super storm

Chapter 749 No one can do it except Yang Yang!

The Premier League and national league cups have come to an end one after another, and the whole world is gradually focusing on the upcoming UEFA Champions League final at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome.

This is a world-recognized peak duel.

Liverpool, which already holds three Premier League championship trophies, and Barcelona, ​​which has already won two championship trophies of La Liga and Copa del Rey, no matter who wins these two teams, they will create the history of their own football.

What is even more exciting is that these are two completely different teams.

Liverpool is known for its offensive and defensive balance. Although Benitez has brought rigorous tactics from the European continent and built a meticulous offensive and defensive system, the technical ability of the players is far less sophisticated than Barcelona, ​​and they still retain the drive and blood of traditional English football.

The Catalan media even mocked Liverpool exaggeratedly before, thinking that the only player in this team capable of gaining a foothold in Barcelona's first team is Yang Yang, and the others may not even be able to play as substitutes in Barcelona.

This is enough to prove that the characteristics of Barcelona are completely different from those of Liverpool.

From Cruyff in the 90s to Van Gaal later, and then to Rijkaard later, Barcelona's consistent tradition is to control the ball, and this has been carried forward again after Guardiola took office.

In the 60.00-90.00 season, Barcelona's average ball possession rate was as high as [-]%[-], and the pass success rate was close to [-]%. This report card can almost make all opponents feel scared.

The football game is complicated and complicated, but it can be said to be simple and simple.

The philosophy of Guardiola and Barcelona is extremely simple, there is only one ball, as long as you firmly control the ball, you can put yourself in an invincible position, and then force the opponent to take the initiative to show their flaws.

Relying on this set of seemingly simple football concepts, Guardiola's team has been invincible all the way, reached the Champions League final, and faced Liverpool with a balanced offense and defense.

It can be said that this is the collision of two completely different ideas.

Benitez was born in Real Madrid, but his concept is deeply influenced by Serie A, and he emphasizes the balance of offense and defense, while Guardiola is a native Catalan leader, and the concept of passing and controlling the ball has been deeply rooted in his bones.

So much so that, in Spain, many people believe that this seemingly contest between Liverpool and Barcelona is actually a struggle between Real Madrid and Barcelona.

And the decisive battle is imminent, how to face Barcelona's pass and control of the ball has become a big problem for Liverpool.

On the morning of the second day after receiving the Premier League trophy at home, after the training session, Benitez called Yang Yang, Gerrard, Xavi Alonso and Carragher, the core core players of the team, to the office to discuss with the coaching staff how to restrain Barcelona's tactics.

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When Liverpool play Barcelona, ​​​​the first thing to consider is defense.

Some people may find it strange, in terms of offensive ability, Liverpool can't lose to Barcelona at all, and there is a big killer like Yang Yang, why should they consider defense?

The reason is simple, passing the ball has no advantage at all.

The truth in football is simple, whoever holds the ball takes the initiative.

Facing Barcelona, ​​which has such excellent pass and control ability, Liverpool has no choice at all, and even all teams in European football have no choice but to focus on defense.

"Judging from the information we have so far, Messi, Eto'o and Henry are sure to start. The midfielders Xavi and Iniesta will also play. But there is suspense about the position of the midfielder. It is not clear whether it is Yaya Toure or Busquets. However, judging from the signs before the game, it is very likely to be Busquets."

Dave McDonough is a tactical analyst for Liverpool. He has followed Barcelona for two weeks in a row, preparing for this upcoming final.

"There shouldn't be much problem with the back line. Abidal, Pique, Puyol and Daniel Alves, this is Barcelona's current main line of defense. If there are no accidents, it should be configured like this."

After Yang Yang listened carefully to McDonough's words, Crouch was the first thing that popped into his mind.

"Can we grab a wave at the beginning?" Yang Yang suggested.

Those present were all smart people, and they were all the core of Liverpool, so they could understand what Yang Yang meant when they heard it.

At the beginning of the game, Crouch took advantage of England's high guys to grab a start and strive for the first goal.

Benitez shook his head, "I've thought about it, but it's risky."

With that said, the Spaniard walked up to the tactical board and explained while gesturing, "If Crouch is used in the opening game, our pressing and pressing in the frontcourt will definitely be affected, and at the same time, mobility will also be a problem."

"Barcelona's two wingers have excellent assisting abilities, especially Daniel Alves on the right. I know this player very well. His offensive ability can almost be said to be the best in European football today."

Yang Yang nodded, but he felt that his good friend Maicon who played for Inter Milan did not lose to Alves.

"If Crouch is on, then we can only play three forwards, and the midfield will become weak, especially the midfielder."

In Liverpool's deduction, Guardiola may not put Messi on the right, but if he really puts Messi on the right, then Messi is bound to cut inside. At that time, there will not be enough players on the back waist to provide protection.

What's even more frightening is that Barcelona's two midfielders, Xavi and Iniesta, also have very strong post-insert abilities.

"I said that the scariest part of Barcelona's pass control system lies in two points. One is the possession of the ball outside the 30-meter area. This depends on their midfield and defense. But to be honest, it is not difficult to do this. Many teams can do it, even us."

"The key to why Barcelona is strong today is that they have achieved the first point and at the same time the second point, which is passing and controlling the ball outside the penalty area. Through the skillful and tacit small-scale pass and control cooperation between Xavi, Iniesta and Messi, they tore apart the opponent's defense line at the front of the penalty area."

"Facing Barcelona's style of play, one-on-one can't defend at all. We can only rely on the advantage of numbers to pile up, and rely on strict defensive formation and positioning to block the opponent's pass and possession space."

"Mourinho's Chelsea like to use foul tactics when facing Barcelona, ​​but Guardiola has now pushed Xavi, Iniesta and Messi to the front of the penalty area. Fouls in this area are very fatal. We don't do it, so we can only rely on rigorous tactics to compress the opponent."

When everyone heard this, they immediately understood what Benitez meant.

Three midfielders, you can only use three midfielders to play against Barcelona.

The double defensive midfielder combination of Xavi Alonso and Mascherano is unparalleled in the world, but no matter how strong they are, there are only two players. Facing Xavi and Iniesta, Messi's inside cut, and maybe even Alves' side attack, can't stop it at all.

"I can suppress Alves." Yang Yang said confidently.

"No." Benitez shook his head without hesitation. "You are the key to our offense. Whether we can win this game depends entirely on you, not only because of your personal ability, but also because you are the only player in our frontcourt capable of holding the ball under the pressure of the opponent. This is very important for our counterattack."

Benitez's implication is that Yang Yang will still be arranged in the middle, but how to arrange it is unknown.

If you really play three midfielders, Gerrard is responsible for suppressing the position of Busquets or Yaya Toure, then there are only two forwards left in the frontcourt. This is why Benitez said just now that he dare not let Crouch start.

It is impossible for anyone to ask a player over two meters tall to run and press hard like a player who is about 1.8 meters tall. When passing and controlling the ball is not as good as others, and Yang Yang must devote more time to running and responding to backcourt passes, the active running and pressing of Didier Dirk is obviously more suitable.

If it was an ordinary game, Benitez would definitely gamble, but this is the Champions League final.

Sometimes it is like this. In the unnamed game of the final, the starting point of the head coach's tactics is to put himself in an invincible position first.

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"The three midfielders should be able to cut off the connection between Iniesta, Xavi and Messi, and Eto'o and Henry, but in the next two days, we need to strengthen it in training." McDonough analyzed.

"One more thing." Benitez added, "Guardiola has let Messi play in the middle several times this season. If we use double midfielders, once Messi plays in the middle and Eto'o and Henry pull sideways, then Messi retreats to Xavi and Iniesta, and we will fall into great passiveness."

Everyone nodded.

In this kind of final, any kind of possibility will appear, and there must be no chances.

"This will definitely be a tough battle." Benitez looked at Yang Yang, Gerrard and Harvey Alonso.

"Barcelona's passing advantage is too obvious. I even think that our ball possession rate in this game is likely to be less than 30.00%. In this way, there will not be too many opportunities left for us in the whole game, and we don't even know when such opportunities will appear."

This is the huge psychological pressure brought by the pass-and-hold tactics to the opponent, because the ball is under the opponent's control throughout the court, and you can only wait for the opponent to make a mistake to get a chance.

Of course, in theory, there is no team that does not make mistakes.

But for the players on the field, you don't know when this opportunity will come, how many times will it come?
Maybe the game will come once in every 10 minutes of the game, and you will not be given to you in the first 10 minutes, but it will be given to you at the last moment.

If you can't maintain absolute focus and devotion, and can't maintain enough patience and calmness, you won't be able to grasp opportunities at all when they arise.

The reason why Barcelona is terrible is not only their passing and possession advantage on the court, but more importantly, the huge psychological pressure their passing and possession advantage brings to their opponents.

"Don't worry, as long as you get the chance, pass the ball to me, I can catch it!" Yang Yang stood up and promised loudly.

Everyone also looked at him one after another, with trust and dependence in their eyes.

Except for Yang Yang, no one in Liverpool is sure to do this.

Even Gerrard.

(End of this chapter)