Never learn from the first Napoli game.
right formation, wrong tactics and wrong players in certain areas.
might work against a 4-4-2 premier league team, but up against a 3-4-3 counter attack formation with the ball, that converts to a 5-4-1 defensive formation without the ball, it fails. especially against Italian sides that play Defensive:Counter style for years.
we play 4-3-3, with the defensive option to go 4-5-1. problem is when we have the ball we end up going 2-1-4-3 with both full backs attacking. lose the ball and its 3-4 on 2 center-backs.
plus playing against 3 centre-backs, you dont play 2 big front men. you play one front man to get the centerbacks thinking, then two wingers either side, that keeps their wingbacks closer to the defense, not the midfield, so if they do break, its less numbers. plus pushing the defensive line back creates space for Silva to exploit.
so the line up should have been:
------------------------------ Hart ------------------------------
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PabZab --------- Kompany ------------ Lescott ----------- Kolorov
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----------------------------- De Jong ----------------------------
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--------- Yaya Toure ------------------------- Silva --------------
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Milner ----------------------- Ballotelli -------------------- Johnson
or
------------------------------ Hart ------------------------------
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PabZab --------- Kompany ------------ Lescott ----------- Kolorov
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------------------ De Jong -------- Yaya Toure -------------------
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------------------------------- Silva -----------------------------
Nasri ----------------------------------------------------- Aguero
------------------------------ Balotelli ---------------------------