Managing Madrid - Manchester City Vs. Real Madrid, UEFA Champions League 2012Dominating European football since March 6th 1902https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/50831/mm-fav.png2012-11-22T21:00:40+01:00http://www.managingmadrid.com/rss/stream/34342852012-11-22T21:00:40+01:002012-11-22T21:00:40+01:00Why is Cristiano Ronaldo already a legend?
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<figcaption>Michael Regan</figcaption>
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<p>Cristiano Ronaldo could've completed one of his best games as a Real Madrid player the same day his team only drew against City, and without him scoring any goals. Is that even possible? In this article, Cristiano Ronaldo's game will be deeply analyzed with both data and video.</p> <p align="justify">How good can Cristiano Ronaldo be? Everyone should try to answer this question without naming Leo Messi on the same sentence. Messi is not a relevant aspect on Ronaldo's game. This time, the Portuguese player will have the spotlight in what was one of his best games as a Real Madrid player.</p>
<p align="justify">The Portuguese star didn't score, that's true. He even missed a clear chance in the first half when he tried to flick the ball over <span>Joe Hart</span>. He succeeded, but a Manchester City defender cleared the danger just when the ball was about to go in. Considering how good Manchester City was in the second half, <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/soccer/fifa/players/110670/cristiano-ronaldo">Cristiano Ronaldo's</a> importance should be noted more than when he scores four goals against Bilbao or three against <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/soccer/la-liga/teams/levante">Levante</a>.</p>
<p align="justify">Even though performance scores do not reflect precisely how good a player was (Nastasic managed to get a 7.5 in WhoScored, for instance, better than any other Real Madrid defender including Coentrao), Ronaldo still was the <a target="_blank" href="http://www.whoscored.com/Matches/667788/Live">Man of the Match in WhoScored.com</a>. That's a start. Casillas, Pepe and Ramos tried to find Cristiano Ronaldo in every long ball, and still the Portuguese player gained the ball 33% of the times against aerial specialists like Kompany and Yaya Touré.</p>
<p align="justify">There's more. He had an 87% pass success and suffered five fouls called. Rocchi didn't see at least three more of them by Kompany and Zabaleta, but we will take that number. Still, what should amaze every football fan is Cristiano Ronaldo's heatmap against the reigning Premier League champions.</p>
<p align="justify"><a href="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/1783757/DiMaHeatMap.jpg" target="_blank"></a> <br id="1353671696569"> Below is Di María's heatmap. In that one, you can see how well he helped Álvaro Arbeloa deffensively. He didn't move much to other parts of the field when he had the opportunity though, as it can be seen on the image.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Dimaheatmap_medium" class="photo" src="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/1783757/DiMaHeatMap_medium.jpg"></p>
<p align="justify">Ronaldo was different. He created a lot of passing lines for his teammates to use. It's clear that Cristiano Ronaldo is a lot more comfortable with Benzema on the pitch rather than with Higuaín. The French striker understands spaces a lot better, and that's what Ronaldo ultimately needs to play an excellent game.</p>
<p align="justify">As you can see on Ronaldo's heatmap, he did cover an incredible amount of ground. He attacked both through the left and right wing, and he also helped the midfield. <a href="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/1782035/heatmap.jpg" target="_blank"></a></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Heatmap_medium" class="photo" src="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/1782035/heatmap_medium.jpg"></p>
<p align="justify">He played very deeply and reached the end of the left wing many times as well. But that's not all, Cristiano Ronaldo was in Manchester City's box a lot of times.</p>
<p align="justify">He's not a usual striker. He played in four attacking positions against Manchester City. In total, he ran 10km. Those are very good numbers for any striker (one would say Di María worked a lot more, but he ran 10km as well, even though the Argentinian player left the pitch in injury time).</p>
<p align="justify">It's about time for Real Madrid fans to realize how important Cristiano Ronaldo is to this team. It's normal to prefer some players to others, but what this guy is doing for Real Madrid isn't normal.</p>
<p align="justify">He's scored 165 goals in 163 appearances with the club. That's right, he has a 1.01 goal-scoring average with Real Madrid, in what's the highest average in the club's history. The Santiago Bernabéu won't probably realize what we try to state in this article, but this player is a legend and should be treated as one.</p>
<p align="justify">One day, every Real Madrid fan at this moment will be able to tell their grandchildren that they saw Cristiano Ronaldo play. With Real Madrid's jersey. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gAzvesPne9Y">They saw Cristiano Ronaldo scoring in the extra time against Barcelona in the Copa del Rey final</a>, breaking Real Madrid's curse against Guardiola's team. And one year after, when Real Madrid couldn't afford to lose the game and with <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.barcablaugranes.com/">Barcelona</a> trying to come back and the Camp Nou cheering for its team, <a target="_blank" href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ONq7xkSss1M">he silenced every FC Barcelona fan</a>.</p>
<p>Cherish this moment. Cristiano Ronaldo is playing for Real Madrid. And enjoy his highlights against Manchester City.</p>
<p><iframe src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/54083051?badge=0" frameborder="0" height="281" width="500"></iframe></p>
<p><a href="https://go.redirectingat.com?id=66960X1516590&xs=1&url=http%3A%2F%2Fvimeo.com%2F54083051&referrer=sbnation.com&sref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.managingmadrid.com%2F2012%2F11%2F22%2F3679712%2Fcristiano-ronaldo-game-against-manchester-city" rel="sponsored nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Cristiano Ronaldo vs Manchester City (A) 12-13 HD 720p by CriRo7i</a> from <a href="https://go.redirectingat.com?id=66960X1516590&xs=1&url=http%3A%2F%2Fvimeo.com%2Fcriro7i&referrer=sbnation.com&sref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.managingmadrid.com%2F2012%2F11%2F22%2F3679712%2Fcristiano-ronaldo-game-against-manchester-city" rel="sponsored nofollow noopener" target="_blank">CriRo7i</a> on <a href="https://go.redirectingat.com?id=66960X1516590&xs=1&url=http%3A%2F%2Fvimeo.com&referrer=sbnation.com&sref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.managingmadrid.com%2F2012%2F11%2F22%2F3679712%2Fcristiano-ronaldo-game-against-manchester-city" rel="sponsored nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Vimeo</a>.</p>
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https://www.managingmadrid.com/2012/11/22/3679712/cristiano-ronaldo-game-against-manchester-cityLucas Navarrete2012-11-22T17:40:29+01:002012-11-22T17:40:29+01:00Press Review
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<figcaption>Shaun Botterill</figcaption>
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<p>Quick look around to see how the press, players, and the coach are reacting to Real Madrid's 1-1 draw with Manchester City in the UEFA Champions League. And there seems to be an overarching theme: just a job well done for Real Madrid. </p> <p align="justify">A draw at the Etihad Stadium on Wednesday night was enough to advance Real Madrid to the next stage of the UEFA Champions League. Madrid and German team Borussia Dortmund will move on to the elimination rounds, leaving both Manchester City and Ajax behind in their wake.</p>
<p align="justify">Browsing through the headlines, a couple things stand out. Most of the football world has their eyes turned to Chelsea, where Benitez has just been hired as the new coach. We've got some quotes of signature Mourinho sass (no surprise there), and a bunch of adjectives describing exactly how Real Madrid eliminated Manchester City. There's the signature <a href="http://www.news.com.au/news/man-city-out-of-champions-league/story-fnejlub9-1226522128353">"knocked"</a>, as well as <a href="http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2012/soccer/11/21/manchester-city-eliminated-from-champions-league.ap/index.html">"oust[ed]"</a>, <a href="http://tvnz.co.nz/football-news/real-madrid-draw-sends-man-city-packing-5232083">"sent packing"</a>, and some described how Real Madrid <a href="http://gantdaily.com/2012/11/22/real-madrid-boots-manchester-city-out-of-champions-league/">"boot[ed]"</a>, <a href="https://go.redirectingat.com?id=66960X1516590&xs=1&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.usatoday.com%2Fstory%2Fsports%2Fsoccer%2Feurope%2F2012%2F11%2F21%2Freal-madrid-arsenal-ac-milan-advance-champions-league%2F1720595%2F&referrer=sbnation.com&sref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.managingmadrid.com%2F2012%2F11%2F22%2F3679844%2Fmanchester-city-real-madrid-press-review" rel="sponsored nofollow noopener" target="_blank">"bounc[ed]"</a> and even <a href="http://www.nation.co.ke/sports/football/-/1102/1626532/-/10hli7v/-/index.html">"dump[ed]"</a> the English team from the tournament.</p>
<p align="justify">It's interesting.</p>
<p align="justify">Most sports writers have seemed to almost unanimously agree that the most important thing about the match was Real Madrid's advancement and Manchester City's elimination, instead of addressing the refereeing or the red card or Madrid's explosive beginning. Which, I suppose, is completely warranted. It was just a job well done for Real Madrid.</p>
<p align="justify">Keeper <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/soccer/fifa/players/110845/iker-casillas">Iker Casillas</a> shares similar sentiments, as he was <a href="http://www.realmadrid.com/cs/Satellite/en/Actualidad_Primer_Equipo_en/1330128578643/noticia/Noticia/Casillas:__We%E2%80%99ve_qualified,_which_was_the_important_thing_.htm">quoted</a> as saying after the match:</p>
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<p>"We struggled but we managed to get what we needed from the match and to qualify. I agree with the coach and the important thing was that we got through to the round of 16. We had a very tough group"</p>
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<p align="justify">Defender <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/soccer/fifa/players/110857/sergio-ramos">Sergio Ramos</a> seems to be in consensus as well as he <a href="http://www.realmadrid.com/cs/Satellite/en/Actualidad_Primer_Equipo_en/1330128597304/noticia/Noticia/Cristiano_Ronaldo:__We_are_working_to_win_the_Champions_league_and_we_are_hopeful_that_we_can_ac.htm">said</a>:</p>
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<p>"You always like to win and we would like to have qualified with a win. But the most important thing is that we are through. Although it is true that we would like to have qualified as group winners. But we have to recognize that we have done what we set out to do"</p>
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<p align="justify"><a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/soccer/fifa/players/110670/cristiano-ronaldo">Cristiano Ronaldo</a> was <a href="http://www.realmadrid.com/cs/Satellite/en/Actualidad_Primer_Equipo_en/1330128597304/noticia/Noticia/Cristiano_Ronaldo:__We_are_working_to_win_the_Champions_league_and_we_are_hopeful_that_we_can_ac.htm">looking to the future</a>:</p>
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<p>"We were in the most difficult group and Dortmund are having a great Champions League campaign. A draw was enough for qualification. We worked hard, this will be a very tough competition and we are hopeful that we can have a good year. That is our aim. We are working to win the European Cup and we are hopeful that we can achieve it. That is our aim"</p>
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<p align="justify">(Man, do I hope that that aim comes to fruition)</p>
<p align="justify">All players were understandably upset about the referee's decision and how it affected the match.</p>
<p align="justify">And now, to Coach <span>Jose Mourinho</span> (usually done first because his comments are either entertaining or insightful but hey why not change it up a little)</p>
<p align="justify">The Real Madrid coach <a href="http://www.realmadrid.com/cs/Satellite/en/Actualidad_Primer_Equipo_en/1330128589673/noticia/Noticia/Mourinho:__The_players_worked_hard_and_played_very_good_match_.htm">praised his team</a> for their diligence and their hard work. However, he did speak about the referee but never said anything outright for fear of another UEFA repercussion. Mourinho is also making headlines due to his <a href="http://www.realmadrid.com/cs/Satellite/en/Actualidad_Primer_Equipo_en/1330128281893/noticia/Noticia/Mourinho_has_become_the_youngest_manager_to_take_charge_of_100_matches_in_the_Champions_League.htm">new title</a> of youngest coach to manage 100 matches in the Champions League.</p>
<p align="justify">Regarding the news emerging from Chelsea, Mourinho wished some good luck to Benitez.</p>
<p align="justify">The "Special One" was also <a href="https://go.redirectingat.com?id=66960X1516590&xs=1&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.telegraph.co.uk%2Fsport%2Ffootball%2Fteams%2Freal-madrid%2F9695090%2FJose-Mourinho-Id-be-barred-from-Madrid-if-Real-were-knocked-out-of-Champions-League-like-Manchester-City.html&referrer=sbnation.com&sref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.managingmadrid.com%2F2012%2F11%2F22%2F3679844%2Fmanchester-city-real-madrid-press-review" rel="sponsored nofollow noopener" target="_blank">quoted by the Telegraph</a> as saying that if he was in a similar situation as Manchester City coach, he would have been sacked:</p>
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<p>"I admire the fact that clubs support their manager. City<b> </b>is out of Champions League. But Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund are very good teams and we knew a big team would be out. If it was Real Madrid, the press wouldn't let me return to Madrid."</p>
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<p align="justify">Do you agree with that evaluation? Respond with what you think in the comments below!</p>
https://www.managingmadrid.com/2012/11/22/3679844/manchester-city-real-madrid-press-reviewlujay_rma2012-11-21T23:08:17+01:002012-11-21T23:08:17+01:00A Draw Is Enough To Get Into The Next Round
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<figcaption>Shaun Botterill</figcaption>
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<p>It was a night that depended, to some extent, on results elsewhere. With the points in the group finely poised, Dortmund smashed Ajax 1-4, which meant that Madrid’s draw at the Etihad was enough to secure a spot in the last 16.</p> <p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" align="justify">Madrid lined up in a modified 4-3-3 – with Modric playing in a dual role that meant a far more fluid line-up than a trivote would suggest. Also: Madrid had considerably less of the ball than many observers might have expected with this line-up, but were far more effective with it when they had it, most especially in the first half.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="justify">Madrid dominated the first half, with Khedira, Ronaldo and Benzema impressing particularly. They had 9 shots at goal and scored when Angel di Maria sent in a cross finished by <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/soccer/fifa/players/131262/karim-benzema">Karim Benzema</a> who benefited from a momentarily sleepy Maicon who had failed to mark him.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="justify">In the second half, Manchester City began to dominate and Madrid retreated, defending tightly and attempting to score on the break. The game became niggly and ill-tempered and was subjected to a slightly erratic officiating performance from the referee.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="justify">The game turned for good when Arbeloa conceded a penalty in the box and was sent off. Commentators agreed that it was an accidental slip, but a goal-scoring opportunity had been denied and the referee showed him his second yellow. Madrid were down to 10 when Aguero scored Manchester City’s equalizing penalty.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="justify">The remaining 19 minutes + 5 minutes of stoppage time were played at a hectic pace with both teams going for the win. Although Mourinho’s substitutions were defensive, Madrid barrelled forward at every opportunity and continued to play a very high line.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="justify">In the final minutes of the match <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/soccer/fifa/players/110845/iker-casillas">Iker Casillas</a> made two point-blank saves.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="justify">A few final notes:</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="justify">If <span>David Silva</span> plays well, Man City play well. Silva was anonymous for nearly an hour before completely dictating his side's pace, most especially after Arbeloa's sending-off.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="justify">Three or four obvious instances of obstruction on <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/soccer/fifa/players/110670/cristiano-ronaldo">Cristiano Ronaldo</a> as he broke up the field went unpunished (which is what led the commentators to label the officiating as "erratic"). Varane had an excellent cameo in the final minutes and Coentrao was probably Madrid’s best defender on the night.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="justify">At the other end, <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/soccer/fifa/players/110267/sami-khedira">Sami Khedira</a> was a consistent threat. Di Maria started a good game, but faded out after the first half-hour and had a poor game, with a passing average of 50%.</p>
https://www.managingmadrid.com/2012/11/21/3677350/manchester-city-real-madrid-champions-league-scoreJ A Marsano2012-11-21T19:58:00+01:002012-11-21T19:58:00+01:00Match Thread
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<figcaption>Alex Livesey</figcaption>
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<p>Lineups are official. Mesut Özil will be on the bench and Mourinho will likely play with a 4-3-3 formation featuring Khedira, Alonso and Modric on the midfield. Upfront, Di María, Cristiano Ronaldo and Benzema will try to score and make Manchester City's three-man defensive line a little bit more uncomfortable.</p> <p>These are the starting lineups:</p>
<p>Manchester City: Hart, Maicon, Zabaleta, Kompany, Nastasic, Kolarov, <span>Yaya Toure</span>, Silva, Nasri, Dzeko, Agüero</p>
<p><b><a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.managingmadrid.com/">Real Madrid</a></b>: Casillas, Arbeloa, Ramos, Pepe, Coentrao, Alonso, Khedira, Modric, Di María, <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/soccer/fifa/players/110670/cristiano-ronaldo">Cristiano Ronaldo</a>, Benzema</p>
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<p>Join us and talk about the game!</p>
https://www.managingmadrid.com/2012/11/21/3676434/manchester-city-real-madrid-champions-league-2012-liveLucas Navarrete2012-11-20T17:20:03+01:002012-11-20T17:20:03+01:00Match Preview of the European Clash
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<figcaption>Denis Doyle</figcaption>
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<p>Real Madrid will visit the reigning Premier League champions this Wednesday. Manchester City is also leading the table in the British competition, even though Mancini and his men are clearly not living up to the expectations in this 2012-2013 edition of the UEFA Champions League.</p> <p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="justify"><span lang="EN-US">In their past clash at the Santiago Bernabéu, <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.managingmadrid.com/">Real Madrid</a> was able to overcome a 1-2 deficit in just six minutes to finish 3-2, although <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/soccer/fifa/players/110670/cristiano-ronaldo">Cristiano Ronaldo</a> and his teammates dominated the whole game. This time, midfielder <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/soccer/fifa/players/110267/sami-khedira">Sami Khedira</a> will be available to play, and his physical presence could be very much used by <span>Jose Mourinho</span> to prevent Manchester City from enjoying dangerous counterattacks like the one that ended in City’s first goal at the Bernabéu. Yaya Touré is a difficult midfielder to defend, but it will certainly be easier for Real Madrid to do it with Khedira on the pitch.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="justify"><span lang="EN-US">Since Khedira, Benzema and Coentrao rejoined the squad, Mourinho has been able of starting a very similar team to the one he prefers. It’s true that Marcelo won’t likely come back until the Winter break ends, and it might be true as well that the Portuguese coach would like Higuaín to be fit to play, but injuries happen and Real Madrid’s doctors have already healed most of the FIFA Virus’ victims.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="justify"><span lang="EN-US">José Callejón filled the void perfectly while both Higuaín and Benzema were down, but he will probably sit on the bench tomorrow. Ángel Di María rested against Athletic Bilbao. Di María’s work rate is something Mourinho can’t live without against elite teams. Midfielder Michael Essien has not made the team's list to face Manchester City. He performed really well against them in the Santiago Bernabéu. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="justify">It'd be very interesting to see a 4-3-3 formation with Khedira, Alonso and Modric. I think both Modric and Khedira could perform really well in that system, and the team could also defend better and launch some powerful counterattacks. Manchester City needs to get a win in order to keep their chances of qualifying to the next round, so maybe it'd be a good idea for Mourinho to keep either Özil or Modric on the bench and play with the counterattack style Real Madrid is known for. That way, one of them would be on the bench just in case the team needs to add an offensive threat or have some more possession and control of the game.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="justify"><span lang="EN-US">If Real Madrid manages to get a win, Mourinho’s team would clinch their spot at the UEFA Champions League’s 1/8. But they could do it with a draw if Borussia Dortmund gets the three points away from the Amsterdam Arena. That way, Madrid wouldn’t have a single thing at stake in the last game of this Group Stage against Ajax, to be played at the Santiago Bernabéu. </span></p>
https://www.managingmadrid.com/2012/11/20/3670260/manchester-city-real-madrid-champions-league-2012-previewLucas Navarrete2012-11-19T19:20:26+01:002012-11-19T19:20:26+01:00Scouting a dangerous Manchester City team
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<figcaption>Michael Regan</figcaption>
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<p>Despite their struggles in the Champions League, Manchester City remains unbeaten in the Premier League and currently sit on top of the table thanks to their 5-0 pasting of Aston Villa on Saturday. The Citizens await a visit from a Real Madrid squad that also put 5 past hopelessly outgunned domestic opposition over the weekend. </p> <p align="justify">Despite their struggles in the Champions League, Manchester City remains unbeaten in the Premier League and currently sit on top of the table thanks to their 5-0 pasting of Aston Villa on Saturday. It hasn't been calm, quiet or without drama in the Blue side of Manchester, since we last left them, but then it seems nothing ever is with <span>Roberto Mancini's</span> squad.</p>
<p align="justify">City's <a href="https://go.redirectingat.com?id=66960X1516590&xs=1&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.telegraph.co.uk%2Fsport%2Ffootball%2Fcompetitions%2Fchampions-league%2F9659100%2FRoberto-Mancini-fury-as-Manchester-City-denied-in-injury-time-in-2-2-Champions-League-draw-against-Ajax.html&referrer=sbnation.com&sref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.managingmadrid.com%2F2012%2F11%2F19%2F3666860%2Fmanchester-city-real-madrid-champions-league-2012-scouting" rel="sponsored nofollow noopener" target="_blank">failure to defeat Ajax</a> at the Etihad Stadium essentially ended their Champions League campaign and ignited a firestorm of criticism and recriminations directed towards Mancini. Much has been made of his twitchy tactical decisions and switches over the past few months, none more so than his decision to utilize a back three, most notably in the first match against Ajax in Amsterdam which helped produce a shocking 3-1 City defeat. Mancini <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/blog/2012/nov/02/roberto-mancini-manchester-city">told reporters</a> that he "changed because Ajax were only playing with one striker" and that "when we want to be more offensive, we leave only three defenders back."</p>
<p align="justify">Playing three defenders against an Ajax system that featured a lone striker struck many observers as odd. <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/blog/2012/nov/02/roberto-mancini-manchester-city">Michael Cox has also noted</a> that some City players such as (the now injured) <span>Micah Richards</span> seemed noticeably uncomfortable in the system, which prompted the manager to publicly say ""If you don't understand a system like that, you cannot play for a top team."</p>
<p align="justify">Mancini has had a little more success with the back three in the Premier League, particularly in a recent 2-1 victory against Tottenham Hotspur where his decision to shift into the formation was a crucial factor in deciding the match. Mancini is nothing if not unpredictable tactically and with a big squad at his disposable it's hard to imagine what alignment he may use on Wednesday. City will certainly attack <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.managingmadrid.com/">Real Madrid</a> to try and salvage something (even if it's just for morale and confidence) from their disappointing Champions League season. So, I guess, judging by Mancini's aforementioned comment the back-three could be viewed as a potential option for the English Champions as they'll likely attempt to go out in a blaze of offensive glory.</p>
<p align="justify">One interesting development over recent weeks has been Mancini's use of Maicon, essentially as a wide-player given license to attack down the right flank. Many in the football world wrote the Brazilian off, but he has really responded thus far and added a dangerous, desperately needed element to the side. Much had been made in the English press with regards to City's noticeable narrowness and lack of width, as <span>Scott Sinclair</span>, the player many thought would provide it, has seemingly failed to impress Mancini. Even David Silva, obviously never a true wide player, has played more central than in previous seasons when healthy. Interesting, that for now, Maicon has been slotted into that role.</p>
<p align="justify">Another day, another operatic Mancini/<span>Mario Balotelli</span> meltdown/fallout-I honestly can't even recall what kicked off the latest Balotelli saga (even though I feel like I've watched City for 52 straight weeks) but the mercurial Italian striker has been left completely out of the side in recent days. Luckily for City they have a healthy <span>Sergio Aguero</span>, who since returning from an early-season knee injury has developed a really solid attacking partnership with his fellow countryman <span>Carlos Tevez</span>. If this dangerous Argentinian duo weren't enough to worry about, <span>Edin Dzeko</span> has emerged as true-blue match winner coming off the bench, notching a team-high 6 goals-all of which have seemingly rescued, secured or outright stolen points for the defending champions.</p>
<p align="justify">These ingredients combine to produce a dangerous team with wounded European pride that I hope Real Madrid are truly prepared for.</p>
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https://www.managingmadrid.com/2012/11/19/3666860/manchester-city-real-madrid-champions-league-2012-scoutingDennis J. Seese