Former Chelsea manager Glenn Hoddle believes that Manchester City could be left vulnerable at the back if they decide to play with two strikers in the upcoming Champions League match against Barcelona. City will be going to the Camp Nou chasing the tie after losing the first leg 2-1.
The Premier league champions need to win by a convincing scoreline if they are to reach the quarter-final stages of the Champions League for the first-time in their history. After having recently suffered a 1-0 defeat against Burnley, confidence levels will not be high within the City camp.
Manual Pellegrini decided to opt for the dual partnership of Edin Dzeko and Sergio Aguero for the match against Burnley. Despite this, City did not create a lot of opportunities during the 90 minutes. If City opt for a similar formation against Barcelona, they could be found out at the back according to Hoddle. The size of the Camp Nou pitch means that City need to be compact and also aggressive in their pressing.
This would help them win the ball back much higher up the pitch and possibly create attacking chances.
City were knocked out at the hands of Barcelona at the same stage last season, but the blues came close to creating some good openings.”They are in an awkward position. They will probably go with two up front again and if they do that it will cause all sorts of problems.They’ve got to get a result and they are not learning from their lessons. If he (Manuel Pellegrini) goes with two up front, I fear for them. What they’ve got to do is play more savvy and get runners from midfield, but I wouldn’t be surprised if they go with two up front,” said Hoddle while previewing the match between Barcelona and Manchester City.