Chapter 254: Manchester City's Secret Tactics, Shocking Everyone!
After the end of the 33rd round of the Premier League, it was time for the Champions League matches again.
Similar to Manchester City, after their game against Real Betis, the entire Barcelona team arrived in Manchester two days early to prepare.
They borrowed the training base of Manchester City's neighbors, Manchester United. The two training bases are very close, only a few hundred meters apart.
To prevent any tactics from being leaked, Pellegrini decided to close off the training ground, asking all fans and outside reporters to leave.
This move immediately sparked speculation:
"Is Manchester City planning something big?"
"It looks like it. I don't think they've ever closed off their training before; this seems to be the first time."
"What kind of big plan does Pellegrini have against Barcelona?"
Manchester City fans were very supportive of the decision to close off the training. After all, progressing in the Champions League was the priority. They didn't mind missing out on watching the team train for a few days as long as they advanced to the semifinals.
Of course, if Pellegrini kept doing closed training all the time, the fans would definitely not be happy!
For Premier League fans, with Manchester United in a tough spot, Manchester City might become the league's sole representative. Naturally, they hoped Manchester City could beat Barcelona at home and keep the Premier League's hopes alive.
Last season, no Premier League team made it to the quarterfinals, making the league look weak compared to La Liga and the Bundesliga. This season, with Manchester City and Manchester United reaching the quarterfinals, they've regained some dignity. But that's not enough. They need to go further, into the semifinals or even the final, to truly signal the Premier League's resurgence!
At the height of the Premier League, nearly every year a team would reach the final, and there was even an all-English final between Manchester United and Chelsea.
But last year, with the decline of major teams like Manchester United, the Premier League's Champions League performance hit a low point. This season, Manchester United is plagued with problems, Chelsea struggles with scoring, and Arsenal often falters at crucial moments. All hopes are pinned on Manchester City.
However, for the Spanish media and Barcelona fans, they were not happy with Manchester City's secrecy. Barcelona scouts planned to gather some intelligence from outside the training ground, but they were disappointed when they found the training base closed.
The Spanish media accompanying Barcelona on their trip seized on this, criticizing Manchester City and suggesting that the Premier League's near-champions were afraid of Barcelona. Otherwise, why would they go to such lengths?
Soon, news suggesting Manchester City was afraid of Barcelona spread, mostly from the Spanish media, while the British media chose to ignore it.
Manchester City paid no attention to the Spanish media's ridicule. Whether they were afraid of Barcelona would be revealed on the pitch!
At the pre-match press conference, Martino confidently stated that he had found a way to counter Manchester City. He claimed that Barcelona would leave Manchester with a victory and a ticket to the semifinals.
Facing the boasting of Barcelona's head coach, Pellegrini held back his laughter and responded to the reporters: "Yes, we have prepared something new. What exactly? You'll have to see on the field!"
The Manchester City manager kept things mysterious, not revealing the most pressing question on the reporters' minds.
The whole world knew about Manchester City's closed training, so everyone wanted to know what they had prepared, but they refused to say, making everyone even more curious!
After hearing about Pellegrini's words at the pre-match press conference, Barcelona coach Martino felt a growing unease. What 'surprise' did they prepare for Barcelona? The more he thought about it, the more uneasy he felt!
On April 10, 2014, at the Etihad Stadium, the second leg of the Champions League quarterfinals between Manchester City and Barcelona was underway.
Ten minutes into the game, the score was still 0-0, but Manchester City's tactics were shocking everyone!
"Am I seeing this right? Manchester City is using the traditional long-ball tactic to counter Barcelona?" Sky Sports commentator Andy Gray was wide-eyed in disbelief.
"It does look like long balls. This tactic is rarely used in the Premier League nowadays. Why would Manchester City suddenly use it?" Martin Tyler couldn't understand either. Long balls are typically used by lower-ranked teams; elite clubs usually disdain such tactics. Even mid-to-lower tier Premier League teams are adopting more technical styles, making long-ball tactics increasingly rare.
But Manchester City was breaking the norm, employing this outdated and unskilled tactic.
What were they up to?
Barcelona's coach Martino was also pondering this. Was this Pellegrini's secret tactic? Was this what Manchester City spent days preparing behind closed doors?
You've got to be kidding me!
In the last match, Manchester City's counter-attacks rattled Barcelona. To limit these counter-attacks, Martino specifically arranged for players to target Manchester City's two key distributors, Kroos and De Bruyne. Last match, Barcelona didn't know much about these two and failed to contain them, allowing them to orchestrate counter-attacks from the back.
But this time, recognizing their significance, Barcelona wouldn't ignore them again.
However, Martino didn't expect Manchester City to change their tactics. They no longer relied on specific players to orchestrate counter-attacks. After winning the ball, any player could launch a counter-attack, simply kicking the ball towards the forwards in Barcelona's half.
For this game, Manchester City didn't start Aguero but opted for Negredo, a tall, strong striker. Negredo could hold his position and set up his teammates, serving as a perfect target man to lay the ball off for the oncoming attackers.
In the first ten minutes, Manchester City had already launched three such counter-attacks.
Though puzzled by Manchester City's approach, Martino decided to wait and see since their tactics hadn't been effective yet.
Intercepting another Manchester City attack, Barcelona's defender Bartra disdainfully glanced at Negredo, who tried to challenge him.
Using such a simple tactic against Barcelona? Dream on!
Negredo also saw the disdain in Bartra's eyes and suppressed the urge to flip him off, thinking: Just wait, once we succeed, let's see if you're still laughing!
Manchester City fans at the Etihad Stadium didn't understand why the team chose this tactic, but they cheered loudly every time the team launched a long ball.
This is pure English football, just like it should be!
They thought Barcelona's intricate play was boring, with lots of passes but no shots, making the game dull.
However, when Manchester City played like Barcelona with beautiful passing and movement, the cheers were even louder!
See, Manchester City can play fancy football too! Our City is the best!
Yes, they're totally biased!
In the 17th minute, Manchester City got another chance to counter.
This time, unlike the previous three attacks, it was Kroos who made the pass. The German delivered a precise long ball to Lin Quan, sprinting down the wing.
Kroos's passing ability far exceeded that of other Manchester City players. His pass was not only accurate but also perfectly weighted.
Lin Quan easily received the ball on the flank and quickly drove towards Barcelona's penalty area, observing his teammates' positions.
To maintain defensive stability, Manchester City wouldn't commit too many players forward during counter-attacks, relying on the four forwards to finish the job.
At this moment, only Negredo was ahead of Lin Quan, but he was marked by Bartra, with Busquets and others chasing him down. A direct pass to Negredo would likely be intercepted.
Seeing this, Lin Quan decided against passing to Negredo. He drove the ball towards Barcelona's penalty area himself!
Alba, initially ready to contest the ball's landing spot, was outpaced by Lin Quan, who got to the ball first.
Jordi Alba was immediately on high alert. He knew Lin Quan was excellent at dribbling past defenders, so he didn't dare to rush in or get too close. He desperately tried to block Lin Quan's path to cut inside, forcing him to the wing and away from Barcelona's goal.
This tactic might work against ordinary wingers, but not against someone like Lin Quan, who loved to cut inside and shoot. Lin Quan continuously shifted the ball to his left while moving horizontally towards the middle. Alba tried to keep up but quickly felt he couldn't match Lin Quan's speed. If this continued, Lin Quan would create enough space to break through.
In a last-ditch effort, Alba extended his leg to intercept! Lin Quan had been waiting for this. As soon as Alba extended his leg, Lin Quan swiftly used a lightning-fast move to dodge past him.
Seeing Alba get beaten, Mascherano had to move laterally to intercept. At the same time, Bartra also moved towards Lin Quan, leaving Negredo to be marked by the retreating Alves.
Just as they moved, Lin Quan passed the ball. Negredo stopped, ceased moving forward, and received Lin Quan's pass before sending it back to Lin Quan. This was a tactic Manchester City had practiced many times. If Lin Quan could get past the defense, he would have a one-on-one chance.
Seeing Lin Quan about to break through, Bartra had no choice but to commit a tactical foul, bringing him down outside the penalty area. The referee gave Bartra a yellow card and awarded City a free kick.
"If you can't stop him, foul him early. Don't wait until he's near the penalty area!" Alves sternly criticized Alba, whose decision nearly pushed Barcelona to the brink.
If City scored again, Barcelona would need three goals to advance.
As the players blocked City's counterattack, Martino breathed a sigh of relief and wiped the sweat from his forehead.
Damn, if we lose to such an outdated tactic, I'd better find a rock to crawl under!
The mighty Barcelona, beaten by long balls!
This would be a laughingstock. Barcelona's reputation would sink to the Mariana Trench!
City's free kick did not pose a threat, and it was Barcelona's turn to attack!
Compared to the last game, Barcelona played more steadily today. To avoid giving City counterattack opportunities, they patiently passed the ball around, waiting for perfect chances before making a move.
Barcelona had been playing possession football for years and were experts at it. The key to this style was constant passing, movement, and switching positions to disrupt and exhaust the opponent's defense while applying psychological pressure.
Most teams facing Barcelona couldn't help but get anxious.
It's easy to focus occasionally during a game, but maintaining high concentration for the entire match is challenging.
Facing Barcelona required full concentration the entire game; any lapse could easily give them an opportunity.
Thus, many players, though able to keep up with Barcelona at first, became more fatigued and agitated as the game progressed, making rash decisions and breaking defensive lines.
Modern football defense relies on teamwork, and maintaining the defensive line's integrity is crucial.
When a player rushes forward alone and fails to win the ball, it can create gaps in the defense. This is dangerous against a top team like Barcelona, which excels at exploiting such mistakes.
Barcelona's strategy was to wait for opponents to make mistakes and then punish them.
At their peak, Barcelona was incredibly effective at seizing opportunities, making even top teams cautious and prone to errors.
Although this Barcelona team wasn't at its peak, with players like Messi, Neymar, and Iniesta, they were still formidable at capitalizing on chances.
However, today, Manchester City played with great confidence. They weren't afraid of Barcelona's possession play, actively pressing and intercepting. Even when they made mistakes, their teammates quickly covered, making it hard for Barcelona to find opportunities.
This frustrated Barcelona, feeling as if City had evolved after their last encounter, becoming even tougher.
Pellegrini, pleased with their last encounter, again targeted Xavi, restricting his influence and making him uncomfortable.
In his younger days, Xavi's dribbling was excellent, with his signature "magic turn" being a highlight.
But as he aged, Xavi's physical abilities declined. At 34, his explosiveness and stamina weren't what they used to be. Early in the season, he could maintain good form, but now, nearing season's end, fatigue was evident.
Facing City's targeted defense, Xavi struggled.
It's up to you now, Iniesta and Messi!
Under Toure's pressure, Xavi barely passed to Iniesta. Iniesta and Messi performed a one-two, evading Kroos, and returned the ball to Messi. But just as Messi received the ball, Demichelis tackled him.
The referee's whistle blew, awarding Barcelona a free kick.
This was their third free kick in the attacking third, with the previous two failing to threaten. This time, the position was favorable. After consulting with Iniesta, Messi decided to shoot directly.
Messi placed the ball centrally. Joe Hart directed City's players to form a wall on the right while he positioned himself slightly left, ready to defend either side.
Messi analyzed the wall and Hart's position, making his decision.
Usually, free-kick specialists would aim around the wall to the right side, increasing difficulty for the keeper.
But this required precise technique, both to clear the wall and to hit the target.
Often, these kicks either hit the wall or soared over.
Shooting to the left would have to beat the vigilant keeper.
Messi chose neither. Instead, he aimed directly at the center, almost like taking a penalty!
This surprised City's players. Joe Hart scrambled towards the middle, but the ball was too fast.
Would they concede so early at home?
Hart was frustrated.
City fans gasped, sensing the danger!
Barcelona fans clenched their fists, ready to celebrate!
Then, a figure blocked the ball's path, stopping it with his body.
Hart looked up in surprise, seeing the number 10 jersey.
It was Lin Quan, who had appeared just in time to block Messi's near-certain goal!
Relieved, Lin Quan exhaled.
Seeing Messi's move, he anticipated the central shot.
This move wasn't common for Messi now, but in another timeline, he used it often.
Barcelona's corner was cleared by Hart.
City's counterattack began!
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