A fixture between two giants is a clash of egos, where only one can emerge victorious.
Manchester City hosted Bayern Munich at the Etihad Stadium in the first leg of the Champions League quarter-final. Man City won 3-0 and are about to reach the semi-final.
This was the fourth encounter in cup competition between managers Pep Guardiola and Thomas Tuchel. Pep came out on top after Tuchel won two of the previous three including the 2021 UEFA Champions League final.
This tactical analysis will dive into tactics that both Pep Guardiola and Thomas Tuchel attempted to execute and their reactions, as well as analysing what made Pep say: “It was not comfortable, emotionally Im destroyed. I have 10 more years today. It was such a demanding game.”
Lineups
The Spanish coach Pep Guardiola structured his team in 3-4-2-1.
Manchester Citys starting eleven: Ederson; Akanji, Dias, Ake; Stones, Rodri, De Bruyne, Gundogan (c); Bernardo, Grealish, Haaland.
Starting with Bernardo instead of Mahrez has a defensive and offensive dimension, as he has a tendency to keep the ball and play safe in possession, and his ferocity in pressing is very important in big games like this.
On the other side, Thomas Tuchel started with a 4-2-3-1 formation.
Bayern Munichs starting eleven: Sommer; Pavard, Upamecano, De Ligt, Davies; Kimmich, Goretzka, Musiala; Sane, Gnabry, Coman.
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