Manchester United legend

Chapter 173 Champions League Final
It was the first time for Ferguson to lead a team to participate in the Champions League final, while the head coach of Bayern Munich, Hitzfeld, had already led Dortmund to win a championship. In comparison, Xi Shuai was more calm and confident. Ferguson's unconscious pacing, pre-match pre-match inconsistencies, and his overly nervous and distorted face all exposed his inner anxiety and expectations.

It's normal, everyone gets nervous.Is not it?

Before the start of the final, Ferguson deliberately dispatched a strange formation that had never appeared before due to the constraints of the absence of the main players.When the players came out and stood in their positions to wait for the kick-off, fans who were familiar with Manchester United's formation and starting lineup were taken aback. Even a few commentators on ESPN were confused.

Ferguson took a risk before the battle, and unexpectedly formed a strange formation that surprised his opponents and puzzled his fans!Remember the first time back then?

Schmeichel's goalkeeper, Gary Neville, Stam, Johansson, and Irvine are not surprising. It is also expected that Yorke and Cole will jointly play the forward role, but the four midfielders sent by Ferguson turned out to be Beckham, Jost, Blomqvist and Giggs!Among the four-man midfield, only Jost has a strong defensive ability, but his interception and coverage alone are definitely not enough.Beckham in midfield?Giggs hit the right?
Is it because of the suspension of Bart and Scholes that Ferguson's brain is showing off?Could it be that because Johansen plays central defender, no one at Manchester United can play in the middle of the midfield? !

In fact, everyone predicted before the game that Gary and Stam should play central defenders (Philippe can play full-backs), or use David May and Stam to play central defenders, and let Johansen play in the middle with Bart in the middle. Beckham and Giggs are still separated on both sides.

This arrangement can withstand the impact of Bayern's powerful midfielder.But Ferguson actually let Beckham move into the middle!

The midfielder has released three full-back players who are stronger in offense than defense. Is Ferguson thinking of suppressing the opponent through offense and defeating the opponent through attack?
In fact, Ferguson still thinks too simple and too egotistical.Neither Ryan Giggs nor Beckham played in their usual positions. They had no way to display their individual technical characteristics, and there was no room for them to display their personal advantages. Manchester United lost enough strangling power in the midfield, and they would naturally be suppressed by Bayern.

The process of the game really proved that Ferguson's adventure is not advisable.Bayern's 343 had an advantage in the scene from the very beginning. Compared with Ferguson's strange formation, Hitzfeld solemnly arranged the strongest lineup. Except for Elber and Lizarazu who were absent, Bayern's formation is still full of good players.

Compared with Jost and Beckham, Bayern's Effenberg and Jeremys are much stronger in interception and confrontation.

Bayern had an advantage in the midfield clash at the start of the game.In order to maintain the stability of the defense, Ferguson had to direct the two central defenders, Stam and Johansen, to constantly move forward and participate in the strangling of the midfield.

The central defenders came to the midfield, which means that there will be a huge vacuum in the penalty area.

Once Bayern breaks through Bart or Beckham's front-line defense, Stam or Johansen will inevitably adopt chopping tactics in front of the penalty area to prevent the opponent from entering the penalty area and pose a fatal threat.

This is always a hidden danger, and this fear is quickly becoming a reality.Just in the 5th minute of the game, Bayern opened up the route into Manchester United's hinterland through concise pass and cut cooperation. When Janker received the ball and was about to enter the Manchester United penalty area, neither Stam nor Johansen could stand firm in the penalty area and defend frontally. They were not in the best defensive position.

In the end, Johansen, who hurried back, could only bring Janker down on the edge of the penalty area.Free kick - Bayern Munich are awarded a superbly placed penalty kick.

At this time, in the 6th minute of the game, Basler of Bayern took a free kick.Facing the Manchester United five-man wall, he took a low-level free kick around the wall and went straight to Schmeichel's left-hand side of the net.

This free throw was not fast, powerful, or tricky, but Schmeichel just didn't make it!
Slow motion shows Basler's penalty undergoing two slight deflections on the way, while another Bayern player effectively confuses the United goalkeeper on the edge of the wall!
This caused Schmeichel to stand still and watch the ball from this angle go into the net.

This goal also highlights Basler's incomparable importance. In fact, in the crucial semi-final match against Dynamo Kiev, it was Basler who received a pass from Tanat in the 35th minute and scored two goals in a row. Bayern won the ticket to the final 4-3.

Basler cheered for the goal, while the Manchester United camp felt like suffering from a sap. The whole team was very aggrieved-Schmeichel later took responsibility for the conceded goal himself.

Schmeichel did not arrange a good wall, nor did he concentrate on watching Basler's shot, and even his reaction was strangely slow.

Schmeichel later said, "If we hadn't won the championship, I would have regretted Basler's goal for the rest of my life."

The lagging Manchester United quickly picked up their mood and launched a counterattack. However, facing the midfield led by Effenberg, Manchester United's midfielders were still too gentle and delicate.The leading Bayern became more confident, and they dealt with Manchester United more easily.

In fact, Manchester United has fallen into a huge pit dug continuously by strange formations and risky tactics, and it is difficult to reverse the situation.

Therefore, throughout the first half, Manchester United fans could only helplessly see that the Red Devils were running hard on the field, chasing the ball non-stop, but they were unable to effectively move the ball into Bayern's penalty area.

For a long time, Bayern's Effenberg and Jeremys were like two pliers, firmly locking Manchester United's lifeline, making Manchester United's offense and defense lose their own rhythm and speed, becoming extremely messy and without threat.

Yes, Manchester United did not create any absolute chances to score in the first half, despite a lot of offensive and intense scenes.In the 20th minute, Beckham cruising to the right, a lob-like cross caused confusion in the Bayern penalty area. Yorke turned around to face the pass at the corner of the small penalty area, followed the rhythm of the football bouncing and shot a shot, and the ball went straight to the near corner of Bayern's goal.

But such a tricky shot was still subconsciously saved by Kahn who was full of attention!
Yes, Beckham is a threat when he comes to the right, but tactical discipline firmly limits his position.

For a long time in the first half, Manchester United adopted very active and risky tactics. The entire defense line was raised near the center circle. Manchester United wanted to strengthen the confrontation with Bayern's midfield by mobilizing more personnel. The backcourt defense adopted an offside-based strategy.

This tactic gave Manchester United a slight advantage in the midfield entanglement, but the opponent's offside several times made the fans sweat. If the defenders' tacit understanding is lacking, then Bayern will have a single-handed chance!
(End of this chapter)