psg played bayern munich in the ucl cup final . this was the game between two german coaches and their teams . both the coaches had a good players at their disposal and it was interesting to see as to who comes at the top . before i write anything about the game let me tell you the difference between a good player and a great player . di maria ,neymar and mbappe are good players but messi,bergkamp and maradona are great players . the reason being not that they are good dribblers but the great players just know when they can take an extra touch and set the ball up and fire it up . while the good players just like to take in one go which reduces it chances . great players are able to compute as to how they can use the spaces and the players around them . this game was just about how each coaches sets their team up and how they try to improvise during the game . just look the difference between two managers . flick was instructing his players throughout the game while tuchel was trying to be beilsa sitting on coffee ( i know his leg is broken but i think his mouth was ok considering he was chewing the gum whole time . ) . the reason me commenting was as to how much are you aware of the situation and how are trying to improvise the things . the opposition will always try to stop you and its you study and depth of the game that allows you make changes and try to get the better of the opposition .
now bayern started their game with the usual 4-2-3-1 formation while psg started with their usual 4-3-3 formation . bayern made one change with koman coming in for perisic . now here was chess match that was going on . bayern play a high line and there coach drilled the team as to how to implement it . bayern first congested the midfield so that psg would take the ball wide . once they took the ball wide they just kind of pressed them in that zone and either had the possession back or made them play some desperate moves . there are some advantages of playing a high line and this is where the chess match begins . as like in chess the midfield is congested so the teams have to find a route through the flanks or they have to go long since they are getting pressed . the purpose of playing a high line is to congest the other team and make it play in compact spaces .
now here is the trap at times the opposing team when they see a high line they try to release a player behind the back four and if the team playing the high line can read the opposition correctly then they can either catch the runner offisde or can intercept the pass . second thing about trap is that when the team plays a high line it can do a very good press to the opposition and this press is genreally in the midfield and upfront . teams rarely go for a full press unless they can find a good moment where on they can press the opposition . so when they are pressing the oppostion cant find a space to pass and move the ball upwards and they have or try to play a long pass ( 30-35 yards pass) and try to release somebody behind the back four and if the teams can read that then they can again intercept the pass or can read the play and take proper measures .
to the game bayern play a very high line . on the other hand psg are predominantly setup for counter attack . they keep mbappe and neymar high up the pitch so that when they can get possession they can release either of them behind the back four or try to get the ball to since both are good dribblers and fast . here is the thing that i was intrigued about psg . bayern were never ever going to give them space in the middle of the pitch and were not going to give neymar time and space on the ball . so psg were kind of forced to move the ball through the flanks . they mostly moved the ball through right side ( through di maria bayern's left side ) . when they were moving the ball there were only three three players that were involved into the offense . neymar and mbappe were stuck to their positions . may they were told to do so because they can distract players with their positioning can create that space where on di maria, and kehrer can operate . but here is the trouble time and time they were stuck again in that channel and they were not getting the ball near the box . when the system is not working you have to change it . you have to atleast get the ball near the box to atleast create a threat . when you are getting stuck in a move change the things . try neymar to make a diagonal run or make mbappe come inside . most importantly they were overwhelmed because of the numbers . psg only had di maria,herrera and kehrer operating in a triangle . touchle should had changed the things when he could see that things were not working for him and they were getting bogged down . bayern were sixes and seven's whenever psg could the ball near the box .
the reason being first a defender never likes to come out of his zone because once the shape or geometry gets distorted then he kinds of get suspect and in the running play you can always exploit the gaps that get created by the play . for me psg were just one gear team trying to get play a forward play game . they never tried to draw bayern in and never tried to control the tempo . most importantly at times they should had just played the ball around but with a purpose . i had seen teams playing the ball around but without a purpose the latest being conte's inter in the uefa cup final . touchle had not been able to do that . he is just predominantly a counter attacking man. most importantly he is sitting there on the water basket for that only to instruct his team as to what they need to do. compare that to flick who looks to be in control of his team and knew exactly as to what his team should do .
now bayern's goal came because of the psg's shape . i think di maria was instructed to drop back and help the midfield but he was doing so when davies was coming up . the goal is just common communication and positional error made by the back four . the centre backs were definitely going to look after lewandowski and they should had told kehrer to look out for coman since he is his marker . defending is not an easy job . kehrer lost his positional sense and the goal was conceded . i mentioned di maria because if he had been there then he would had been a handful there giving kehrer the should since he is the one who is covering kehrer . most importantly this what happens when you have insufficient numbers in the midfield since psg only had three in there had they had four then one of them could have been near kehrer and could had been helpful .
i think i can help mention but one player in the match and that is groetzka . he isnt that good a technical player but he has got a very serious engine and most importantly he will keep things simple and follows his coaches words to the letter . i liked his energy and the way he closed psg and was always there along side thiago and covering him and doing simpler things and getting up and down the pitch with ease . such players are a handful to a coach who may not be that much technically great but will put on a shift and do a defensive job perfectly .
up untill now i had seen just a handful of coaches who really know as to what their team should do in the final third . to be honest flick and kloop's team know better as to what they need to do in the final third . these two are the ones at par with gaurdiola and really know as to what they are coaching . i have watched football for a long time now and i can say that except for arsenal under wenger when they played a good flowing football and man utd in 07-08 with carlos queiroz as assistant were the teams that were good and pleasent to watch .
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