Chapter 381: The Pinnacle Battle, Manchester City VS Bayern

Chapter 381: The Pinnacle Battle, Manchester City VS Bayern

On the day of the match, the Etihad Stadium was packed to capacity, with most of the stands filled by Manchester City fans wearing sky-blue jerseys. Despite a significant number of Bayern Munich fans traveling with their team, the Etihad is much smaller than the Allianz Arena, resulting in fewer seats available. The away fans were only allotted 3,000 tickets, leaving many Bayern supporters outside the stadium to watch the game.

Apart from the fans present at the stadium, the match attracted millions of viewers across Europe and worldwide. Watching the soaring viewership numbers, UEFA officials were beaming with joy. The high broadcast ratings of this Champions League season meant that next season's broadcast rights income would also increase significantly. Higher income would result in more lucrative prize money, prompting teams to give their all in the Champions League, thereby enhancing the tournament's appeal even further.

UEFA has always been ambitious, never content with being overshadowed by FIFA. They aim to leverage their financial power and influence to break free from FIFA's control and establish an equal standing. Achieving this goal requires further boosting UEFA's influence and making more people aware of their presence.

"Haha, it seems everyone is eagerly anticipating a spectacular performance from these two teams!" "Indeed, both Manchester City and Bayern are known for their attacking prowess. The clash between these two teams is bound to be thrilling. Just thinking about it is exciting!"

In the CCTV broadcast room, seeing so many spectators, the two commentators were equally excited. They quickly introduced the starting line-ups of both sides and then chatted while waiting for the match to begin.

"Guardiola has used the inverted full-back tactic in the league, which showcased terrifying offensive power. However, he rarely employs it in the Champions League. I wonder if he will use it in this match." "It's hard to say. Analysts suggest this tactic weakens the defense on the wings, and Bayern has two top-notch wingers. If Guardiola uses this tactic, it might play right into Bayern's hands." "Yes, you're right. If Bayern scores too many away goals, it would be very unfavorable for Manchester City, considering Bayern's formidable home record at the Allianz Arena."

Due to the potential impact of this match on who advances to the final, representatives from the other two semifinalist teams also attended to watch. Real Madrid sent their French legend, Zinedine Zidane, who currently serves as an assistant coach. Having shadowed Ancelotti for a year, Zidane has now taken charge of Real Madrid B. He is a key figure being groomed to take over from Ancelotti in the future. For Zidane, the Champions League semifinal is an invaluable learning opportunity to enhance his coaching knowledge and experience.

"Heynckes' tactics are aggressive, with rapid offensive pushes and layered defensive interceptions. Coupled with Bayern's relentless pressing, quick pace, and efficient transitions, they can devastate teams that fail to match their rhythm, leading to heavy defeats, like the 8:1 thrashing of Porto." Zidane analyzed the characteristics of Heynckes' Bayern with admiration. "As for Guardiola, his teams are meticulously structured. Every player's position, offensive movement, passing, running, defensive interception, and support are all intricately planned. Guardiola has turned his team into a precision machine, running smoothly and efficiently according to his design. The coaching styles and strengths of these two are vastly different, but both have valuable aspects to learn from."

While Zidane contemplated these thoughts, the referee's whistle signaled the start of the match. Bayern's players immediately surged forward into Manchester City's half. Having arrived three days early, Bayern's players were full of energy, initiating a high press from the onset. Bayern's pressing was a coordinated team effort. Any City player receiving the ball faced immediate pressure from multiple Bayern players, who cut off passing lanes, applied pressure, and prepared for a quick counter-attack upon regaining possession.

Frontline pressing and rapid transitions are Heynckes' Bayern specialties. Guardiola had initially planned to control the game tempo and probe Bayern's defense with a few attacks to find weaknesses. However, Bayern's aggressive start took City by surprise. For the first ten minutes, City played passively, struggling to adapt to Bayern's pressing style, leading to several passing errors. Fortunately, Guardiola had focused on defense in the pre-match preparation. City's players quickly counter-pressed upon losing the ball and resorted to tactical fouls to prevent Bayern from capitalizing on turnovers.

After ten minutes, City players began adjusting to Bayern's tempo, increasing their passing, support, and movement speed. Seeing this, Heynckes became more alert, watching the field intently. Manchester City speeding up the game was expected; Bayern's tactic was to force the opponent to quicken their play, increasing the likelihood of errors, which Bayern could exploit to launch fierce attacks and create scoring opportunities. Bayern's players were well-versed in this high-tempo style, having used it to dismantle Barcelona two years prior with a stunning 7:0 aggregate score. Heynckes doubted that Guardiola's City, a work-in-progress, could withstand this pressure, especially given Guardiola's relatively short tenure.

On the City bench, Guardiola stood up as the match tempo escalated. Having previously managed Bayern, he knew the effectiveness of their approach.

So, having the players speed up the game pace was actually part of his plan. Teams that were crushed by Bayern often couldn't keep up with their pace, especially their extreme transition play. But if an opponent could match Bayern's tempo, then Bayern's strategy would lose much of its power.

There were indeed teams that could withstand Bayern's onslaught. Borussia Dortmund, under Klopp, had managed it before. A few years ago, Dortmund played a fast-paced, full-throttle game, with players running tirelessly. Bayern's usual tactic didn't work against them. It was a battle of speed, with Dortmund often coming out on top due to their younger and more dynamic squad.

Manchester City's average squad age was around 25.5 years, not as young as that Dortmund team, but still relatively youthful. Moreover, their players were top-tier in their positions, with superior individual skills and experience. Therefore, they might be able to keep up with Bayern's pace.

Guardiola's judgment was correct. After City accelerated their game, although their error rate increased, they weren't overwhelmed. Once they adapted to the increased pace, their error rate dropped quickly.

"Indeed, they have some tricks up their sleeve. It seems defeating Manchester City easily with this strategy won't be possible," Heynckes thought, noticing the opponent matching their rhythm.

If City were too weak and Bayern defeated them too easily, it wouldn't necessarily benefit Bayern. Top-tier teams like Barcelona and Real Madrid wouldn't be easy to deal with. If Bayern cruised through the semi-final without reaching their peak form, they might struggle against either team in the final. However, a tough battle with City could help Bayern find their best form and identify any weaknesses.

"It's like nurturing a state of readiness, gradually rising from a low point to peak form, ready for the final showdown," Heynckes mused.

When simply speeding up the game didn't work, Heynckes decided to add another layer to his strategy. He stood up from the bench and signaled his players to execute a tactical change.

Bayern's players, seeing Heynckes' signal, began to adjust their play. It became evident that Bayern's attacks were now focusing more on the flanks. Their wing play was among the most threatening in Europe, with two highly skilled wingers and full-backs like Alaba and Lahm who excelled at overlapping runs.

Everyone knew about Bayern's strong wing play, but knowing it and stopping it were two different things.

In the 33rd minute, Ribéry broke through with the ball and passed it to the overlapping Lahm. Lahm, drawing the City full-back, delivered a high-quality cross. Despite Kompany's challenge, Lewandowski managed to stretch out and strike the ball. Thankfully for City, goalkeeper Navas was alert and saved the shot, averting danger.

Bayern fans in the stadium sighed in disappointment, then applauded Lahm and Lewandowski for their effort. City fans, on the other hand, breathed a sigh of relief.

"This forward is strong, great build, good positioning, excellent footwork. How did Dortmund let him go to Bayern for free? Why didn't they renew his contract earlier? Even selling him would have fetched at least 30 million euros," City fans wondered.

Both managers applauded, Heynckes for his team's threatening attack, and Guardiola for his team's effective defense, acknowledging that stopping Bayern from scoring was a success in itself.

With two top-tier wingers, Bayern's other wing soon saw action as Robben showcased his individual brilliance. In the 41st minute, Robben cut inside after a dribble. Known for preferring to shoot rather than pass in such positions, City's defenders prepared to block his shot. Unexpectedly, Robben passed the ball to a teammate instead.

Bayern's full-back Alaba had surged forward from midfield, and before Kolarov could intercept, Alaba quickly passed the ball back to the center. However, the pass was not meant for Robben but for the shadow striker Thomas Müller, who was right behind him.

Müller received the ball and surged into the penalty area, passing to Lewandowski before Van Dijk could intercept. Lewandowski, quick to react, outpaced the defenders and shot towards the far corner of the goal.

Navas dived swiftly, but the shot's angle was too tricky, and he missed. Just when Navas and City fans were about to despair, the ball hit the post with a thud and bounced out of play. City had narrowly escaped.

Lewandowski scratched his head in frustration, while City fans patted their chests, relieved. It was clear to everyone, however, that Bayern was dominating the match.