The tactical clash of the titans
It will be interesting to see how these two teams line up against each other. While Juventus used a three-man defence to soak up the pressure of Monaco’s youthful attack, it is highly likely that they might revert to a 4-2-3-1 against Real Madrid.
Meanwhile, with the fitness of Gareth Bale in question, it seems as though Zinedine Zidane will start Isco instead of the Welshman, meaning that the Whites could line up in a narrow 4-3-1-2.
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However, for the sake of covering all angles, all the possible system clashes will be considered, beginning with the least likely:clashes will be considered, beginning with the least likely: 3-5-2 vs 4-3-3.
If Zidane decides to pull up a surprise and play Gareth Bale in his home city and if Allegri chooses to not change anything from the semi-finals, we will witness something of a tactical repeat from 2015. That year, the Old Lady managed to pip the Blancos out of the competition in the semi-final, but it would be lot harder to get the better of them this year with the conventional 3-4-3/3-5-2.
The reason for this is more due to the absence of Juventus’ midfield bite than anything else. Can the duo of Sami Khedira and Miralem Pjanic absorb the brilliance of Madrid’s midfield like the trio of Claudio Marchisio, Arturo Vidal/Paul Pogba and Andrea Pirlo did?
Also, while the presence of Alex Sandro and Dani Alves does make Juventus an attacking force to be reckoned with, it also makes them a lot more vulnerable since the Brazilian duo will almost certainly attack from the word “go”, leaving space behind them for Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale to exploit—something that didn’t happen with Stephan Lichsteiner and Patrice Evra in 2015.
The Casemiro factor will also play a crucial role here regardless of the system Madrid plays. Writing in this context only, the Blancos didn’t have a natural destroyer in their lineup the last time these two faced each other.
Indeed, then Real Madrid manager, Carlo Ancelotti, had to use Sergio Ramos in midfield in an attempt to contain the Bianconeri’s counter attacks. With Casemiro in the team this time around, the Merengues are better equipped at stopping Juventus’ lethal counters.
The next possible combination is more likely to happen than the aforementioned one: 4-3-3 vs 4-2-3-1. If this happens, then the game will be tipped in Juventus’ favour since their defensive shape and systematic discipline will frustrate Los Blancos despite having an extra man in deep midfield.
And then there is the clash between Juventus’ 3-5-2 and Madrid’s 4-3-1-2. If this is how the teams pan out, the game will be won by the team that makes better use of the flanks, where Madrid could have an advantage due to the 2 on 1 situations that will arise.
However, what seems most likely is a heavily congested and midfield-centric war between two of Europe’s finest as all things point towards a 4-2-3-1 vs 4-3-1-2. In a clash of these two formations, Juventus will have the benefit of having more players on the wings to take on Madrid’s full-backs.
Madrid, meanwhile, will play a system that makes them more cohesive in attack and well-balanced in defense, but if history has shown us anything, it is that Juventus can deal with pressure from the centre all day long without breaking down—just ask Barcelona.
Isco might be a man in form, but not even the greatest midfielder in the world can pick out a pass if the forwards are marked tightly and the channels in front of him are blocked. However, Isco has something most midfielders don’t: insane close control.
The Malagan has the tendency to take matters into his own hands if he fails to find an opening for the pass—and that is the thing that could surprise the Bianconeri.
On the other end, Paulo Dybala is enjoying his best time as a footballer, but Madrid’s 3-man midfield will be difficult to overcome. However, Real Madrid a left with one gargantuan problem: Dani Alves.
Let’s face facts: Cristiano Ronaldo will not track back and in a 4-3-1-2, it is perhaps not necessary either. This leaves Luka Modric as Marcelo’s only support against Juan Cuadrado and Dani Alves. The Brazilian right-back is still enjoying his good years and can cause some serious damage if even the tiniest amount of space or time is given to him.
The tendency of both Luka Modric and Toni Kroos to push towards the centre even when the opposition has the possession will provide the former Barcelona full-back with a lot of opportunities to stamp his authority on the game—and that could be the game-deciding factor.
On the Blancos’ end, both Marcelo and Carvajal are in stunning form, but in a 4-3-1-2, the job of creating width for their team lies on their shoulders. Hence, it would be interesting to see how Real Madrid's renowned full-backs would do in a 1 v 2 situation like this.
Some say that once the players are on the pitch, all the tactics of the chalkboard go out of the window. However, in Cardiff, it will all be about tactics and the team that adheres to its tactical orders the most will most likely end up lifting the trophy.
Also read: European Team of the Year for 2016/17: Do Ronaldo and Messi make the cut?
