Real Madrid vs Man United: A Grand Finale before the final

“It’s the match that the world is waiting for” – Jose Mourinho

As the Special One so aptly put it, there is not a shadow of doubt that out of all the fixtures of Champions League this February, this one is gearing up to be the “numero uno” battle. Madrid or United? Ronaldo or Van Persie? When the two most successful clubs on the planet lock horns, everything else (including sleep or Valentine’s Day) takes a back seat. This fixture has been spiced up further, since its CR7’s first game against his former club after leaving the Theater of Dreams. What follows is a major analysis of potential match deciders in this fixture.

SET-PIECES

In terms of dead ball situations, both the teams are pretty similar in their strength and weaknesses. It is no secret that with Ronaldo and Ramos’ prowess with their heading, Real are always a danger with set-pieces. Similarly, Van Persie has turned a team with the worst set-piece attacking capability of EPL last season, into one of the the best set-piece experts in their league. Defensively, Real have had a hard time defending against corners and free-kicks, something that Ferguson must have noticed. United on the other hand only have to be worried about their goalkeeper whose only arguable weakness is against the aforementioned threats. Comparatively, United have an advantage here and don’t be surprised if they bet their money on it.

STOPPING RONALDO

Phil Jones would most likely double team with Rafael to neutralize Ronaldo.

All eyes will be on Cristiano Ronaldo as he steps up against his former teammates and in all honesty he would have it no other way. His quick feet can dazzle the best defenders on his day and he’s always capable of that bit of magic when his side need it the most. In all likeliness, United would need more than simple 1-on-1 marking to stop him. All eyes would turn to Phil Jones who would once again have the daunting task of stopping the most potent opposition player. Though he did an admirable job with Gareth Bale and Fellaini, stopping CR7 would be another level completely. The main strategy would be to block Ronaldo from cutting inside and making him move outwards with Rafael showing him his right side.

WHEN REAL ATTACK

Mesut Ozil would be the key for Real Madrid in unlocking United’s well-structured defence. With Jones drawn right towards Ronaldo, Carrick would have his hands full against Ozil and Khedira would in turn take advantage of this making drive-in runs with support from Arbeloa on the right. With Benzema drawing away a United CB, any small mistake in this precariously balanced system could lead to a Real goal.

WHEN UNITED ATTACK

Mourinho has always relied on his two CDMs, Alonso and Khedira to cover their defence when the opponent is on the counter. With this in mind, United will have to field Welbeck instead of Valencia or Young. What the foursome of Van Persie-Rooney-Welbeck-Kagawa offers is the ability to interchange at will, as the link-up play within that group is exceptional at times. Carrick will look for Van Persie’s movement up front and pick him out with a long ball over the Madrid defense. On the counter, Van Persie will hold up the ball and release a runner. Welbeck will be the most likely outlet with his pace down the right side while Rooney should be quick to get up the pitch in support of Van Persie as well.

BATTLE OF TACTICIANS

Football’s very best manager, Sir Alex Ferguson will come face to face with The Special One, Jose Mourinho. Both of them respect each other for their tactical prowess and know-how. Super-substitutions, best XIs, pep-talks, and mainly their tactics are the points where these two can change a match, instil instant confidence in dejected players.

SUMMING UP

To sum up, this match would be a test of patience for Man United as they would have to be resilient and attack effectively on the counter. Real follow a similar pattern with their blitzkrieg counter-attacks and they will surely fight fire with fire. You have world class players, top forwards, best defenders, super-tacticians and the best fixture you could hope for. What more can you ask?