38 seconds into Real Madrid-Manchester City (3-3), Carlo Ancelotti, in his 200th game in the Champions League, was little less than unconscious. He had warned in advance that he would not surprise anyone with his lineup and, as a matter of men, that was the case. The only doubt was whether he would place Nacho as central or would I choose Tchouaménithe bet of almost the entire specialized press, despite the fact that Carletto himself defined his presence in the defense as a matter reserved for emergencies.
But at 38 seconds, as it is written, the Frenchman left his coach naked before the eyes of the world. His entrance to Grealishexcessive due to its forcefulness, led the referee Letexier to get the first yellow card of the game before the Bernabéu seats were even full. A card that also motivates Tchouaméni misses the return leg in Manchester by accumulation (he will be the only one sanctioned) and which led to Bernardo Silva’s early goal from a direct free kick, after a very poor intervention by Lunin.
But, alas, football, it turned out that at 13 minutes and 45 seconds into the game, Ancelotti He was a genius. Real Madrid turned the situation around in a minute and a half, another of those scenes that only occur when the stage is the Bernabéu and the context is the Champions League. And in both goals, the marking at the same time between Camavinga y Ruben Dias and that of Rodrygobore the seal of the Italian.
Camavinga y Rodrygo
Because, going back to three paragraphs, Ancelotti He had anticipated that his alignment would be manual, but he had a couple of moves in his hat that changed everything. The double pivot was Kroos-CamavingaYes, but it was the Frenchman who occupied the right sector, despite being left-handed and his companion right-handed. Surely, to compensate for the lower speed of Tchouaméni as a right center back in front of his teammate Rüdiger. Well, starting from the left and winning the center motivated Camavinga the goal of the momentary tie, fulfilling his coach’s request to shoot more on goal.
And what to say about Rodrygo, who 10 days ago against Athletic had shone lying in the left lane of the attack. Ancelotti took note and decided to repeat the play, even if that meant placing Vinicius as a center forward. It had been a topic of conversation in Manchester these days how Guardiola would respond to the reduction of Walkerthe most physically and tactically gifted footballer to stop ‘come‘. Y Ancelotti decided to change the cards to Pep when the mat was already placed. “They didn’t expect it and he turned out well, even though the result didn’t go well,” the Brazilian forward said afterwards.
He scored that goal Rodrygo starting from the left wing position and had two other chances in the first half from the same starting point, dismantling Guardiola’s defensive structure, breaking the seams at a Akanji little accustomed to covering that profile and leaving Vinicius in front of Dias y Stonestwo men much slower than him.
City’s response
“I can never think that Ancelotti is a bad tactical coach, because someone who has put Pirlo from mediocentro oa Kroos He has demonstrated his tactical intelligence. “You can’t be as successful if you’re not brilliant in that aspect,” he had said in the previous Guardiola about that recurring refrain that defines Carletto as a great group manager to summarize his undoubted success on the bench.
The problem for Ancelotti It was that he ran out of tricks in the second half and that City was gaining ground on Madrid. The match turned from a tactical battle to wonderful nonsense, a battle for the collection of Champions League classics. And a preview of the resolution that awaits in eight days at the Mancunian Etihad.
2024-04-09 21:58:11
#Ancelottis #tricks #surprise #Guardiola #monumental #match
