Holding Midfield: Case Study: AC Milan 1-1 Barcelona 22/10/2013

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Considering the European pedigree of the two sides, the match was perhaps not as big a deal as it should have been. The draws have seen them paired together frequently in recent years, making it less of a special occasion than the Real Madrid-Juventus match-up the following evening, and, with Massimiliano Allegri’s job seemingly getting more difficult with each passing season, the smart money would have been on the away team to get*a fairly easy*victory. With star man Mario Balotelli not fit enough to start, Milan were left without an out-and-out striker – Robinho, in the mood for entertaining with lots of little tricks, filled in at the tip of a 4-3-3 as Kaka went left and Valter Birsa right. Their gameplan was clear: sit very deep in a bank of four with five close ahead and let Barcelona pass the ball in front of them, then attack down the flanks quickly when in possession. It is the go-to gameplan for pretty much any team playing Barcelona, and typically results in a one-sided games where the Catalans either look predictable and dull if the opponents frustrate them or the best team on the planet if they score early on and […]

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