– Dette ødela alt for United

Key points

• United’s tactics were excellent in the first half, refusing to over commit they were disciplined and compact, showed great patience whilst also posing enough of a threat themselves through Welbeck and Nani.

• Having taken the lead early in the second half, and whilst eleven against eleven United were in a b position. United were winning the tactical battle.

• The sending off of Nani changed everything. Thereafter United were always likely to struggle against a b team with an extra man.

• After the dismissal, Mourinho immediately snatched the initiative with a substitution and a change of shape. For twenty minutes United failed to react to this and in that time Madrid won the game.

• Despite the sending off United had chances towards the end of the game after a curious Madrid substitution, as things became stretched with United pushing and Real Madrid looking to catch United again on the break.

First Half

INGEN ROONEY: Likevel hadde United god kontroll på Real Madrid før pause

The United team set up as a 4-2-3-1 shape with Carrick and Cleverley sitting deep in midfield, Giggs played on the right, Welbeck in the centre behind van Persie and Nani on the left. Madrid also set up as a 4-2-3-1 with Alonso and Khedira in the midfield, Ozil behind Higuain, Ronaldo on the right and Di Maria on the left.

KOMAPKT: United ga Real Madrid lite rom

Right from the start United was deep and compact, inviting Madrid to take the initiative. This was all as expected in view of the fact that the visitors are a counter attacking side, and are not generally considered to be at their best when asked to take the game to the opposition. Carrick and Cleverley sat deep, Giggs on the United right also sat deep, effectively tracking Ronaldo on the Real Madrid left. Welbeck in the centre stayed close to Alonso, van Persie also helped out on Alonso. In the first fifteen minutes United were perhaps a little too deep and allowed Madrid plenty of possession. When United did get the ball they tended to treat it like a hot potato and as a consequence kept giving it back to Real.

This changed when Nani and especially Welbeck got on the ball. After about fifteen minutes these two began to pick up the clearances and their running and movement as soon as United gained possession provided out-ball opportunities for deeper United players looking to release the ball forward. Nani pushed onto Arbeloa and Welbeck dropped deeper to pick up passes, then turned and ran at people as he had done in the first leg. This posed a threat to Madrid and prevented Alonso and Khedira from having comfortable possession. United allowed the Madrid’s centre-backs plenty of time on the ball, but denied the same to Khedira and Alonso. Madrid dominated possession, but United looked the more threatening on the break.

This pattern continued through the rest of the half, with United having the better chances on the break, (Vidic hit the post with a h4 from a corner). Madrid having very few clear cut chances for all their possession. Giggs running tracked Ronaldo and ensured Rafael was not left exposed. As a consequence Ronaldo was a relatively peripheral figure in the first half. Robin van Persie too was peripheral as an attacker, but worked to close space.

Throughout the half United remained disciplined, refusing to over commit and so avoiding situations on turnovers where Real Madrid might break quickly. Even when United had a corner they usually left four men back. The United tactics had worked in turning the tables on Madrid. They had the majority of possession, with United looking like the team likely to strike on the break.

On 44 minutes Real Madrid made a substitution removing Di Maria and introducing Kaka. Ozil moved to the right and Kaka played behind the central striker as the half ended.

Second Half

ENDRINGER: Med ti mann måtte United justere presset

At the start of the second half the pattern of play was as seen in the first. United had a spell of good possession and enjoyed a couple of good breakaways early in the half. From one of these Rafael surged forward, instigating a move which lead to a goal. The initial thrust came to nothing, but Nani chased after the ball on the right hand dead ball line, returned a cross to which Welbeck got the slightest touch. That touch however caught Ramos flat footed and Boom! An own goal.

The goal came after 48 minutes, and very little changed for the next 8 minutes. The Nani was harshly dismissed for a high challenge on Arbeloa. This was the games pivotal moment. Everything now changed.

Why did Sir Alex make this change, effectively surrendering the space around Alonso, who until this point was having a relatively poor and ineffective game?

United’s resistance lasted 10 minutes and then Madrid scored twice in quick succession through Modric and then inevitably Ronaldo. The Modric goal was as a direct consequence of United dropping to deep, conceding the space he needed to run laterally across the face of the two banks of four before striking a precise shot from range which went in of the post. The second goal was a far post tap in after a sharp cross found United’s center-backs flat footed.

SLUTTSPURT: United trengte nå to mål

Having taken the lead in the tie Madrid now eased off and on 71 minutes Mourinho removed Ozil, an attacking player and introduced Pepe, a defender employed in midfield. This was a curious substitution, as it seemed to hand the initiative back to United. Almost immediately Sir Alex removed Cleverley and introduced Rooney. United’s shape now went to a 4-2-3, with Giggs moving into midfield alongside Carrick and Rooney playing as a central, but very mobile striker.

Rooney constantly dropped deep to a play, and did so effectively. He also ensured that Alonso was again occupied. Welbeck played on the left hand side of the attack and Van Persie on the right. These three were fairly narrow with United relying on Evra and Rafael to provide width.

The game now became stretched, with both sides showing great attacking intent. It was end-to-end stuff, with Rafael pushing forward and Ronaldo and Kaka almost catching United on this side. Kaka hit the post and Ronaldo had a couple of one-on-ones with De Gea, which he failed to convert. United had good chances too, and Lopez in the Madrid goal made a couple of excellent saves. United made a couple of late substituions, Young replaceing Welbeck after 80 minutes, (Welbeck had not stop running all night), and Valencia replacing a hobbling Rafael after 87 minutes.

AVGJØRELSEN: Her scorer Ronaldo, og sender United ut av Champions League

Despite the late chances there were no more goals.

Conclusion

Until Nani’s dismissal this game was going exactly as United had planned. It was always going to be hard with 10 against 11, but Mourinho seized the initiative straight away making a bold and effective substitution and tactical change in response to United’s altered shape. United failed to respond and lost the tie in a fifteen minute spell.

Thereafter Mourinho made a strange change, which gave United an outside chance by making a very cautious substitution. In effect both managers had made changes they did not really have to make. Welbeck could have stayed in his central position after the sending – off so continuing to occupy Alonso; Arbeloa and Khedira are hardly the two Madrid players likely to pose the most attacking threat. Why did Mourinho remove Ozil for Pepe?