18 Yard Box has a look at the all important FA Cup clash between the Red Devils and the Blues.
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| Whackk.com |
It’s a super Sunday as two heavyweights of England, Manchester United and Chelsea clash in the FA Cup 6th Round for a berth in the semi-final. Both teams having fought off tough competition from both the Premier League and the lower tiers have to try eliminating their bitter rivals to reach the semi-final. While Manchester United are on the back of Champions League elimination, Chelsea are facing elimination from the Europa League with a first leg defeat to Bucharest.
18 Yard Box analyses the tactics and formations of both the teams ahead of the match.
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| Who will go one step closer to get this? |
Manchester United
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| Rooney might start |
Having lost out on the Champions League after suffering a 2-1 loss to Real Madrid, Sir Alex Ferguson’s dream of a treble this season has been thwarted, but he stills hopes for a double. With the Premier League title almost certain, United need to defeat Chelsea to stand a chance to win the the double. They need to regroup quickly to avoid a second cup elimination within a week with them being pitted against Chelsea, a win will bring back their confidence.
Sir Alex Ferguson, the master of the ‘managerial art’, had proved his tactical prowess when he decided to field Danny Welbeck and Ryan Giggs ahead of in-form Wayne Rooney and Shinji Kagawa, a move which paid dividends. Champions League football is different from that of domestic cup football and keeping that in mind, Sir Alex Ferguson would most probably be fielding his conventional starting 11 lining up in a 4-2-3-1 formation with Robin van Persie spearheading the attack, Valencia, Rooney and Kagawa just behind him.
Carrick will most likely be the lynchpin in midfield with Cleverly looking to be the creative force from the deep. The quadruple of Rafael, Ferdinand, Vidic and Evra who started against Madrid might be altered with Evans returning at the heart of the defense.
However what remains to be seen is Hernandez’s introduction in the match. Javier ‘Chicharito’ Hernandez has an incredible goal-scoring record against Chelsea scoring 7 goals in as many as 5 matches. Hernandez, often referred to as the ‘impact man’ might be brought into the match if his presence was required but going by form, his selection into the 1st team ahead of Rooney or Van Persie looks difficult. Currently though, Robin van Persie hasn’t been in good form lately, failing to score in the past seven matches and thus could be given a break for Chicharito to come in.
Nani, who might not be even in the right frame of mind to get back on the field should start on the bench in favour of Ecuadorian Valencia who even tracks back to protect the often impulsive Rafael.
Chelsea
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| Would Eden make the difference? |
In a season that has gone terribly downhill for the Blues since their elimination from the Champions League, Chelsea will look to get some respite in the cups they still participate in. Having been knocked out by Champions Swansea from the Capital One Cup, the only realistic chance of a trophy this season would be the FA cup (they face a first leg deficit in the Europa League round of 16 against Bucharest) and in order to secure that trophy they need to play their hearts out against United.
Rafa Benitez would most likely be fielding a strong side playing a 4-2-3-1 formation, similar to that of United. Dembe Ba,the latest Chelsea recruit is most likely to start the match ahead of Fernando Torres, who has been out of form for quite a while. Juan Mata, Victor Moses and Eden Hazard might be starting to get some width to the side and test Rafael and Evra on either wing. Lampard will look to put in his experience in the mix as he chases a 5th FA cup victory along with Mikel, who will shield the back four for the Londoners.
As far as the defense is concerned, Terry looks set to continue his absence from the side in big games, as the former Liverpool manager clearly prefers the pairing of Ivanovic/Cahill and Luiz in the heart of their defense.
Chances of Winning
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| Who will prove to be the master tactician? |
Manchester United
As for United, its a chance for them to dust themselves and get back up again. The dreams of a treble having been vanished, United need this win to keep the dreams of the double alive. A home game suites them as United would be looking to repay the fans back after the 2-1 loss to the Galacticos in the midweek. United go into this match as favourites and Sir Alex would be disappointed were they to lose this tie. Chances of the Red Devils winning are 60 to 40.
Chelsea
Old Trafford is an intimidating place to
visit and in such a crucial phase of the season, Chelsea need the win more than
their rivals. Pressure is rising on Benitez as he looks to salvage his
reputation by bagging the FA Cup. Although, alive in the Europa League, Chelsea
have looked less than convincing on their road to Amsterdam. 4th in
the League, with Arsenal running hot on their heels, Chelsea needs the win to
propel their season , which has been no less than erratic, so far.
The Final Verdict
The game promises to be an enticing affair
as both sides would love to play the attacking brand of football. Benitez, Sir
Alex’s old nemesis, could be expected to lead his side with an attacking and
fearless formation. A game which could see plenty of chances being created,
might be won due to a game changing incident. However, the home advantage and
United’s consistency puts the tie in United’s favour. A 2-1 win would be enough
to see the Red Devils make it to the next round.
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| Pyramid Labs |
Written By,
Rishav Ghosh
Rishav is a writer for 18 Yard Box.
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