Guardiola ‘They play 5-3-2. When you are in the second part of the build up, the 3 cannot control the width of the pitch’.
How Pep took United apart
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How Pep took United apart
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Pep gave a little bit of insight into City’s plan after the match on Saturday. Pin their full backs with high wide wingers forcing them into a back 5 and use switches to play in the wide spaces in midfield 2/
The signs were there very early. As City’s build up shifts right, United’s midfield shuttle across. When the ball comes back into Rodri he has Cancelo in space as an option with Wan-Bissaka pre-occupied with Foden (out of shot) ahead of him 3/
In the 1st half City generally built in a back 3 with Walker forming part of the back line with the cbs. Cancelo was released to take advantage of the spaces in wide midfield on the left 4/
City used the same tactic down the right but often with De Bruyne dropping off the front line into these spaces to create 5/
If United added men to the press it often made it easier for City to implement the plan. Here Wan-Bissaka and Fernandes have joined the front line. De Bruyne can hover behind Fred knowing United simply don’t have the numbers to cover him with the cbs refusing to follow him 6/
The centre backs refusal to follow City’s front line into midfield was crucial. It meant City almost always had a numerical advantage in midfield areas with United’s back 5 set. Greenwood would drop in but City had too many bodies, especially when Walker and Dias stepped up 7/
United couldn’t push Fred and Fernandes out to cover the wide midfield spaces because McTominay would have been completely overrun 8/
The switch of play to Cancelo was working time and again. Being found in time and space, he was able to combine with Foden to put Wan-Bissaka under real pressure 9/
If you’re under pressure and being overloaded you can start making errors of judgement. Here Wan-Bissaka goes to Cancelo, leaving Foden completely free. Between them De Bruyne or Jesus should have made it 2
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A couple of minutes later the switch from Stones is picked up by Cancelo in all sorts of space. The same Cancelo/Foden combination down the left nearly forces a second own goal 11/
When the goals did come they’re both set up by Cancelo. For the first goal, the initial chance comes after United’s midfield have been dragged left. This allows Jesus to set it back to Walker, who has time to measure his cross 12/
When it pops out to Rodri he’s able to feed Cancelo on the left in the space vacated by United’s midfield moving across towards the initial danger. His cross is turned in by Bailly 13/
For the 2nd, City build down the left with Rodri finding Cancelo in the wide midfield space. The ball eventually makes its way over to Walker in the wide midfield space before he pops it into Jesus 14/
Bernardo then switches it to Cancelo, who again is in lots of space. United’s midfield has shifted right and Wan-Bissaka can’t get out to him quickly enough to stop the cross. Bernardo turns it in at the back post 15/
United changed shape at half time, putting wingers ahead of their full backs and reducing the spaces in wide midfield areas. Pep responded by playing Walker more advanced in the build up, effectively becoming a dm in possession, leaving a 2 man backline 16/
City were able to play out the half by passing United off the park. The full backs were used differently, to dominate possession. They ended up with the most touches of all the players on the pitch as City put the ball in the fridge 17/
But the damage had been done in the 1st half when Pep used the wide spaces created by United’s midfield 3 to produce a devastating display 18//
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