Paris Saint-Germain and Arsenal will play in the Champions League final. The two starting defenders of the Brazilian team will be present, Marquinhos for PSG and Gabriel Magalhães for Arsenal. Both are among the best in the world in their positions.
I’m going to support Arsenal, because they haven’t reached the final of the competition in 20 years and because of José Trajano, a fan of the English team. In the 1-1 draw between PSG and Bayern Munich, both teams used the tactical formations adopted by the Brazilian team under Ancelotti.
PSG, with a trio in the middle, moved one of the midfielders, Fabián Ruiz, to the left in order to protect full-back Nuno Mendes against the exceptional right-winger Olise. It worked very well. More than that, Kvaratskhelia, an excellent striker on PSG’s left, played freely, without needing to return to score.
In PSG’s goal, Fabián Ruiz, on the left, gave a great pass to Kvaratskhelia, who received the ball behind the winger’s back, dribbled past the defender and gave the ball to Dembélé to score. The play was identical to that of Brazil’s first goal against Croatia, when Matheus Cunha, retreating, in the same position and role as Ruiz, passed to Vini, who dribbled past the marker and played for Danilo to score.
PSG, today the most praised team in the world, does not have a classic number 10, an advanced and centralized midfielder. The team plays with a trio in midfield (Vitinha, João Neves and Ruiz). The three alternately mark, organize and attack. This does not mean that the classic number 10, so desired in Brazil, is no longer important, but it is necessary to broaden our perspective on football.
Bayern and Arsenal also play with two midfielders plus a centralized and advanced midfielder, as Brazil played against France and in previous matches under Ancelotti’s command. Most Brazilian teams act this way.
Ancelotti should use both formations, that of PSG and that adopted by Arsenal and Bayern, depending on the moment. If Vinicius Junior plays on the left, without needing to return to score, as he did against Croatia, because of Matheus Cunha’s retreat, the team will have a center forward.
Today, the most quoted is João Pedro. Raphinha would enter from the right. If Vinicius Junior plays centrally, as he did against France and in many previous matches under Ancelotti, Raphinha will be the left striker.
Brazil is a candidate for the world title, although there are slightly better teams, such as France and Spain. In a World Cup or Champions League knockout game, technical, tactical details and chance can change history. Sports science is essential, but we cannot ignore chance.
Chance has nothing to do with the supernatural nor is it what cannot be explained by science today and will be known tomorrow. Chances are common, frequent events that can occur at any time, without warning. The ball also enters by chance.
The Enlightenment, which emerged in the seventeenth century, said that reason was the only way for knowledge to be achieved and for people to be better and happier. It’s not quite like that. The world today is in chaos, with so many wars, emotional disturbances, corruption, crime and prejudice.
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