Marking Mario Gomez is the Key in Munich

[capriccioso 2,545]

These replies are really asking for trouble.

He has a reputation of bottling big games though. Perhaps because he's German he's expected to have nerves of steel, it could be that by German standards he is a below-average big game player, which would still be about par with the rest of the world.

[Predator 114]

Well said, Gomez is a poacher and he can't fashion chances for himself. As for Ribery, doubling up on him- both Bosingwa and Kalou- can stifle him. Neither of the two are great at defending per se and both can be beaten without too much of difficulty in a one-on-one but in a 2 on 1 situation, will Ribery have the audacity to beat Kalou and them Bosingwa immediately afterward? Or will he take the safe option and pass?

Bayern have to be responsible with the ball, we can break quickly and that is why I think Heynckes wont let Ribery try things like that. Though they aren't the best defensively Kalou and Bosingwa are still decent at winning back the ball and both are quick.

Ribery will probably want to be the hero/macho-man and attempt to dribble past Kalou/Bosingwa and he has the ability to actually do it.

The thing with Bayern and I think imo that this is their biggest flaw, is that they are willing to make risky passes/dribbles just to get the ball forward, making them prone to counter attacks, it was a major issue last season, and has improved a bit this season, but if you noticed, Dortmund had a lot of fun with that, and counter attacks are something that Chelsea specialize in. If I were Jupp, I would be researching on what tactics are best to defend against counter attacks.

[capriccioso 2,545]

Ribery will probably want to be the hero/macho-man and attempt to dribble past Kalou/Bosingwa and he has the ability to actually do it.

The thing with Bayern and I think imo that this is their biggest flaw, is that they are willing to make risky passes/dribbles just to get the ball forward, making them prone to counter attacks, it was a major issue last season, and has improved a bit this season, but if you noticed, Dortmund had a lot of fun with that, and counter attacks are something that Chelsea specialize in. If I were Jupp, I would be researching on what tactics are best to defend against counter attacks.

So he's basically your Daniel Sturridge then in that he's irresponsible.

It doesn't take a genius to defend counter attacks. Get some quick defenders on the pitch and play more conservatively than usual, especially in the final third.

[Spike 12,049]

I don't know about anyone else but I would like to beat Bayern by scoring more goals.

[KonohasOrangeFlash 2,607]

If I were Jupp, I would be researching on what tactics are best to defend against counter attacks.

Oh there is no way to stop a well orchestrated, deadly counter attack (unless you have pacy defenders like Cap said). Just ask Barcelona (Twice raped by our and Inter Milan's counter attacks). The only way to defend against such great counter attackers is to not let it happen in the first place. Don't give the ball away in dangerous positions and with too many players forward.

[Predator 114]

So he's basically your Daniel Sturridge then in that he's irresponsible.

It doesn't take a genius to defend counter attacks. Get some quick defenders on the pitch and play more conservatively than usual, especially in the final third.

Well like I said, Ribery's specialty is to dribble past defenders, no matter how he is caged in, just look at his goal against Dortmund, most others would have passed the ball but he still made it dribbling past tons of defense and shooting it past tons of defense,

Oh there is no way to stop a well orchestrated, deadly counter attack. Just ask Barcelona (Twice raped by our and Inter Milan's counter attacks). The only way to defend against such great counter attackers is to not let it happen in the first place. Don't give the ball away in dangerous positions and with too many players forward.

Sadly, that will never happen with Bayern, its the Bayern curse

[MagicManMata 24]

I am going to speak here as if I were a Chelsea fan, I think it is better for Chelsea to mark Robben and Ribery, cause without Robbery, Gomez is well basically as useful as the condom on Susan Boyles bedside table, in other words, he is bloody useless.

Marking Robben shouldn't be a challenge since he is one of the most predictable players in the world and Chelsea know his style of play very well (his former club)

Marking Ribery is the real challenge here, Ribery is born to dribble past tight spaces and can score when least expected (example: his goal against Dortmund) and considering that Boswinga may be going against Ribery, the Chelsea defense have to step in and help out quite a lot, so RDM should really focus on marking Ribery at the most. Cause once Ribery gets the ball past Boswinga, there could be a cross and boom Gomez comes out of nowhere to receive the cross.

Taking away the Ribery-Gomez connection is key, and I mentioned this in the opening post. But you would rather mark Robben, then Gomez?

That would be a big mistake.

Or perhaps not a mistake, as you are actually a Munich fan.

[MagicManMata 24]

12 hours to go!

I predict that if Gomez scores, we lose, but if we contain him (keep him to 0 goals) we will be champions!

[MagicManMata 24]

So he's basically your Daniel Sturridge then in that he's irresponsible.

Ribery is head and shoulders above Sturridge. He has world class link-up play, whereas Sturridge...well, it's not quite that good.

[MagicManMata 24]

Cahill and Luiz fit to play, these are the men upon which the job hinges. UTC!

[Wxgba 306]

That will help, but I'm still counting on him to bottle any chances that do come his way.

You called it.

Mario Go-miss.