Time may be right for Man City to exploit Barca nerves
by Eric Krakauer
In the clear heavyweight matchup of the round of 16, Manchester City will be hosting Barcelona with a degree of confidence. The Citizens have scored a combined nine goals in their last two Premier League games, including the complete dismantling of Newcastle United on Saturday, and finally look to be firing on all cylinders.
A healthy David Silva and Yaya Toure’s return from the African Cup of Nations have been crucial to City’s uptick in form. Their absences crippled the team’s midfield and contributed to a dismal January that saw Manuel Pellegrini’s team only achieve two wins in six games. Now back in the fold, Silva will provide the creative spark, while Yaya will add muscle and another scoring threat.
The Catalans, on the other hand, will be visiting the Etihad after losing to Malaga at home. The loss was their second home defeat of the season, and like the first, it exposed two of Barcelona’s major flaws. The first is their over-dependence on Lionel Messi. As the Argentine goes, so does his team. Against Malaga, Messi was missing the burst of speed that has seen him score fourteen goals in eleven games, and has rejuvenated the Blaugrana.
The second is Barcelona’s vulnerability to good counterattacking teams. Sergio Busquets is fundamental to the team’s defensive processes, especially against teams that can reach the offensive third quickly with very few passes. His positioning often mitigates the openings left by the offensive-minded full-backs, and his comfort with the ball goes a long way to ensuring that Barcelona’s opponents don’t see much of the ball. As is the case with Messi, a bad game for Busquets can leave the back-four unprotected.
Key Tactical Points:
Even playing at home, City will likely concede most of the possession to Barcelona. In doing so, Pellegrini’s men will have to remain compact in the middle and allow Barcelona to maraud down the wings without being stretched. Even with Luis Suarez in the eleven, the Catalans continue to have difficulty scoring against teams that plug-up the middle of the field.
With the lion’s share of possession, Barcelona will look to stretch Manchester City, mostly through over-lapping full-backs that in turn allow Neymar and Messi to exploit the openings in the middle. Luis Enriquez’ main defensive concern will be limiting opportunities for City to quickly break on the counter.
Key Matchup:
David Silva and Sergio Busquets
In order to counterattack efficiently David Silva is going to have to be at the center of City’s transition game. To do that, the Spanish playmaker is going to need room. As such, closing in on Silva will be Busquets’ main responsibility. His ability to do so will, as well as his capacity to hold on to the ball, will determine the outcome of the game.
Prediction: 1-1
Barcelona will leave the Etihad with an away goal, setting up an almost insurmountable obstacle for Manchester City in the away leg.
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