Manchester Metropolis tackle Actual Madrid tomorrow night time on the Etihad Stadium. The primary leg of the Champions League knockout section play-off tie guarantees to be an enthralling encounter. There are match-winners for each groups all around the pitch. One potential match-winner for Actual Madrid is Vinicius Junior. The Brazilian winger is likely one of the greatest gamers in world soccer, and he may dictate the future of the tie if he fires. Who Pep Guardiola performs at right-back tomorrow night time may properly dictate how tomorrow night time’s match unfolds.
For now, it seems that Matheus Nunes and Rico Lewis are the favourites to play at right-back in opposition to Actual Madrid. They’ve been Guardiola’s most well-liked choices within the place of late. Each gamers are able to taking part in within the function. However taking part in in opposition to Vinicius Junior and Actual Madrid is a unique problem totally. Is it one which Pep Guardiola will belief Matheus Nunes with? That appears to be the query. Nunes has his deficiencies within the function, particularly defensively. Rico Lewis is succesful, but when he drifts into midfield as he’s normally tasked with, it may go away an enormous hole for Actual Madrid to use. With that in thoughts, there does seem like two different choices for the right-back place for Pep Guardiola to think about.
One is Manuel Akanji. We now have seen the Swiss worldwide play at right-back earlier than. He did so throughout the again finish of Metropolis’s treble-winning marketing campaign within the 22/23 season. However is he match sufficient to play in such a demanding function on the Etihad? That seems to be the query. The opposite various could possibly be Abdukodir Khusanov. Though he’s a centre-back by commerce, there have been indicators in opposition to Leyton Orient that he may slot in at right-back in time. He has the tempo to play in opposition to Actual Madrid’s attacking expertise and he’s sturdy in a problem. However the query can be will Pep Guardiola take the danger of taking part in Khusanov in a brand new place in opposition to Carlo Ancelotti’s facet?
Who Pep Guardiola performs at right-back is one thing to look at for when the beginning lineups are introduced for tomorrow night time’s match. Whoever is known as within the place can have an enormous function to play. Enjoying in opposition to Vinicius Junior isn’t any straightforward job. We now have seen Kyle Walker beforehand comprise the Brazilian worldwide. However he’s now not at Manchester Metropolis so the problem will fall to another person on the Etihad.