MCIMan CityClub page
AEKAEK AthensClub page
Squad value€1.5bn
Squad value€86.45m
Key playerErling Haaland
Key playerLuka Jović
Head coachEnzo Maresca
Head coachMarko Nikolic
Man City press high and AEK Athens insist on playing out through it. Expect the ball lost in dangerous places.
Man City and AEK Athens both come after the ball high up the pitch, so it keeps changing hands in dangerous areas.
Man City's squad is valued at €1.5bn, AEK Athens's at €86.45m: about 17 times as much. Gaps like that tend to settle games rather than make contests.
Clear favourites: Man City.
Maresca's City go man for man high up the pitch to stop the other side passing out from the back.
“Manchester City started the game on the front foot, jumping into an aggressive player-oriented press to restrict Manchester United’s ability to play out from the back and progress.”A new manager, the same City: they still want the ball, and a lot of it.
“They’re still playing the same possession-hungry soccer.”City will hog the ball for long stretches, shuffling it side to side and pushing players up until you are pinned in your own half.
“Large swathes of possession are needed to gain the control he wants, and from a 4-2-3-1 base you will see Man City in a 3-2-2-3 shape when building attacks on the ball.”AEK like to keep the ball and build calmly from the back, through their Finnish midfielder Kairinen.
“Η χρήση που του κάνει μέχρι στιγμής ο Νίκολιτς καταμαρτυρεί εμπιστοσύνη: ο Φινλανδός λειτουργεί ως το πρώτο και πιο αξιόπιστο σκαλοπάτι του build up, ο παίκτης που δίνει στην ομάδα τη δυνατότητα να ανασαίνει στην κατοχή.”The way Nikolić has used him so far shows trust: the Finn works as the first and most reliable step of the build-up, the player who lets the team breathe in possession. our translation
Nikolić wants AEK pressing from the first minute to the last, and at home they keep coming at you.
“«Παίξαμε καταπληκτικά, ξεκινήσαμε δυναμικά, ήμασταν συνέχεια στην επίθεση, ασκήσαμε μεγάλη πίεση στον αντίπαλο, συνεχές πρέσινγκ, κάναμε πολλές φάσεις, βάλαμε το πρώτο γκολ, το δεύτερο, δεν σταματήσαμε να πιέζουμε και βάλαμε “φωτιά” στην υπέροχη ατμόσφαιρα που είχαν ήδη δημιουργήσει οι καταπληκτικοί φίλαθλοι της ΑΕΚ.”"We played brilliantly, we started with energy, we were attacking all the time, we put the opponent under great pressure, continuous pressing, we made lots of chances, we scored the first goal, the second, we never stopped pressing and we set fire to the wonderful atmosphere our fantastic fans had already created." our translation
Their midfield is picked for brains rather than legs — passers and thinkers, not runners.
“Η ΑΕΚ του Νίκολιτς δεν ποντάρει στα 6άρια για τα χαφ, αλλά στα 8άρια, αν όχι στα 8-10άρια. Δηλαδή, σε παίκτες «εγκεφαλικούς», που έχουν καλή τεχνική, τακτική και τοποθετήσεις.”Nikolic's AEK does not go for holding midfielders but for playmakers. That is, players who think, with good technique, tactical sense and positioning. our translation