Why Carrasco Should Miss out on Atletico Madrid Champions League Final Place
Atletico Madrid are preparing for their UEFA Champions League final against city rivals Real Madrid, hoping to end the season on a major positive having just fallen short in the race for La Liga's title.
Diego Simeone's squad is varied in its characteristics and attributes, but the overriding strength is in his tactical setup and his side's ability to wear teams down, frustrating them at one end of the pitch before striking at the right time at the other.
Atletico's midfield lineup will be key in the match, striking a balance between defence and attack, and the best way to manage that from the start will be for Yannick Carrasco not to be included in the starting lineup—but that doesn't mean he cannot play a valuable part in the outcome of the game.
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Tactical set-up: stopping Real
Real Madrid's attacking prowess is legendary—but also predictable. That doesn't equate to easily stoppable, but Atletico can at least have foreknowledge of how their opponents will attack: down the channels, playing quickly into the front three and looking to cut infield and cross, playing diagonal balls behind the full-backs or else shoot directly for goal.
It means the Atleti full-backs will be constantly occupied and the secondary roles for blocking off Real's route to goal falls to the wide midfielders from Simeone's usual 4-4-2 setup.
Carrasco can do that job, no question, as he already has proved in more than a few games, but it doesn't necessarily get the best out of him ... and Atletico have two more capable bodies to do the role.
Koke and Saul should start as the wide midfielders, both being diligent work horses with the defensive acumen to never allow a moment of time or space in possession for Real's front men.
They will narrow the pitch, close off spaces centrally from the channels and provide the ability to pass and dribble upfield to relieve pressure on the back line, while Gabi and Augusto Fernandez hold the fort in the centre.
On the attack
Going forward, Carrasco's traits are impressive. He can dribble probably better than any individual on Atletico's squad list, has tremendous acceleration and has shown good link play at times—but his end product has been lacking this season.
That's the big difference he'll be looking for an improvement in next season, but for a one-off game as important as this one—where Atletico may not get many clear opportunities—the in-form players have to get the nod.
Naturally enough, that means Fernando Torres has a big role to play. He is the out-ball for Atletico, works the channels and finished the season in superb goalscoring form, while Antoine Griezmann is the first-choice forward and an automatic starter.
With Saul a regular scorer from the second line this season and the link between Koke and Torres ever more impressive, Carrasco isn't a clear pick to start the match, but as he has proved more than once this year, he can be a big impact off the bench.
Game management
When Atletico are struggling to get out of their own half, Carrasco is an out-ball. When Torres is off-form or Griezmann has to play wide, Carrasco can stay highest upfield and press relentlessly, challenging deep midfielders for the ball and using his acceleration to surge into space when Atletico regain possession.
Later on in the final, when Real's midfielders are perhaps a little tired, when the defence is trying to push forward to create more openings, that's when Carrasco—and Thomas Partey and Angel Correa—can have the big impact for Atletico Madrid, and Simeone has used his subs to near perfection this season.
If Atletico are leading as the game approaches its final stages—as they were two years ago—Carrasco can play a key role in leading the counter, providing an outlet for the team as well as locking down the wide areas of midfield, sacrificing one of the two forwards.
He's almost certain to play some role and his quality is such that he could have a defining say on the outcome, and if not in the starting XI, Carrasco shouldn't feel it a negative point to his style or ability.
Everything is at stake, and Simeone knows his side will be better balanced to initially repel Real by leaving Carrasco on the bench.
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