Talking Tactics: Opposites collide as Pep’s slickers face wily Atleti

There is more than one way to win a football match — and the contrasting styles of Manchester City and Atletico Madrid prove it.

The first leg of their Champions League quarter-final tonight is the first meeting between Pep Guardiola and Diego Simeone since 2016, when Atleti beat Guardiola’s Bayern Munich in the last four of Europe’s top club competition.

But where will this evening’s game between the champions of England and Spain be won and lost?

We assess this enticing Etihad encounter through a tactical lens.

The unstoppable force

City drew a blank in the second leg of their last-16 aggregate win over Sporting, yet they remain the second-highest scorers in this season’s Champions League with 23 goals, behind Bayern on 30.

Guardiola’s side did not need to find the net in that match after winning the first leg 5-0, adding to 5-1 and 6-3 group stage victories against Club Brugge and RB Leipzig respectively.

In fact, City only need two more goals to equal their total from last season when they reached their first Champions League final.

The flip side of that is they have already conceded twice as many goals this time around (10).

But Guardiola’s team are yet again showing how effective attack can be as a form of defence.

The immovable object

City are facing a team who, despite enduring a disappointing season, very rarely get blown away.

Atletico have not quite been their usual stingy selves this season — conceding 1.23 times per 90 minutes in LaLiga compared to 0.66 last season.

But Simeone proved in their 1-0 round of 16 second-leg win at Manchester United that he is still more than capable of setting his side up to spoil on big occasions.

They have conceded the third-fewest shots from inside the box (5.67 per 90) which they have achieved by defending deep and compact.

Finalists in 2014 and 2016, Atletico have built a reputation for frustrating opponents by parking the bus before hurting them on the break.

City struggled against a Tottenham side set up to do just that in February, losing 3-2 at home to Antonio Conte’s men — and Simeone might just be planning a similar masterclass.

Curveball likely

Guardiola has regularly been accused of overthinking when it comes to crunch Champions League ties — like last season’s final, where he did not include a holding midfielder against Chelsea.

Speaking ahead of the game, the Catalan confronted his critics.

He said: “In the Champions League, always I overthink, create new tactics and new ideas and tomorrow you will see a new one.

“It would be boring, my job, if all the time I had to win the same way.

“Opponents have different ways to play. If people think I play the same against Atletico and Liverpool, I don’t like [that].

“Tonight [Monday] I will take inspiration and do incredible tactics tomorrow. We’ll play with 12 tomorrow!”

Clearly, Guardiola was being flippant. But there is no question that he is capable of springing a tactical surprise to keep Simeone and Atletico guessing.

Managing the game

Another reputation Atleti have gained under Simeone is as masters of the dark arts.

However infuriating that aspect of their game is for their opponents, it feeds into the tactical battle.

The visitors will try to disrupt City’s rhythm at every opportunity by making a nuisance of themselves.

In the final 30 minutes of Atleti’s win at Old Trafford, the ball was only in play for 11 minutes and 30 seconds as the visitors chewed the clock whenever they could.

No team has conceded more fouls (7.3 per 90) than Atletico in LaLiga this term while they rank second for duels won with 54.8 per 90.

Feeling the pressure

It seems unlikely that either team will wrap up the tie in the first leg.

But tonight will be a high-pressure occasion nonetheless and the result might come down to who copes best.

For City, there is pressure to go on and lift the trophy for the first time — particularly after coming so close last season.

As for Atleti — having fallen well short in their LaLiga title defence — a statement victory could set them up for a strong finish to the season and perhaps their first Champions League crown after two near misses under El Cholo.