PEP GUARDIOLA finally put a Thomas Tuchel side to the sword thanks to two genius tactical tweaks.
The Spaniard masterminded Manchester City’s 3-0 win over Bayern Munich – a game which his side dominated throughout.
ReutersErling Haaland and John Stones were key in Manchester City’s win over Bayern[/caption]
AFPPep Guardiola got one over on Thomas Tuchel thanks to his astute tactics[/caption]
Haaland’s deeper role allowed him to pose a different problem
Kevin De Bruyne picked up the ball in more advanced positions than Haaland at times
The Citizens have one foot in the Champions League semi-final thanks to goals from Rodri, Bernardo Silva and Erling Haaland.
Haaland was a menace from start to finish but in a different capacity to how he is usually deployed.
The striker showed his poaching instincts to round off the win but he was able to cause problems on the ball.
Haaland has registered less than ten touches in a Premier League game more than once and he has occasionally been criticised for hindering City’s all-round play.
But against Bayern he was given the freedom by Guardiola to drop deep whenever he wanted, and he was able to link play expertly with 28 touches in total.
He worked well with Jack Grealish and the pair both showed ingenuity in the build-up to City’s second goal.
Grealish pinched the ball off Dayot Upamecano and quickly backheeled the ball into Haaland’s path.
The Norwegian could have shot but he showed brilliant awareness and vision to pick out Silva at the back post with a perfectly weighted cross, and the winger headed in.
Haaland was able to contribute more than just goals thanks to his adapted role
John Stones’ heatmap shows how much ground he covered in midfield
Stones completed 28 passes and helped to nullify Bayern’s threat
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Haaland dropping deeper allowed Kevin de Bruyne to roam forward without restriction, with the Belgian producing three key passes.
It also meant City could turn defence into attack quickly, which was vital given they had just 44 per cent possession.
That is a rarity for a Guardiola side, but the City boss made his team hard to play against thanks in part to John Stones moving into midfield when in possession.
It is a role he played to great effect in the 4-1 win over Liverpool earlier this month and allowed City to counter the key threat posed by Jamal Musiala.
Stones completed 28 passes and spoke about his new role after the match.
He said: “It’s a big learning curve, it definitely doesn’t come naturally.
“But it’s a chance to be a bit more creative.
“I’m allowing it to happen. We have been together seven years. He wouldn’t do it if he didn’t believe I could do it. Then I try to express myself and do what I can for the team.
De Bruyne played further up the pitch than Haaland in the first half
“I try not to do too much. When players have 360 vision, I have not found that yet.
“If I can know I can turn and play out, I will do but I try to play safe.”
Guardiola has now beaten Tuchel in their last three meetings, enacting revenge on the German after losing to his Chelsea side in the FA Cup semi-final and Champions League final in 2021.
And the 52-year-old now boasts six wins against Tuchel and only three defeats.
BT Sport pundit Rio Ferdinand praised Guardiola’s tactics and his bold call to substitute De Bruyne.
He said: “We saw De Bruyne get pulled off the pitch. He weren’t happy.
“That happens with players, big players, want to be on the pitch all the time.
“They scored two goals instantly after that. Pep’s going to walk into the changing room and say ‘Listen, I know what I’m doing’.”