Leo ni leo - mpango wa klabu ya Paris St Germain inayomilikiwa na bilionea wa Qatar kutaka kuwa miongoni mwa timu tishio barani Ulaya na duniani kwa ujumla' utakabiliwa na mtihani mgumu leo wakati watakapowakaribisha Barcelona katika mechi yao ya kwanza ya robo fainali ya Ligi ya Klabu Bingwa Ulaya.
"wenye ujuzi na mambo ya UEFA tupeni taswira ya leo katika mpango mzima wa mchezo wa leo"
================
Paris Saint-Germain vs. Barcelona, 2013 UEFA Champions League
================
By Brendon Netto
Paris Saint-Germain face Barcelona in the quarter-finals of the Champions League in what is identified as a clash between money and tradition. The Catalans will no doubt be favourites but PSG are a much more refined teamthis season and will believe that they stand adecent chance as well.
The Zlatan Factor
Zlatan Ibrahimovic is available for both legs ofthis fixture after UEFA reduced his two-match ban. The Swede's inclusion not only gives the whole team a lift and spares them the prospect of making do without their most prolific scorer but it changes the whole dynamic of the encounter from a tactical perspective as well. Ibrahimovic is the archetypal lone striker which makes him absolutely critical to their system.
Especially in games against Barcelona who consistently monopolize possession, a lone strikerup front is likely to be subjected to lengthy periods of isolation and when he does come intoplay, he needs to be alert and make every touch count; thats where Ibrahimovic must make his class show. Lastseason, Didier Drogba was a colossal albeit secluded figure in attackfor Chelsea but his hold-up play was exceptional and he oftenused his strength and ability to pick out other players to allow his sides defense to catch their breath or to facilitate counter-attackswhile making the most of his chances.
Ibrahimovic will be entrusted with a similar responsibility and few would question his ability to do the job. His hold-up play is exceptional but he also possesses great vision and a delicate touch of creativity. Its those attributes that could enable him to hold on tothe ball when its played up to him and release a team-mate so PSG can counter or if thats not an option, even merely keeping possession or winning a free-kick could go a long way to relieving the pressure onhis sides defense. With Ezequiel Lavezzi and Lucas Moura flanking him, he should have options on either side once hes in control of the ball. Given Barcelonas vulnerabilityin the air, he will also be the prime target from set-pieces.
The Midfield Battle
PSG have a formidable midfield trio of Marco Verratti, Blaise Matuidi and Javier Pastore but they are still no match for Barcelonas star-studded triad of Xavi Hernandez, Andres Iniesta and Sergio Busquets. Xavi is reportedly a doubt for the first leg after sustaining a hamstring injury and if he doesnt feature, Carlo Ancelotti and his troops will breathe a lot easier.
Cesc Fabregas should be the foremost candidate to deputize for Xavi in the event of his absence but despite a marked drop in quality, the Blaugranas system will remain the same. With Busquets providing cover for the two midfielders ahead of him, Barcelona will persist with their neat and intricate short passing with Lionel Messi dropping deep to get a touch and pulling his marker out of position in the bargain.
Occasionally, they will spread the ball wide towards an advancing full-back in a bid to stretch the opposition and eventually find a slide-rule pass to slice open the defense.
Thats often referred to as plan A and if executed properly, thatsall theyll need. However,the Parisians will be encouraged by the fact that the likes of AC Milan (initially) and Real Madrid have countered the all too familiar strategy this season and exposed Barcelonas lackof a contingency plan.
PSG
4-3-3 Barcelona
4-3-3
Matuidi is a strong, hard-tackling midfielder with the ability to drive forward with the ball and cover every blade ofgrass and so he will be crucial to PSGs attempt at stifling the Catalans midfield. Verratti on the other hand is renowned for his exquisite range of passing while he is a notoriously clumsy tackler, something hell have to watch in the face of the nippy Barcelona players. Pastore is their playmaker and often advances in support of the front three but he may be required to play a lot deeper against the La Liga giants.
The PSG midfield trio must refrain from tracking every runner because that would leave them chasing shadows. They must also resist the temptation to dive in prematurely or they may be caught in the middle of one of those famous Barcelona triangles and will have the ball played around them. The key will be to stand their ground and have each player operate within specific parameters of their positions, something Milan executed to perfection when they faced the European juggernauts at the San Siro.
Once they gain possession, they must look to play the ball up to Ibrahimovic who should be able to bring it down and instigate a counter-attack.
Beckham To Play A Part?
In an unprecedented turn of events, David Beckham had the privilege of being the only Englishman left in the Champions League when the quarter-finalists were announced and perhaps he has a bigger role to play than to only be an intriguing but ultimatelyirrelevant statistic.
Beckham may not be at his optimum fitness levelbut those who have watched the former England captains appearances in the Ligue 1 of late will knowthat his exquisite range of passing and quality deliveries are far from escaping him. On the contrary, he is very muchin command of the accuracy of his long passes in particular and has consistently picked out the towering figure of Ibrahimovic with easein his attempts from his withdrawn midfield role.
Admittedly, he still has a long way to go before he can play out 90 minutes at the highest level but he has given a good account of himself so far with Ancelotti already calling for an extension on the midfielders current short-term contract. His passing could be immense against Barcelona when initiating a counter-attack especially with the high-line their defense adheres to. Furthermore, his delivery from set-pieces is still one of the best in Europe and given the possession Barcelona will enjoy as well as their susceptibility from dead-ball situations, Beckham distribution could be PSGs best routeto goal.
This is not to say that theformer Manchester United and Real Madrid star should start the game but perhaps a cameo from the bench shouldnt be ruled out given that he could well play a hand in a crucial goal. He may not have the legs to close down and chase the Catalans around at present but if PSG do need a goal, its worth throwing the diceand giving the Englishman a run-out.
The Perennial Conundrum: Stopping Messi
Unfortunately, there is no simple method to suppressing Messi. Man-marking the Argentine has almost never proved to be effective so it will take a collective effort from thetwo center backs as well as the midfielders to pick him up when he threads into their respective areas. Now although Thiago Silva is one of the best center backs around and perhaps best equipped to deal with Messi, his Brazilian defensive partner, Alex will be cringing at the prospect of the Barcelona ace bearing down on him.
The former Chelsea defender lacks the agility to deal with the nimble-footed forward and so it may be wise to have Silva pick up Messi on most occasions with Alex covering in behind. More importantly, PSG must make sure that the four-time Ballon dOr winner is never affordeda one-on-one situation with any of the defenders. As far as possible, he must be kept facing away from goal as he was in the first leg against Milan.
Ultimately, theyll also need Messi to have a bit of an off day since hes virtually unstoppable when hes on song.
The Aerial Threat
Barcelona are one of thebiggest teams around but not in the literal sense. In fact, apart fromGerard Pique and Busquets, the remaining outfield players in the first eleven are under sixfeet tall. PSG arent particularly blessed in that area either but theydo possess a few potent aerial threats in Silva, Alex and Ibrahimovic while Pastores height puts him in the mix as well.
Like any other team facing Barcelona, PSG will cherish any set-piece that comes their way and look to make the most of them, Again, if Beckham is on the pitch for a few of those set-pieces, good deliveries are pretty much guaranteed and given the Catalans defensive disorganization from those situations, the Parisians will be in a great position to take full advantage.
Barcelona Must Be Patient
PSG have been a solid defensive unit this season having conceded just 20 goals in the league so far. Therefore, the possibility of them getting steamrolled by Barcelona is highly unlikely but the Catalans will still be expected to win relatively comfortably over the two legs. However, in order to do that, theyll need to stay patient and play football the best way they know how.
They played into Madrids hands at times this season when they were coerced into beingpart of fragmented games where neither side could hold on to possession for long periods. That suited Los Blancos and they eventually got the betterof the Spanish league leaders. At the San Siro earlier this season, they were forcing the play towards the end of the game when they trailed 2-0. Forcing the issue is not their style and didntsuit them; they thrive in a state of controlled possession.
Even if they go behind against PSG, Barcelona must persist with their tiki-taka brand of football and eventually, they will get their chances. However, they must not be goal-shy likethey were against Milan in that first leg. Let the opposition know that youre prepared to take the shot on even from range and theyll be forced to close you down rather than standing their ground, hence dragging them out of position and creating little pockets of space.
"Who do you think will win this tie? Leave your comments below..."