Chapter 450: Guardiola vs Klopp - A Clash of World-Class Managers
The concept of a three-center-back system means that when the team is attacking, either the fullback or a central defender moves up to the midfield, forming a three-center-back formation. This strategy has several benefits:
1. The three-center-back formation narrows the defensive width due to the lack of fullbacks. If the opponent continues with a high press, their wingers must advance to pressure the wide central defenders. Meanwhile, with an additional player in midfield, Manchester City forces the opponent to commit more players in the midfield, forming a trapezoid shape. This creates passing lanes on the wings, allowing the fullbacks to directly pass the ball to the wingers, who can then initiate attacks.
2. Thanks to the opponent's compact defensive shape, the wide players have more space when advancing with the ball. This reduces immediate pressure and interception, making it easier to penetrate the opponent's half and even the 30-meter zone.
Guardiola, being a world-class coach, crafted this strategy to significantly enhance Manchester City's attacking capabilities. However, he was still apprehensive, uncertain if this approach would work.
Meanwhile, in the Liverpool locker room, Klopp was encouraging his players: "You did very well in the first half, and I'm proud of you!"
Hearing Klopp's praise, the Liverpool players stood tall, filled with pride. The stronger the opponent, the more their skills were highlighted.
"But Manchester City is not a weak team, and the Etihad Stadium is not easy to conquer. I need you to maintain your full focus in the second half, fight for every ball, and give our opponents no chances. I want us to return to Liverpool with a victory."
Klopp's eyes turned sharp as he scanned the locker room, then loudly asked, "Tell me, can you do it?"
"Yes!" The Liverpool players shouted, determined to win and dedicate the victory to their coach and fans.
"Good, then go get them!" Klopp pushed open the locker room door, high-fiving each player as they headed out. The noise from the Liverpool locker room was clearly heard by the Manchester City players next door. However, they showed no reaction, walking silently and focused onto the pitch.
The opponent's morale was high, and the second half would undoubtedly be a tough battle. Manchester City hadn't faced such a challenge in a while, but they were ready.
With the referee's whistle, the second half began. Manchester City made the first substitution, replacing the underperforming Agüero with Son Heung-min. Lin Quan moved up to the forward position.
Seeing this, Klopp was taken aback: "Is it happening?"
Having watched the Manchester derby, Klopp wasn't surprised by City removing their forward. But if they were playing without a traditional striker, shouldn't they add a defensive midfielder?
Instead, Guardiola brought on a winger. Was it because they were behind and didn't want to remove an attacking player? Without a forward to hold the defense, Liverpool's defenders could push forward more aggressively. Would City cope with Liverpool's pressure without deploying three defensive midfielders?
Klopp couldn't immediately understand Guardiola's reasoning, but he didn't consider it a mistake. He worried Guardiola might have considered something he hadn't seen yet. Concentrating, Klopp observed the match closely.
He soon noticed something different. "Manchester City's formation has changed!"
He saw that during City's attack, right-back Zabaleta moved up to a defensive midfield position, while the remaining defenders formed a three-center-back shape.
"Is this Guardiola's counter move?"
By moving the fullback up without reducing attacking players, Guardiola ensured enough defensive midfield coverage. But Zabaleta wasn't a true defensive midfielder. Could he handle this role?
Liverpool's players also noticed City's formation change. Initially, they didn't mind and tried to exploit the reduced defenders by pressing higher. Both wingers pushed up, pressing City's wide central defenders, forcing their midfielders forward to maintain shape.
Liverpool executed Klopp's high pressing strategy, using active running and pressing to disrupt City's play. However, they found their high pressing less effective in the second half. City increased their attacking intensity, frequently penetrating Liverpool's half and creating shooting opportunities.
In the 52nd minute, Lin Quan broke through on the wing and hit the crossbar with an inside shot, making Liverpool players nervous.
Although the shot missed, it was a wake-up call for Liverpool. Their defensive strategy had issues. But where was the problem?
Klopp also noticed this from the sidelines. Frowning, he replayed City's recent attack sequence in his mind.
"Why didn't our wide players press Lin Quan immediately when he received the ball?"
He had emphasized defending City's wings, especially their top scorer Lin Quan. But when Lin Quan got the ball, Liverpool's wide midfielder didn't immediately press him. Why?
He began to realize there was a significant change in City's tactics that he hadn't fully grasped yet.
Were the players being lazy and not following my tactics, or did something unexpected happen on the field?
With this thought, Klopp widened his eyes and closely observed the positioning of Manchester City's players on the field. For a coach, observing player positioning is not always easy because they are on the same level as the players. If Klopp were in the stands, he would clearly see that Liverpool's defensive positioning had unconsciously changed. This change wasn't due to Klopp's adjustments but was a passive reaction.
With Zabaleta moving forward, City's midfield now had four players. Continuing the high press from the first half meant Liverpool would be outnumbered. No matter how hard they ran, it was difficult to make up for the numerical disadvantage and apply enough pressure. So, Liverpool's formation involuntarily shrank inward, pulling towards the center.
This wasn't intentional, but a natural response from the players. Even if Klopp were on the field, he would instinctively do the same. However, this natural reaction revitalized Manchester City's attack.
After coming on, Son Heung-min frequently sprinted down the wing with his speed. Although his ability to cut inside and shoot was limited, his task was to advance the ball upfield and pass it to Lin Quan. Lin Quan's positioning on the wing forced Liverpool's fullback to stand between him and Son, unable to fully commit to either player. This allowed Son to comfortably dribble and cross the ball.
Moreover, City's resources were clearly focused on the wing. Not just Son and Lin Quan, but also De Bruyne and even Zabaleta moved towards the wing to create a numerical advantage. Their positioning was spread out, giving them space to maneuver rather than clustering together.
This made it extremely difficult for Liverpool to defend the wings. They couldn't intercept Son's dribbling or crossing. Once the ball reached Lin Quan, his explosive speed and dribbling made it hard for Liverpool's defenders to stop him immediately.
Liverpool's defense was shaky, and it was only a matter of time before City scored. Sure enough, after Lin Quan's shot hit the crossbar, City launched another attack in the 58th minute. Son sprinted down the wing, passing the ball to Lin Quan in the 30-meter zone. Lin Quan dribbled past defenders into the box. This time, instead of shooting immediately, he chipped the ball over the goalkeeper, scoring a beautiful goal.
2-3! City was only one goal behind!
On the sidelines, Klopp couldn't sit still. His eyes widened as he watched the City players intently. It wasn't Lin Quan in his sights, but City's right-back, Zabaleta! It was Zabaleta's position change that triggered this series of reactions.
Guardiola's three-center-back formation had a killer move!
Klopp didn't back down. He immediately signaled two forwards on the bench to warm up. City's attacking ability had improved, but their defense was also visibly weakened. With Coutinho and others exhausted, they couldn't pressure City's defense effectively.
Klopp decided to use all three substitutions to bring on fresh attackers to challenge City's defense. He wanted to see if Guardiola's formation could hold up. After making the decision, Klopp called over Coutinho and the players about to be substituted, instructing them to exhaust City's defenders before coming off.
Klopp's ruthless decisiveness worried Guardiola. Seeing Klopp's actions, he guessed Klopp's intentions. Substituting three players at once was bold and not something everyone could do. Guardiola wasn't sure if City could withstand the pressure, as this new formation was a spontaneous idea, not thoroughly tested.
Klopp was more ruthless than expected. In the 65th minute, he substituted three attacking players and pushed the formation forward. Liverpool's fullbacks advanced completely, transforming the formation to a 2-1-4-3, increasing the width and pressure in the attack. As a result, City's counterattacks became more challenging, needing to wait for Liverpool's fullbacks to retreat.
The match turned into a tactical battle, and the game became even more intense and exciting.
"This is a top-level match between two world-class managers. Guardiola's three-center-back formation has strengthened City's wing attacks, while Klopp's pressing and fullbacks' advancement have neutralized City's advantage."
"Guardiola's adjustment is genius, and Klopp's ability to quickly read and counter it shows his top-tier in-game management," praised Martin Tyler from Sky Sports.
"These two are truly well-matched, making the Premier League thrilling to watch!"
(End of Chapter)