Guardiola is up to his old tricks again!
That was Gao Shen's first reaction upon seeing the official starting lineups pop up on his mobile app while sitting in the presidential box on Champions League final night. But… why say "again"?
Manchester City Starting XI:
Goalkeeper: Ederson
Defenders: Kompany, Stones, and Jerome Boateng
Midfielders: Fernandinho, David Silva, De Bruyne, and Rakitic
Forwards: Hazard, Harry Kane, and Gareth Bale
Yes, that was the starting lineup, but the player positions had clearly been reshuffled.
When Gao Shen, Ferguson, Wenger, and the others saw it, they were completely dumbfounded.
Was he going with three at the back?
"Don't look at me. I have no idea either. This guy becomes absolutely ruthless when he's up to something," Gao Shen said with a wry smile.
Now as the owner of Leeds United, this was their best shot at winning the Champions League in club history. If Guardiola were to ruin it with one of his bizarre schemes, it would be a real shame.
"But that doesn't make any sense, does it? Gareth Bale just returned from injury and now he's starting?" Wenger frowned in confusion.
Gareth Bale's talent was never in doubt, but considering his multiple injuries this season, could he still perform at a high level?
"In our pre-match analysis, we didn't consider Sterling to be Gareth Bale's replacement, nor did we predict he'd play three at the back," Gao Shen muttered, utterly speechless.
He really wanted to ask Guardiola, "Will you die if you don't try something new?"
Everyone initially thought it was a 3-4-3, and that Guardiola was just being eccentric. But when the teams lined up on the pitch, Gao Shen, Ferguson, and Wenger's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.
Damn, this is a bold move!
Gareth Bale was playing at left-back!
Manchester City still used a four-man backline: Gareth Bale, Vincent Kompany, John Stones, and Jerome Boateng.
But why use Boateng at right-back instead of a more natural full-back like Cancelo?
The real surprise?
Guardiola put an attacking player like Gareth Bale at left-back.
Wasn't that just bullying?
The midfield seemed relatively unchanged: Rakitic, Fernandinho, and David Silva. A typical Manchester City midfield setup. But De Bruyne was positioned in the attacking line on the right.
So, it was a 4-3-3 formation: Hazard, Harry Kane, and De Bruyne.
"He's giving up the right flank?" Ferguson asked in disbelief.
Wasn't that the case?
Jerome Boateng and De Bruyne attacking from the right side against Leeds United's left?
Had Guardiola gone mad?
"He either does nothing, or he makes headlines," Gao Shen said with a bitter smile.
But then Gao Shen quickly caught on.
"No, he wants to play three at the back."
Ferguson noticed too.
If this were a standard four-man defense, Boateng wouldn't be at right-back.
"Or maybe he plans to switch between a back three and a back four," Ferguson speculated.
Can it be done?
Of course. If you can shift from a three-man to a five-man backline, switching to four is no problem.
Barcelona used to play Dani Alves as a winger, with only three at the back. That worked.
The key question was: what exactly was Guardiola trying to do?
"This is getting interesting," Gao Shen chuckled. "At noon, Pochettino was telling me he felt a bit redundant, almost like he didn't matter. Well, Guardiola's given him a reason to feel relevant again."
If Gao Shen were just a Leeds United fan, he wouldn't want to see Guardiola pulling this kind of stunt in a final.
These kinds of tactical risks are always polarizing.
If it works, you're a genius. If it fails, you're an idiot.
The match hadn't started yet, so no one knew which way it would go.
But as a coach, Gao Shen was genuinely curious to see how it would unfold.
Often, it's in these high-pressure moments that sparks of brilliance appear.
Ferguson and Wenger felt the same way.
Without direct competition anymore, they actually enjoyed watching other people shake things up.
"De Bruyne will still try to strengthen possession in the attacking third and attack from the flanks. Gareth Bale's pace and late runs into the box will be a deadly threat," Ferguson said grimly.
"With Bale and Hazard on the left, your right flank is in trouble."
Gao Shen nodded.
Hazard excelled at receiving the ball and dribbling. Gareth Bale had blistering speed and could make deadly runs into the box. As a left-footer, his crosses and set pieces from the left were dangerous. This also allowed Harry Kane to make full use of his aerial threat.
On the opposite flank, Boateng's inclusion was clearly meant to deal with Mbappe.
Guardiola's teams, whether at City or Bayern, were always characterized by short passing combinations. Players like De Bruyne, David Silva, Rakitic, and Hazard—regardless of their nominal positions—were all about tight-knit possession play.
In many ways, Guardiola sacrificed physicality for technical mastery.
It's inevitable.
There are very few players who can excel in close-passing setups and also dominate physically.
Even players like Pogba and Iniesta weren't suited for high-frequency, close-range combinations.
"Why do I feel like this resembles the 'big center forward' system you talked about the other day?" Wenger asked with a smile.
Gao Shen was taken aback, then quickly understood.
If it really was a back three, this setup would be quite close to the center-forward-based tactic he had envisioned.
Leaving the backline aside, the midfield remained largely the same. In the attacking third, Harry Kane was the central striker, with Hazard and De Bruyne playing just behind, like in a 3-4-2-1.
De Bruyne wasn't the most natural fit there, but perhaps Guardiola had weighed the options and made his decision.
Could it be that Guardiola really had taken inspiration from his conversation with Gao Shen?
...
Unlike Gao Shen, Ferguson, and Wenger, neither the fans in the stadium nor those watching worldwide gave this much thought. Most just knew Guardiola had made a tactical change.
As for whether the change would work, nobody knew.
Leeds United manager Mauricio Pochettino reacted immediately, heading to the sidelines to communicate with the players.
Amidst the thunderous roar of 67,000 fans, the long-awaited Champions League final officially kicked off.
The referee was Damir Skomina from Slovenia.
Right from the start, the match was intense.
Just nine seconds in, Leeds United won a free kick in midfield.
Milinkovic fouled David Silva, giving Manchester City a free kick near the halfway line.
The game continued in a stop-start rhythm.
The opening three to four minutes were spent feeling each other out, with both sides looking to settle into the game.
Leeds United didn't come out as aggressively as they usually did. They were noticeably more cautious.
It was clear that Guardiola's tactical change had rattled them, and Pochettino wasn't taking any risks.
Many believe that switching tactics on the fly is a bad idea, but no coach is a fool. If they change, they have a reason and logic behind it.
If you accidentally fall into your opponent's trap, congratulations, you'll become the backdrop to their highlight reel.
In such moments, caution is perfectly valid.
If you have a strength advantage, by all means push forward early.
But Leeds United did not have a strength advantage over Manchester City.
After some probing, Manchester City began asserting control, especially with their dominance in possession and passing.
Leeds United's defensive line sat deeper than usual, pressing tightly around their own 30-meter zone.
This was essentially a concession.
Guardiola's teams excel at occupying that 30-meter space, working the ball through with short passes and creating chances.
Leeds United's tactic was clear: give up possession and focus on a solid defense and sharp counterattacks.
Once in control, City began executing their strategy.
Gareth Bale stayed mostly above the midfield line.
When defending, he could drop into the back line. But more often, he operated as a winger, combining with Hazard to relentlessly attack Leeds United's right flank.
In other words, down Arnold's side.
This was Leeds United's weak point.
By the 10th minute, it was obvious.
Bale, Hazard, and David Silva were relentlessly focusing their attack on Leeds' right.
Arnold was overwhelmed defensively, unable to push forward. De Ligt had to constantly support him. Bernardo Silva and Kimmich shifted over to help, and even Dembele tracked back.
Most of Leeds United's players were bunched on that side of the pitch.
Guardiola had made his intentions clear.
No matter what formation Leeds United used, he was going to hammer their right flank until it broke.
It was a reckless tactic, but undeniably threatening.
Without a target man like Harry Kane, it might not have worked. But now, everything was different.
Leeds United were in serious danger. In the first 10 minutes, they hadn't even managed a shot on goal.
Even Ferguson and Wenger saw the gravity of the situation.
"He's not playing by the book. He's playing to the death," Ferguson said with a laugh.
Everyone could see that this approach by Manchester City was risky.
For example, there was no switch of play. Their right side barely got involved.
If Leeds United could weather the storm, a long pass to the left flank could spark danger.
But Guardiola didn't care.
He had Jerome Boateng watching Mbappe, plus Stones and Kompany covering.
In his mind, if he could break through on the left, he'd win the match.
But that was also the risk.
If Leeds United could hold out against City's left-side assault, they could free themselves to launch counterattacks.
And once that happened, could City hold them back?
Guardiola dared to play this way because he was controlling possession. That's also why he used De Bruyne instead of Sterling or Mahrez.
He needed De Bruyne to drop into midfield and help control possession—something Sterling and Mahrez couldn't do.
Realizing this, Gao Shen couldn't help but sigh.
Guardiola had fully unleashed himself on this idealistic path, letting go completely!
(To be continued.)