Barcelona vs Manchester City: SunSport columnist Lothar Matthaus on how Pep Guardiola can beat former club
Germany legend analyses how Spainiard can return to Barca and orchestrate a stunning Champions League triumph
LOTHAR MATTHAUS is SunSport’s European and international football pundit.
Here, the Germany legend analyses how Pep Guardiola can return to Barcelona and orchestrate a stunning Champions League triumph.
Three’s Kompany for Pep
THE great thing about any Pep Guardiola team is that you never know how they will play.
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Even if you can get the first team right, he will change the system if he wants to do that.
He always wants to surprise the opposition and the fans — and sometimes the players, too.
Pep played a back three against Everton and, while Barcelona are a very different team, City can benefit by doing the same in the Camp Nou. The return of Vincent Kompany can make it even easier.
City could play with a normal defensive line in a 4-1-4-1 and the key then is that they are compact because you can’t let Barca have the space to play their game.
But I think Guardiola will want to show something special going back to his old team. Tactically it gives you five at the back when Barca come at you, but three in the line when you have the ball.
The two wing-backs then go into the centre to close that space up where Barca play short passes.
Pep always wants at least one extra man in midfield than the opposition and that means the wing-backs can push in and play around the defensive midfielder.
It’s a real plus when it comes to ball possession as well.
Class but Nou mystery
BARCELONA are a team without secrets.
Yes, they have high-quality players. But they have no secrets and that means it is possible to work out what to do against them.
The first thing is to keep your concentration defensively.
But it is not only about that, because you have to try to give them problems, too. And if you do, you can hurt them. Yes, Messi is back and this is a boost for Barca.