The Champions of errors

Bad backward assignments from defenders and midfielders, erratic attempts by goalkeepers to play with their feet, overwhelmed by the forward pressure of rivals; defensive lines thrown on the midfield line that reveal virgin spaces for dizzying footballers like Mbappé, Neymar, Gnabry or Ekambi. Both the second leg matches of the round of 16 that had to be completed before the final to eight in Lisbon, and the rounds of the quarter and semifinals played in a single match in the Portuguese capital, have left many errors that have been decisive in the qualifying rounds. .

Real Madrid fell to Manchester City, victim of two excesses of confidence by Varane that cost him two goals. Subsequently, Guardiola's City was eliminated by Lyon due to a poorly defended frontal ball and a bad transfer from Laporte. Much of Bayern's beating of Barcelona was based on heavy pressure on the start of the game. Of the 99 losses that the Catalans registered, 17 were in their own area. It is the worst game with the footwork that Ter Stegen is remembered for, considered the best in the world in this facet and author that night of 11 errors in the pass. Jordi Alba committed 17 bad deliveries and Bayern's second goal was a mistake by Sergi Roberto after a bad pass from Semedo. Statistics say that this varied salad of pass failures cost Barça four goals in 35 minutes, the result of 13 shots, seven of them between the three clubs.

“What influences the existence of so many errors are several factors; Obviously the pressure ahead is one ”, analyzes Manolo Sanchís,“ but what I don't understand is that tactic of always wanting to get all the balls played ”. The former Real Madrid center also points out "the lack of waist" to vary the initiation of the game when the rival makes it impossible. "I don't understand that when you can't go well because they're pressuring you, don't throw four or five long balls and that way you can get relief," continues Sanchís.

Paris Saint-Germain emerged the winner of their duel with Leipzig (3-0) in the semifinals after forcing two errors seeking recovery in the vicinity of the Gulácsi area. What Atlético de Simeone failed to do, was established by Thomas Tuchel as a primary part of his plan to make it difficult for the daring German team to get the ball out. Mbappé, Neymar and Di María, jumped to the pressure on the exit of the ball of the Hungarian goal and Upamecano. Herrera, Marquinhos and Paredes drowned Kampl who, overwhelmed, was not as accurate in the passes as against Atlético. Gulácsi missed a clearance that could have meant 1-0 if the ball hadn't hit Neymar's hand. The 2-0 was the result of an imprecision in the delivery of the Hungarian goal that led to a mini against simple in which Di María pushed the ball at will. And at 3-0, the Argentine picked up the ball after a stumble by Mukiele and put the center into the area for Bernat to head unopposed.

"I am not on the field to know what may be happening, but when a team pressures you well you have to risk as little as possible. At Milan, with Arrigo Sacchi, we scored a lot of goals because of that strong pressure we did. Sometimes those mistakes in passing can be due to lack of tension, ”says Franco Baresi. The legendary Italian center-back also led an advanced defense that practiced offside: "You have to work on this tactic a lot to be well coordinated, but we had an advantage at the time, if the forward was in line it was offside."

Forcefulness in the areas

Sunday's final between Bayern and Paris Saint-Germain announces a match in which the new paradigm of fast transitions that is imposed forces us to have forwards as decisive as well as expeditious and safe defenders with the ball. The former goalkeeper and now manager of the Munich club, Oliver Khan, spoke at a press conference this Thursday on the mistakes that could complicate his team's progress to the final: “PSG have players to hurt us. If we lose the ball in dangerous areas like against Lyon, Mbappé and Neymar will come out like bullets ”.

The new football increasingly demands mastery of the two areas. Marquinhos, a central defender converted to a midfielder at PSG, analyzes the title contender's campaign under this premise: “The defense is our strong point this year. The most important thing in a team is defense in order to have good results. We have great players in attack, but also a solid defense ”.