Alex Keble considers five tactical questions for the Premier League clubs in Champions League action this week.
1) Can David Silva and Leroy Sane break through a stubborn Shakhtar midfield?
Manchester City cannot expect to continue their excellent goalscoring record when they welcome Shakhtar Donetsk to the Etihad on Tuesday. The Ukrainian champions’ shock 2-1 win against Napoli a fortnight ago suggests that their narrow defensive shape and energetic central midfield will largely stunt City’s creative play. It is up to Leroy Sane and David Silva – a new partnership working wonders in 2017/18 – to find a route to goal that doesn’t require breaking directly through Shakhtar’s defensive midfield duo.
Fred and Taras Stepanenko, sitting directly in front of the back four, mopped up expertly against Napoli, making six interceptions and six clearances between them. Consequently, Kevin de Bruyne is unlikely to dominate the number ten space, while Sergio Aguero and Gabriel Jesus will struggle to create chances when dropping off the front line.
Instead, City will rely on the clever one-twos between Silva and Sane from the left. The German’s brilliant out-to-in runs are consistently being utilised by Silva, as for the opener against Crystal Palace on Saturday. It is a floated route to goal that, starting with a sudden injection of speed from in front of the midfield line, could overcome the brick wall created by Fred and Stepanenko.
REQUESTABET: Leroy Sane to score & Manchester City to win at 15/8!
2) Will Quincy Promes expose Liverpool’s weakness from set-pieces?
Spartak Moscow’s indifferent start to the domestic season in Russia makes Liverpool strong favourites, but Dutch forward Quincy Promes – assuming he passes a late fitness test - could trigger a shock result should Jurgen Klopp’s team continue to struggle at set-pieces
Promes is averaging 2.6 accurate crosses per match for Spartak and is revelling in a free role behind striker Luiz Adriano in a 3-5-1-1 formation. Although Liverpool are likely to limit his opportunities in open play by dominating possession in Moscow, there is every chance that his excellent dead-ball delivery will see Liverpool come unstuck.
Klopp’s set-piece issues are well documented and led to yet another goal against Leicester City at the weekend. They cannot afford to give away fouls in their own half, which means ensuring their formation is not too expansive during those long periods of possession; it is when caught flat-footed, and suddenly having to scramble back, that fouls occur.
PRICE BOOST: Quincy Promes & Sadio Mane both to score. Was 11/2, NOW 13/2!
3) Can Moussa Sissoko build on his excellent performance against West Ham?
There is no reason to doubt that Tottenham will comfortably beat APOEL Nicosia, who have failed to score in each of their last two league games in Cyprus. Consequently, this match is about solidifying some of the more interesting tactical developments Mauricio Pochettino has overseen over the first few weeks of the season.
Moussa Sissoko performed surprisingly well as a central midfielder against West Ham on Saturday, adding the sort of assertive dribbling to the middle that Spurs lack when Moussa Dembele is unavailable. In order to build his confidence and continue his learning, Sissoko needs to continue in this role for the time being.
Dembele’s injury could allow the Frenchman to be Spurs’ key player on Tuesday. Dele Alli and Christian Eriksen are occasionally crowded out when facing such defensive opponents, making Sissoko’s ability to pierce the lines in possession a crucial component of Tottenham’s tactical approach.
REQUESTABET: Moussa Sissoko to score & Tottenham to win at 3/1!
4) How will Manchester United find the energy levels to break down a stubborn CSKA Moscow?
Nobody likes playing at CSKA Moscow. They are extremely stubborn opponents who will sit very deep in a 5-3-2 formation and absorb pressure before pouncing forward via the speed of Vitinho. This is a real banana skin fixture for Manchester United, who habitually struggle to play with a high enough tempo for sticky away games such as this one.
Paul Pogba’s absence will be sorely felt. In his absence, Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Juan Mata must dictate the tempo with quick, decisive distribution towards Romelu Lukaku and Marcus Rashford, who will most likely function as a second striker for the majority of the match. Jose Mourinho should field Anthony Martial to ensure United have enough width in this one, largely because it is via crosses into the box that the visitors will earn corners, from which Marouane Fellaini will be a major threat.
Expect a low-scoring slog in Moscow on Wednesday, albeit one that tells us a lot about United’s progress over the summer; they cannot challenge for honours consistently unless they learn to win matches such as these.
SKY BET'S ODDS: Manchester United to win 1-0, 2-0 or 2-1 at 6/4!
5) Can Eden Hazard do anything to prevent a dull stalemate at Atletico Madrid?
When two cautious managers who like to play on the counter go head-to-head it is rarely an exciting game. Atletico Madrid and Chelsea, vying for top spot in the group, will be keen to a void defeat and thus almost certainly cancel each other out. Diego Simeone’s complex pressing system will clog up midfield, where N’Golo Kante and Tiemoue Bakayoko will no doubt work tirelessly to ensure Antonio Conte’s side are not overrun. It won’t be a classic.
If he ever wants to be a serious contender for the Ballon d’Or, then this is the sort of game Eden Hazard must grab by the scruff of the neck. His unpredictability in possession and clever movement between the lines (Hazard is given a completely free-role in Chelsea’s 3-4-2-1) could hurt Atletico as the game wears on and both midfields begin to tire.
There is always a risk that Atletico’s flat four in midfield can be overrun; with Willian and Hazard drifting into the defensive midfield zone, this could become the key battleground as the clock ticks down.
