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The biggest European nights have returned to The Theatre of Dreams as Manchester United will host Barcelona for the first leg of their Champions League quarterfinal encounters. United have to dig deep against the current La Liga leaders if they have to come out as victors against them.
Barcelona are tipped as the prime contenders for the UCL title, with their talisman, Lionel Messi, enjoying a purple patch. United should go the extra mile if they have to stand a chance against the Catalans.
United must be confident of their chances, as they overcame a mighty PSG side courtesy of a last-gasp penalty kick which sealed the deal for them. Hence, this article will look into the tactical switches required to contain the dominant Blaugrana:
#1 Playing with 3 Center-Backs
Barcelona relies on their intricate passing and swift movements which breaks down the opposition's defense by catching players out of their positions. Full-backs provide the attacking width to this Barca team as the wingers drift inside and play centrally and occupy playmaking zones.
Ole should bring back Eric Bailly into the starting XI alongside Victor Lindelof and Chris Smalling and deploy him on the right side of the defensive trio. Bailly's pace and strength will shield against the surging Jordi Alba; a prime attacking outlet from Barca's left side. The presence of Bailly in this area will encourage the wing-back to attack more often.
Lindelof is a tactical defender who can intercept the final third passes of Lionel Messi and Ivan Rakitic. The Swede has to come up against Luis Suarez and negate his movements which create space for others. Chris Smalling is a physical defender and puts his strength to good effect. The English defender can play a sweeper role making those crucial tackles, clearances, and blocking the shots. The Englishman uses his physique well in set-piece situations, making him a potent threat in the opposition box.
#2 Nullifying Sergio Busquets
Sergio Busquets is a player who invariably decides games for Barcelona. The Blaugrana fail to dominate games when Busquets has an off-day. He is one of the best holding midfielders around.
Busquets sits deep in midfield and orchestrates play. Not only is his passing prominent, but he also reads the game well and breaks down opposition's attack by making vital interceptions and tackles.
The midfielder averages 70.7 passes per game with a 90% completion rate in La Liga. Defensively, he makes 2.6 tackles and intercepts 1.7 balls per game. The statistics highlight the importance of the midfield wizard in the current Barca side. The management team of Manchester United should set-up a team capable of neutralizing Busquets.
Ole and his management staff will have to plan meticulously about the midfield which will play against Barcelona. Fred is having an underwhelming season so far but could play an important part due to his energy. The Brazilian midfielder could unsettle Busquets with his energetic press and not let him get his rhythm.
Ander Herrera should be given the nod ahead of Nemanja Matic solely due to the demands of this game. Herrera has an uncomplicated playing approach. He makes simple passes, covers the right side well and is a box-to-box midfielder. The Spaniard's lucid method coupled with Fred could help United win an all-important midfield battle.
The midfield duo of Fred and Ander limits Sergio Busquets and also unleashes Paul Pogba who could link up with attacking players to provide fluency in United's game.
#3 Exploit Barcelona's Right Side
Manchester United should make sure that they are aware of Barcelona's weaknesses and drill their game accordingly. The Catalans look vulnerable down the right-hand side. The La Liga outfit plays with a flexible formation, switching between a 4-3-3 and 4-4-2. Lionel Messi likes to drift inside and leaves his right-wing spot vacant.
Villareal used the available space down their left-hand side(Barca's right) to good effect as the majority of their attacks originated from the mentioned space. Alfonso Pedraza, Villareal's left wing-back, made constant runs behind Sergi Roberto and troubled him throughout the game.
If United switches to a three-back system, Luke Shaw will play as a wing-back rather than a full-back. He has to link up well with Antony Martial and make timed runs behind Sergi Roberto and Ivan Rakitic. Ivan Rakitic covers the right side when Messi drifts inside and plays as a right winger.
United should use the pace of Rashford, Martial, and Shaw judiciously to stretch Barcelona and ask them questions defensively.
