The finale of the century. Will Zamalek rely on his exposed maps?

The journey of hours continues at high speed around nine on Friday evening, announcing at every moment the approach of the summit between Al-Ahly and Zamalek in the final of the African Champions League.

Less than 72 hours before the match, it is possible to talk about the way of play that each team will adopt, after each team has entered their closed camp in preparation for the battle.

Exposed leaves

Everyone knows the way Zamalek plays with his Portuguese coach, Jaime Pacheco, and it’s the same the team did with their former French coach Patrice Carteron.

The method (4-2-3-1) that Zamalek mastered relying on wing speeds boils down to transferring counterattacks forward quickly and sending crosses to the ground and to the antenna. continuously, with the ability of the middle two to protect the defense.

In defensive mode, the method turns to (4-5-1), where Zamalek plays with ten or nine players at best behind the ball, and waits for the opponent’s error to implement his perfect rebounds with Ashraf Bencharki and Ahmed Zizou on both sides.

Al-Ahly coach Pitso Mosimane is well acquainted with these cards, as well as his assistants and a performance analyst who worked on the study of the Whites in the final period before the game.

But does Musimani’s full knowledge of Pacheco’s path push him to make some adjustments or perhaps surprises ahead of Al-Ahly in the final?

surprise

In some matches, especially the last game of the Champions League home and away semi-final against Raja, Zamalek turned into a full-scale attacking team after conceding a home goal.

Zamalek put pressure on Raja’s defenses, prevented the build-up of attacks, took control and spilled over to the borders of the penalty area to get the goal to open the game and push the opponent to attack, so that the white returns to the defense and is killed by rebellions.

Pacheco’s surprise in the final may be the start of the game, as his side played past Raja’s opening goal, competing for the ball, possession and high pressure in Al-Ahly’s defensive third and playing in depth and sideways with intensity to score a goal that pushes him back and pushes Al-Ahly to attack towards open spaces on the red field.

But Pacheco’s surprise, if it happened, would also allow Al-Ahly to take advantage of Zamalek’s usual defensive insecurity, which could allow the Red Knight to score a goal that completely changes the scenario of the match and forces Pacheco to continue. attack throughout the match, or at least even to equalize.

In the end, Pacheco will have to make his decision before Friday night, either he plays with his open cards and waits for what happened in front of the hope, and in front of him the Hope in the quarterfinals with Carteron, or he is surprised and seeks initiative and attack, and it will be a risk that can bring him giant praise or End his career with white on failure.