2) Stretching the Atletico defence
Guardiola’s Bayern have made a habit out of stretching opposition backlines through frequent switching of flanks, so much so that Bundesliga teams have started adopting a five-man defence to stay compact.
Atletico typically field four at the back, led by the talismanic Diego Godin. The defender’s absence in the first leg gives Bayern a chance to create gaps for forwards Thomas Muller and Robert Lewandowski to exploit.
Simeone, though, will be aware of this and will arrange for Bayern’s formidable attacking duo to be heavily marked. Talented though they are, even ‘Mullendowski’ can do only so much against a Red-and-White army camped in the penalty box.
Needless to say, Guardiola has to look for alternative sources of goals in his team. The next slide shows where the answer might lie.
