2023-06-10 22:32:27
Pep Guardiola became the first coach in Europe to win a treble of titles as Manchester City completed a stunning season by claiming their maiden Champions League title by beating Inter Milan 1-0 thanks to midfielder Rodri’s goal in the final in Istanbul on Saturday.
This achievement is a well-deserved reward for arguably one of the most dominant European teams of all time, drawing immediate comparison with the Barcelona squad of the 2008-09 season that remains fresh in the memory of football fans.
In addition to winning the previous Barcelona squad in the Spanish League, the King’s Cup and the European Champions League, it also won the European Super Cup, the Spanish Super Cup and the Club World Cup.
Here is how the City squad in the 2022-2023 season managed to enter a comparison with Barcelona’s historic squad in the 2008-2009 season.
* Team strength
Guardiola’s team in the 2008-2009 season included a group of the best players of their generation, including the defensive duo Carlos Puyol and Gerard Pique and the central trio Sergio Busquets, Xavi and Andres Iniesta, and they were among the most important reasons for Spain winning the World Cup one year later.
Brazilian full-back Dani Alves was virtually unstoppable, as he played an influential offensive role, as well as making many goals for one of the best attacking lines in the history of the game, which included Lionel Messi, Samuel Eto’o and Thierry Henry.
City have arguably the greatest depth of all-field squad in the history of European football, brimming with creative talent.
Players such as striker Julian Alvarez, who was instrumental in Argentina’s World Cup triumph in Qatar, Phil Foden and Riyad Mahrez, are struggling to get a place in the starting line-up, and it can be said that it is easy for them to play regularly in other high-level European teams.
And it seems that the fierce Norwegian striker Erling Haaland, who joined this season, was the missing piece to transform Guardiola’s squad into a terrifying team.
The 22-year-old striker surpassed the record set by Mohamed Salah with 32 goals in one Premier League season consisting of 38 matches, and also surpassed Alan Shearer and Andy Cole, both of whom managed to score 34 goals when the tournament was taking place from 42 rounds in the nineties. .
playing style
Famous for Guardiola’s famous possession-driven Barcelona, Barcelona stunned opponents and the rest of the footballing world with their quick short passes, clever movement and tiki-taka exchanges.
Perhaps this method was one of the greatest tactical revolutions that also helped Spain dominate world football for several years when it won the European Championship twice, including the World Cup title.
At Manchester City, Guardiola provided an evolution of what he describes as “total football”, creating a fluid system in which almost no player remains in a fixed role and complementing that with ferocious pressing that has no mercy on any opponent.
City are flexible and adaptable and can also change their playing styles when needed.
Last year, City won the Premier League title without a player in the position of an outright striker, but after the arrival of Haaland, the team has a huge attacking force that allows it to play in a more direct way.
* Tournaments
Barcelona won the La Liga title in the 2008-2009 season with 87 points, nine points more than Real Madrid, scoring 105 goals and finishing the season unbeaten in 22 consecutive matches.
Messi, Eto’o and Henry scored a total of 100 goals in all competitions, the Argentine star alone scored 38 goals while Eto’o won the La Liga top scorer award with 30 goals.
They beat Manchester United, who was led by Cristiano Ronaldo, in the Champions League final, 2-0, with goals from Eto’o and Messi.
And before the Champions League final on Saturday, Guardiola won his fifth Premier League title, becoming City the second team to win the title in three consecutive seasons, and the fifth in the history of English football.
They will be looking to become the first team ever to win the Premier League four times in a row next season.
City beat United 2-1 in the FA Cup final, becoming the second English team to complete the treble.
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