't figure out what Manchester City was going to do, the opponent's tactics didn't work, which made Martino decide to stand still and observe first.
Once again blocking Manchester City's counterattack, Barcelona defender Bartra glanced disdainfully at Negredo, who was trying to steal the ball from him.
Want to use this simple tactic against Barcelona?
It's like a spring and autumn dream!
Negredo also saw the disdainful look in his eyes. He resisted the urge to give him the middle finger and cursed in his mind:
We'll see, when we succeed in the fight, I'll see if you still laugh!
Although the Manchester City fans who came to the Etihad Stadium did not know why the team chose this tactic, they cheered loudly every time the team took a big step forward.
This is pure British football, and this is how it should be played!
They felt that Barcelona was playing in a flashy way, with dozens of turnovers and no shots on goal, which made the spectators drowsy.
However, when Manchester City played a wonderful pass-and-cut combination like Barcelona's, their cheers became even louder!
Look, our Manchester City can also play such fancy things that only the top clubs can do. Our Manchester City is indeed the best!
Well, it's such a double standard!
…
In the 17th minute, Manchester City once again got a chance to counterattack.
Different from the previous three attacks, this time it was Cross who completed the pass.
The German made a precise long pass and found Lin Quan, who was running fast.
Cross's passing ability is indeed much higher than that of others in Manchester City's backcourt. Not only is his passing accurate, but he also gives it just the right amount of force.
Lin Quan easily got the ball on the wing. He quickly drove the ball towards Barcelona's penalty area while observing the movement of his teammates.
In order to ensure the stability of the defense, Manchester City will not invest too many troops in the counterattack, and only the front four will complete the offense.
At this time, among the four people in the frontcourt, only Negredo ran in front of Lin Quan.
But with Bartra beside him, and Busquets and others chasing after him, passing the ball directly to him can easily be intercepted.
Seeing this, Lin Quan gave up the idea of passing it to Negredo.
He took the ball and headed towards Barcelona's penalty area!
Alba originally saw the landing point of the football and was ready to rush to grab the ball, but Lin Quan moved faster than him and got the ball one step ahead.
Alba suddenly felt as if he was facing a formidable enemy. He knew that Lin Quan was very powerful, so he didn't dare to attack or get too close. He tried his best to block Lin Quan's inward cutting route and let the wing out, intending to Force him to go wide and away from Barcelona's goal.
This trick may work when facing ordinary wingers, but it is not so effective when facing players like Lin Quan who like to cut inside and shoot.
Lin Quan continuously moved the ball to the left while moving quickly, moving laterally towards the center.
Alba tried hard to keep up with Lin Quan, but soon he felt that he couldn't keep up with the opponent's speed. If he continued like this, he would be opened up by the opponent's breakthrough space.
In desperation, Alba had no choice but to fight to the death and stretch out his feet to intercept!
This was what Lin Quan was waiting for. When he saw him making a move, he quickly used a fried ball that was extremely fast to get past him.
Seeing Alba being passed, Mascherano had to move laterally to intercept. At the same time, Bartra also moved towards Lin Quan and handed Negredo to Alvi who was chasing back. Sri Lanka defense.
As soon as the two moved their front feet, Lin Quan completed the pass with his back foot.
Negredo stopped decisively, stopped moving forward, retreated, received Lin Quan's pass, passed forward, and then passed back to Lin Quan.
This is a tactic that has been practiced many times in the Manchester City team's training. As long as Lin Quan can kill it, it will be a one-man attack.
Seeing that Lin Quan was about to kill him, Barcelona had to commit a tactical foul. Bartra knocked Lin Quan outside the penalty area.
The referee gave the Barcelona defender a yellow card and awarded Manchester City a free kick.
"If you can't defend yourself, foul early. Don't wait until the opponent reaches the edge of the penalty area before fouling!"
Alves severely criticized Alba, whose choice almost caused Barcelona to fall into the abyss.
If Manchester City scores another goal at this time, they will have to score three goals in a row to advance.
Seeing that the players blocked Manchester City's counterattack, Martino breathed a sigh of relief and couldn't help but wipe the sweat from his forehead.
Damn it, if you are defeated by Manchester City using such retro tactics, then you really have to find a piece of tofu to kill you!
Barcelona, the majestic Cosmos team, was defeated by a long pass!
I'm afraid people will laugh out loud if I tell you this, and Team Cosmos' reputation will fall into the Mariana Trench!
Manchester City's free kick failed to pose a threat, and it was Barcelona's turn to attack!
Compared to the last game, Barcelona played more steadily today.
In order to avoid giving Manchester City a chance to counterattack, they played patiently and would never make a move easily without a perfect opportunity.
Barcelona has been playing passing and controlling games for several years, and has long been familiar with the passing and controlling style of play.
The magic weapon for passing and controlling is to involve and mobilize the opponent's defense through constant passing, running, and cross-positioning, consuming the opponent's physical strength and constantly exerting psychological pressure on the opponent.
Most teams can't help but feel anxious when facing Barcelona.
It is not difficult to concentrate occasionally during the game, but what is difficult is to maintain a high level of concentration for the entire game.
When facing Barcelona, you need to stay focused throughout the game, otherwise you will easily give your opponent a chance.
Therefore, when many players face Barcelona, they can keep up with the opponent's rhythm at first. However, the further they play, the greater the physical and mental consumption. Don't stop being frizzy.
Modern football defense relies on the whole, and maintaining the integrity of the defense is something that many coaches emphasize.
When a certain player breaks away from the whole team and rushes to grab the ball, but fails to successfully grab the ball, it will easily lead to loopholes in the entire defense line.
The reason is very simple. When you go up to grab the ball, your teammates may not have time to cooperate with you. If you run and your teammates don't run or are a step slower, there will be a gap between the two. This is a top team like Barcelona that is good at seizing opportunities. In terms of performance, such a mistake may mean losing the ball.
Therefore, Barcelona only needs to wait patiently for their opponents to make mistakes, and then seize the opportunity to punish them when they make mistakes!
At its peak, Barcelona had a particularly strong ability to seize opportunities. Even the top teams had to be careful not to make mistakes when facing Barcelona.
Although Barcelona at this time is not as strong as it was at its peak, their ability to seize opportunities is still very strong when players such as Messi, Neymar and Iniesta are still on the court!
However, Manchester City played very confidently today.
They are not afraid of Barcelona's passing and control at all. The players are very active in attacking and intercepting. Even if they make a mistake, their teammates will make up for it in time, making it difficult for Barcelona to seize the opportunity.
This made Barcelona feel very depressed. They felt that their opponents had evolved and upgraded after beating them, and became more difficult than the previous game.
Pellegrini got a taste of the sweetness in the last game, so as before, he arranged a dedicated person to limit Xavi's performance, which made Barcelona's brain very uncomfortable.
Harvey's ability to escape was very strong when he was young. The iconic "Magic of Love Circles" was Harvey's specialty.
But as he grew older, Harvey's physical fitness declined.
The 34-year-old Harvey's explosiveness and physical fitness are not as good as before. If it is the beginning of the season, he can still maintain a relatively good condition.
But now it's the end of the season, and the fatigue accumulated from playing throughout the season has caused Harvey's condition to decline significantly.
Faced with Manchester City's targeting, Harvey was a little helpless.
It's up to you, Xiaobai, Messi!
Xavi was forced by Yaya Toure and handed the ball to Iniesta with difficulty.
Iniesta and Messi played a two-on-one, dodged Kroos, and handed the ball back to Messi.
However, Messi had just received the ball and was tackled to the ground by Demichelis.
The referee's whistle sounded immediately and Barcelona was awarded a free kick.
This is the third frontcourt free kick that Barcelona has received in the first half. The first two times failed to threaten. This time, the position is relatively good. Xiaobai and Messi discussed it and decided that Messi should take the direct kick. Hit the door.
Messi placed the ball in the middle of the goal. Joe Hart directed the Manchester City players to line up a wall on the right, while he himself stood a little to the left of the goal. In this case, no matter who Messi hits, Directions are hard to come by.
Messi took one look at the opponent's wall and the goalkeeper's position, and made a decision in his mind.
Faced with this situation, most free kick masters will choose to go around the wall and hoist the ball into the right side of the goal.
Doing so will make it more difficult for the goalkeeper to save. If the angle is more tricky, it will be difficult for the goalkeeper to save the ball without moving in advance.
But the difficulty is that such a ball requires a lot of footwork from the players. They need to be able to cross the wall and play tricky.
Many times, this kind of free kick is either blocked by the high jumping wall, or it is hit too high and flies into the stands.
But if you choose to hit the left side of the goal, it will be difficult to get past the goalkeeper who is waiting for you.
Messi did not choose these two methods, but chose to hit the ball directly in the center of the goal, as if he was taking a penalty kick!
This goal greatly exceeded the expectations of the Manchester City players. Goalkeeper Joe Hart hurriedly rushed towards the center, but the speed of the ball was too fast, and Joe Hart was not absolutely sure to save the ball!
Are we going to lose a goal at home so early?
Joe Hart was a little annoyed!
The Manchester City fans at the scene let out a cry of surprise. Obviously, they were also aware of the danger!
The Barcelona fans have already clenched their hands and are ready to celebrate as soon as the ball flies into the goal!
However, at this moment, a figure appeared on the path of the football and blocked the ball with his body.
Joe Hart looked up in surprise and saw the jersey number on the opponent's back - No. 10!
It was Lin Quan who appeared in front of the goal at the critical moment and blocked Messi's almost certain goal!
After blocking Messi's free kick, Lin Quan couldn't help but breathed a sigh of relief.
After he saw Messi's move, he guessed that he might hit the goal directly from the center.
This trick is not commonly used by Messi now, but he often uses it in another dimension.
Barcelona's corner kick was taken and Joe Hart came out to win the ball.
He yelled, rushed into the penalty area and threw the ball away.
It's Manchester City's turn to counterattack again!
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