For Real Madrid, the answer is probably somewhere in between.
Sustaining it for 180, or even 90 minutes, has not been something Real Madrid have done against Pep Guardiola’s sides.
Real Madrid are probably the best at thriving in chaos.)
Bukayo Saka is great; but Real Madrid boast Jude Bellingham, Vinicius Jr, and Rodrygo Goes.
It’s not always black and white, though, and sometimes the answer of ‘how to approach City’ is somewhere between Klopp and Arteta.
These observations — where I look at Real Madrid’s history, its players on loan, Castilla, tactical tidbits, and other relevant thoughts — are now a regular thing. All previous editions can be found here.
Having now watched Manchester City religiously since the Champions League draw was made, here’s a quick set of notes from their past few matches, and a few things Real Madrid need to be aware of:
Choosing how to approach Manchester City
What is the best way to square up, tactically, to not only go toe-to-toe with Manchester City, but to outright beat them? Various different methods have been deployed against them — most fearful and defensive, some a level above that (compact and reliant on strong transitions), and some straight up disrespectful (in a good way), like Liverpool.
For Real Madrid, the answer is probably somewhere in between. You could argue they have the talent to go at City gung-ho, pressing relentlessly and daring them to escape pressure, which, in turn, limits the amount of momentum-sucking possession they have in your area while pinning your entire team.
But while Carlo Ancelotti has more talent in his squad than Jurgen Klopp does, the press is not as cohesive and as baked-in as Klopp’s Liverpool side, which has it down to a science, like second nature.
Still, Real Madrid’s best periods against City over the last few years have all come when they pressed them. But the pressing has been strategic: usually at home, and during specific periods. Sustaining it for 180, or even 90 minutes, has not been something Real Madrid have done against Pep Guardiola’s sides.
The total opposite to the Liverpool approach is the Arsenal blueprint. Arsenal defended in a deep block for the entirety of the game, and didn’t give City an inch, holding them goalless.
(As an aside, it should be noted that the Liverpool approach was also costly defensively, as the two teams traded blows by winning possession off each other in key areas. But Ancelotti may weigh that as advantageous. Real Madrid are probably the best at thriving in chaos.)
But the Arteta approach has its perils. Arsenal could do nothing outside of defend deep in their own half. Getting pinned means you are in no position to escape City’s rabid counter-press:
Perfect defense from Arsenal. But in no position to escape City's rabid counter-press. You don't get the best out your creative midfielders this way. Pick your poison. Exhausting to play against.pic.twitter.com/6dLqoLqIMI — Kiyan Sobhani (@KiyanSo) April 4, 2024
Arsenal are locked in behind the ball. Watch how they stay narrow, tight-knit. They rotate perfectly when the ball moves from point A to point B. They snuff Rodri’s space in Zone 14, where the Spaniard loves to operate as a distributor and connector.
But the side-effect of being so great behind the ball against this City side is you’re going to have a difficult time escaping your half:
The non-verbal communication, and synergetic, understood defensive connection in Mikel Arteta’s defensive scheme is impressive. Declan Rice motions which player his teammates need to track while simultaneously cutting off passing lanes.
But the problem remains. City are only temporarily frustrated because they know there is no punishment for losing the ball — they will simply win it right back and have another crack at an offensive wave. This process perpetually repeats itself.
Arsenal rarely broke free. When they did, they scuffed the transition attack — a symptom of exhaustive defending that Real Madrid themselves experienced at the Etihad last season — or City’s transition defense was masterful:
Gvardiol calculates his challenge perfectly, and even receives applause from his teammate, mid-play. City recycle possession and continue the process of chipping away — to no avail for the entirety of the 90 minutes — without being threatened on the opposite end.
But Real Madrid are better than Arsenal in transition. Bukayo Saka is great; but Real Madrid boast Jude Bellingham, Vinicius Jr, and Rodrygo Goes. They can do more damage.
It’s not always black and white, though, and sometimes the answer of ‘how to approach City’ is somewhere between Klopp and Arteta. It should be noted that both methods have their pros and cons. Did Arsenal maximize their creative forces? Evidently not. Martin Odegaard, their chief orchestrator, was resorted to chasing shadows on defense, much like Toni Kroos was in last season’s bloodbath at the Etihad.
Can Real Madrid be a better transition team than Arsenal? Most probably, but they may also not be able to defend like them either. Playing in transition is never straightforward, as we’ve seen against an inferior opponent like RB Leipzig, where Andriy Lunin almost single-handedly willed Real Madrid through. City may be less forgiving.
A seemingly random thought to close this section: One way Real Madrid’s long-range passers (Fede, Tchouameni, Kroos, Rudiger) can break City is to ping balls like this to the attackers:
These are the passes that can break City. Kroos / Tchouameni / Fede can hit these over the top to Vinicius / Rodrygo / Jude. Would be a good source of offense. pic.twitter.com/oTtqAA4X1k — Kiyan Sobhani (@KiyanSo) April 5, 2024
Stopping Rodri
Rodri is Manchester City’s chief problem solver. They look for him as an escape valve constantly. He is integral to City in a way that is hard to describe. He is deployed in a way that few other defensive midfielders in recent football history have been stationed.
He not only starts the build-up, but is more than capable of finishing the play he started:
This is *part* of the reason why Rodri is such a problem. He makes calculated runs through the lines into the box that are completely undetected.
John Stones gave Real Madrid all kinds of problems with similar runs last season that weren't tracked.pic.twitter.com/BU03gk2VCP — Kiyan Sobhani (@KiyanSo) April 5, 2024
Clock Rodri’s gradual and calculated movement between the lines as he arrives inside Aston Villa’s box completely undetected. He moves in a way — and from a position — that gives City numerical superiority in the box.
Last season, John Stones gave Real Madrid all kinds of problems with similar movements at the Etihad, and the lack of tracking in the line-up, coupled with City’s runners cutting constantly, was a massive headache. That can’t happen this time around.
Rodri just might be City’s most important player, and even not stating that outright is a bit controversial. He leads the Premier League in passes into the final third and progressive passes, and has the most touches of any player in the Big Five Leagues. He not only starts plays, but is often the one that dribbles through lines or takes a shot when facing a low block.
Putting a body on him off the ball to stifle — or at least limiting his time and space — should be looked at as a means of cutting City’s supply chain.
