da fazobetai： The match between Liverpool and Manchester City is one between two sides currently experiencing varying narratives in the media and in their respective fan bases.
da 888casino： It is also a renewal of a coaching rivalry that stretches back to the time spent by Jurgen Klopp and Pep Guardiola in the Bundesliga at Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich respectively.
Whilst Liverpool are still riding on a wave of positivity as a result of the ‘heavy metal’ football style installed at the club by Klopp, we see a Manchester City side that started the season on fire before stuttering in recent weeks with a series of performances that have been below the standards expected by the extremely detail orientated Guardiola.
A confident 4-1 win over Stoke in their last league game displayed Liverpool at their breathtaking best. Movement and rotations throughout the final third left the Stoke defensive unit in disarray, and there was even time for England international striker Daniel Sturridge to remind everyone that he is still an extremely effective forward option. On the other hand, Manchester City stuttered to a 3-0 win against a poor Hull City side.
So this match will be an important one for both sides, with three points becoming increasingly important as Chelsea continue to stretch their lead at the top of the league table.
As ever though there are key tactical battles to keep an eye on throughout the match…
Liverpool must control space in front of City’s defensive line
In recent weeks we have seen City move away from using their expensive English central defender John Stones in a move perhaps to protect the player’s confidence amid a backlash from the media and public. Instead we may see a continuation of the partnership between Otamendi and Kolarov in the centre, with Fernandinho shielding the defensive unit.
If this is the case then it will be essential for Liverpool to ensure they have players moving in to the pockets of space around Fernandinho to create advanced platforms from which they can play and threaten the back line.
Adam Lallana has quickly become one of the key players for Klopp this season with his non-stop playing style, coupled with the technical and tactical quality needed to perform at the highest levels in the game. He typically attacks down the right hand side of the pitch swapping positions continuously with Sadio Mane on the right wing.
On the left hand side we should expect to see Roberto Firmino, whether deployed from the left or in the centre moving in and out of the spaces around Fernandinho and looking to create problems for Otamendi from a slightly deeper space.
This battle will see whether Guardiola is forced to amend his tactical structure to account for these spaces or whether he will refuse to play reactively and trust in his own game plan to win the match.
De Bruyne and Silva need to control the match
For City the answer is relatively simple. Kevin De Bruyne and David Silva need to rediscover the form that saw them playing so brilliantly at the start of the season.
The early days of the Guardiola regime saw the pair playing as partners in the centre of the midfield but instead of playing as we would expect from traditional number 8’s, they were effectively playing as 10’s from a deeper starting point.
This gave City a platform in the centre that they could build around and in an attacking sense, everything good that we saw from them over those first few weeks came from that central platform. Since then we have seen a number of tactical switches from Guardiola, but City have rarely looked as effective without that central combination.
De Bruyne has been used as a traditional 10, a winger and a false nine from the lone striking role and whilst his performances have been good, they have rarely proved match winning. Wherever the two players play in this match, it is important that they are closely connected in terms of their positioning in order to make sure that they can play off of one another in tight areas.
It would be sensible to look to isolate one of the two Liverpool central defenders, with Joel Matip likely to miss the match again, then Dejan Lovren and Ragnar Klavan can be slow to deal with quick passing moves around them. This could be an ideal platform from which City can launch their attacks towards the Liverpool goal.
Having the fullbacks advance is one of the keys to Klopp’s attacking system and as such there should be space for City to exploit in the wide areas, should they be able to transition in to an attacking movement before Liverpool can reset their defensive block.
City have the pace and creativity in the final third to pose problems for any defence in Europe, it just remains to be seen whether that can shine in Guardiola’s precise tactical framework.
Conclusion
There is a real danger that Chelsea are going to run away with the title whilst their closest rivals continue to struggle and take important points from one another. This makes this match incredibly important for both sides.
There is still absolutely no doubt in my mind that Guardiola will be a huge success both at Manchester City and in English football but there is a real sense that he is struggling to implement his tactical blueprints on this somewhat limited squad. It seems increasingly likely that it will be at least next season before we see the true tactical vision of the Spaniard as City become a team in his own image.
That makes it increasingly important for his better players to show their qualities when they are needed the most.
Liverpool, on the other hand, are looking increasingly like the second coming of the Dormtund side that won so many admirers across the footballing world under Klopp. Their intensity and seemingly never ending waves of attack make them a joy to watch at times.
They will have to be on their guard against attacks in transition throughout their match and will look to control the tempo and flow of the match to keep City off their guard.
Whatever happens, it promises to be an enthralling match.
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