The Champions League semi-final first leg, 2012:
Chelsea and Barcelona at Stamford Bridge.
Barcelona: Adriano, [Javier] Mascherano,
[Carles] Puyol and [Dani] Alves;
[Sergio] Busquets, Xavi, [Andres] Iniesta;
[Alexis] Sanchez wide and
making penetrating runs from one side;
[Lionel] Messi dropping low.
Normally into inside-right more
than inside-left so that
he can come inside on his left foot,
but reference as a striker,
but always dropping into this position,
and then [Cesc] Fabregas who also came
inside to make a four.
So lots of bodies centrally – very fluid,
but fundamentally 4-3-3.
Chelsea were [Branislav] Ivanovic,
[Gary] Cahill, [John] Terry and Ashley Cole.
In midfield we were Mikel [John Obi],
[Raul] Meireles and [Frank] Lampard.
We were [Juan] Mata on the right,
[Didier] Drogba as the striker
and then Ramires on the left.
We'd been playing 4-2-3-1,
but for this game,
because of the three midfield players
and the quality of the three midfield players of Barcelona,
and Messi dropping low into midfield,
and Fabregas coming in from the right into midfield,
we felt we needed a minimum three players in
that area to help to get some control.
We made a couple of tactical changes –
Ramires normally would play on the right or inside,
but for this game,
Alves was always overlapping on the right hand side,
with Fabregas playing inside,
so a very offensive right-back,
and we felt that on this side of the pitch with Ramires,
not only would it help to control Alves
but if we recovered balls
Ramires had the speed to counter-attack
behind Alves and into that space.
So a different role for Ramires than normal.
In midfield, [it was] very positional,
so Meireles and Mikel
hardly ever attacked [and were]
always in good positions in counter-attack.
Lampard [had] a little bit more freedom given
the individual qualities that he has
– a little bit more freedom to go.
But more positional, Meireles and Mikel.
On this side of the pitch we felt that Adriano,
who could go [forward] but was less offensive –
Mata who was a very good, talented footballer
but not a fantastic defender in these positions,
more of an offensive player –
this was [therefore] a better balance of Ramires and Mata.
The key, apart from the players
producing a fantastic performance,
was not opening up too much
when we attacked so that in counter-attacks
there was space.
The one time we did lose the ball
in our own build-up,
the ball ended up being cleared
off the line at our end, [by] Ashley Cole.
So [there was] a big focus on in possession,
[and] retaining good positions
and good balance so we weren't vulnerable
[to] counter-attacks.
Then without the ball it was a low,
compact block, trying to control the spaces,
and then looking to counter-attack
behind Alves with Ramires.
Arguably the best midfield trio
that's ever played the game.
Busquets [was] fantastic at receiving the ball
with pressure in [the] first phase from the goalkeeper –
[he’s] one of the best midfield players
I've ever had the privilege to see live.
Receiving the ball under pressure;
really clear pictures of where his support was,
and capable with just making little dummies
and feints, of making time for himself
to turn and to play the ball forwards.
Here with Xavi and Iniesta –
again, two players who are completely
comfortable receiving the ball under pressure.
The scenario of Busquets, Iniesta, Xavi,
[and] Messi coming low and dropping in,
Fabregas – another wonderful footballer
receiving the ball, capable of
receiving the ball in the tight.
You've got five players who are
basically looking to try and create
five against three in this middle area
of the pitch.
Not only [potential] tactical superiority,
but also great individual technical ability that,
even if you had five against five,
they could still play their tight,
quick football through you.
But what they did have was a threat in behind,
and that was Sanchez's job:
to stretch; to play high;
and to look always for those runs into depth.
So the possession is one thing,
but that was always balanced by
the threat in behind as well.
Often in our game,
this would happen where Fabregas would come low,
and then either Xavi or Iniesta
would make those runs into depth.
[They were] completely fluid –
as good a technicians in terms of
receiving the ball under pressure
as you can have on the football field –
and [had] numerical superiority.
So a team that's almost impossible to press high.
The only solution is to close the area –
[it was] very important that the wide players
on both sides come in very narrow.
That suited Ramires on this side of the pitch;
Mata less so.
But [that was] a very narrow, compact five,
and again the distance between
the midfield five and the back four –
once that becomes too great,
they'd have the ability to combine quickly,
and find the likes of Messi
in between the lines,
and then you were going to be in trouble.
So, [it was] important these distances
were always compact.
They could have the ball in front,
but the four and the five,
and the distance between the lines,
were fundamental to try to keep this
super-talented group of players
away from the goal.
Messi in his role –
this is Messi as the striker –
but [he] doesn't play high as a striker.
[He] plays low and in midfield.
We did some analysis before the game of
what areas he occupies the most,
and significantly a higher proportion,
percentage-wise, [was] into this inside-right channel,
so that he could dodge and bob and weave
and come inside to play off his left foot –
crosses, shots, through balls.
Two thirds more on this side of the pitch
than on this side of the pitch,
where it's more about speed,
going on the outside.
As a result of that,
we'd made Meireles very positional,
and Mikel always positional,
with particular attention on this side of the pitch,
with Ramires also closing to close this space.
We almost created a five here.
Left-back, left-wing; Ramires, Meireles, Mikel
and the left-sided centre-back John Terry.
Whenever he dropped into this position,
we always had not only one player
who was going to be within
reasonable distance to stop a turn
or to confront one against one, but cover,
so inevitably Messi would beat one player,
but then to surround [him] with two,
with three players to give ourselves a better
chance of getting some control.
The players produced fantastic performances
and defended with great resilience,
and then produced some really good moments
in the few counter-attacks that we had.
The winning goal was scored when Lampard,
here, recovered a ball actually off Messi in midfield.
Alves was advanced as we'd anticipated,
and a quick ball out to Ramires,
who got behind Alves,
in [a] counter-attack to then cross the ball
for Drogba to score just before half-time.
That, in the end, was the decisive goal,
and I think we felt to
go to the Nou Camp with any chance,
we really needed to have a lead.
One-nil – a clean sheet,
really set up the second leg
so that we went with some hope.