A GREAT NCELOTTI LINEUP
A few months ago, when pressed by the media in a press conference about formation (it was a period when Real was confused about having to "cram" Kylian Mbappe into an attack line already full of stars), Real coach Carlo Ancelotti got angry: "I have coached about 1,300 matches. I have arranged 1,300 starting lineups and made about 4,000 substitutions. I don't need anyone to teach me about formation."
Real Madrid always know how to win in the Champions League
Now, Real triumphantly left the Etihad Stadium with a 3-2 victory over Manchester City (Man.City) in the first leg of the play-off, competing for a ticket to the Champions League round of 16. It is time for observers to get used to the concept of "Champions League derby", when Real and Man.City have continuously met in the knock-out format for the past 3 seasons, and the winning team is always the team that goes straight to the Champions League championship. Ancelotti himself declared before the play-off round: "I think the winner of this match is completely capable of winning the championship". Obviously, the 3-2 victory in the first leg is a big advantage for Real, before the return leg at home. The patchwork lineup and the scoring talent of substitute player Brahim Diaz helped Real win resoundingly.
Man.City not only had enough, but also had an excess of defenders. The back four Josko Gvardiol, Nathan Ake, Ruben Dias, Manuel Akanji in the Man.City defense were all playing in their usual positions, while center-back John Stone was also used in a higher position, in a 4-1-4-1 formation. In contrast, Real lost 5 defenders before the ball rolled. Ancelotti had to move midfielders Aurelien Tchouameni, Federico Valverde down, to link up with Ferland Mendy and young player Raul Asencio. That was a back four that had never played together. And perhaps that makeshift defense will never appear again. In another match, with different specific circumstances, Ancelotti would not have to arrange his troops like that again. But for now, we must admit that Real's defenders played successfully in the last away match, despite conceding 2 goals.
Real Madrid b ONE FOOT INTO THE NEXT ROUND
Ancelotti comes from Calcio - the world's number 1 football team in terms of two characteristics: high tacticality and defensive instinct. That is why Ancelotti clearly saw that midfielder Valverde could play as a full-back while Tchouameni could take on the role of a centre-back. On the other hand, Ancelotti coaches during the match, adjusting everything according to the situation, rather than coaching according to a predetermined philosophy like Pep Guardiola. This is the path that led Real to a spectacular comeback victory: Brahim Diaz equalized 2-2 in the 86th minute and Jude Bellingham sealed a 3-2 victory for Real in the extra minutes.
Before that, Erling Haaland scored both goals for Man.City, before and after Mbappe's equalizer for Real. It was indeed a surprise when Real won in the final minutes. However, the overall view shows that Real deserved this important victory.
The strange mettle of the "Champions League champion" team was once again demonstrated by veteran tactician Ancelotti. Immediately after the victory, he announced the recovery of several key defenders, confirming that they would return in the second leg. That could just be a "trick". Not only is Real better in terms of score, but they are also better than Man.City in terms of spirit, and have already set one foot in the next round.
Source: https://thanhnien.vn/tuyet-voi-ban-linh-real-madrid-185250212215535917.htm
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