Celtic Football Formation

Lineup (4-2-3-1)

Rivera and Cruyff, an eternal rivalry finds a place on the same side of the pitch for once as Rivera the golden boy and arguably the best playmaker Italian football has produced finds the individuality of Cruyff at his disposal as Cruyff mans the right hand side.

To the left we have the man who is often credited with being the man who replaced the flair and class Zidane even if not like for like in an uber successful Juventus team.

In midfield we have two tireless engines in Tigana and Pirri with Pirri, the holding midfielder who scored as freely as any for Madrid side in their illustrious history despite being a defensive rock for them and one of the finest spanish players to ever grace the game. Tigana plays a role not dissimilar to his role in France's magic rectangle as he aided in connecting play from Fernandez and Giresse to Platini with much culture and industry if not serious aplomb.

Scirea and Desailly offer a pairing that proves to be of legendary ability in the middle of defense with Maxime Bossis providing defensive solidarity which led him to become one of the topmost capped players for France.

Leandro is a different animal. One often unheard of owing to the injuries that ended his career prematurely and a spat with the national team which cut his tenure short.

Leandro was the Brazilian right back in the 1982 world cup campaign. A man considered the workhorse in an uber talented Brazilian team that played superbly on the basis of individual flair. Leandro was the 'go to guy' when the Brazilians left behind space for teams to exploit. A workhorse whose pace and stamina had him running up and down the pitch relentlessly. Defensively his nose for danger, positioning and pace making up for the often stretched nature of Brazil's game. Offensively, Leandro could bamboozle an opposing fullback, pass him and cross the ball with ferocity and accuracy which few fullbacks could claim in equal measure at the time. He was, as many call him, an absolute weapon on the wings and a pleasure for a team looking to break down a strong defensive unit.

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Game Plan:

We play patiently. Keeping the ball in tight situations and making the other team work to get on the ball. All the players are very good at keeping possession even when pressed at and their ball playing abilities will come to great use.

Cruyff and Rivera will occasionally interchange with Rivera using his movement and long and short ball passing ability to find players from narrow and wide while often clearing space for Cruyff or Nedved to move into.

Muller will be responsible for keeping both their center backs occupied and giving them a night mare aerially, bringing the ball down, holding up play combining with Rivera and Cruyff to create a triad of players that have unmappable movement, verve and link up play between them.

Nedved will stamp his authority over the game on the left hand side, using his individuality on the ball to add a man centrally or stretch play by turning the fullback as often as he wants. His long range rockets will be vastly important for us this game considering an opportunistic Muller just waiting to latch onto spill overs.

Nedved on the left and Leandro when he moves forward will deliver crosses or pull backs for players making late runs, particularly Tigana or Nedved himself when Leandro delivers to slot in.

We would be happy to have them play Netzer whose laziness (Berba quality lazy) off the ball will give us a lot of breathing space particularly when they have to defend.

Defensively Netzer playing as an AM will allow Pirri to hold midfield better. Fullbacks will be helped on and off by Tigana but even if pressed by Lothar, Scirea should be able to stop CR7 who would look to pass him as he drifts central.

Bossis would play at times as a third center back as he often has in systems which allow one fullback attacking freedom, allowing us to stabilize centrally when under attack. Nedved's defensive work rate to this effect will be crucial.

On our offensive a lack of defensive work rate from their forward line will help us vastly.

If they play their playmaker deep, Rivera and Cruyff will press at him like madmen with help from Muller, opening up mistake from him and throwing him off his game.

The idea is to frustrate them till their players tire and then break them on the counter using their lack of defensively oriented players due to non tracking forwards.

When off the ball we press them off the pitch. Show their wingers the outside of the pitch and drag the ball out of play to break their momentum. Rivera drops back to add numbers to midfield.

If Winning

Leandro plays more conservatively than otherwise.

After 80 mins

Rivera off Ashley Cole on

Bossis slots in as 3rd Center Back. Cole on left. Nedved Tigana Pirri mid with Nedved doubling up with Fullbacks when we defend.

Cruyff and Muller up top.

If Losing, Rivera off Giggs On.

Nedved goes central and takes control of game adding more work rate in the center and allowing one midfielder to protect fullback more freely.

Giggs' pace and trickery on the left will stretch play while Nedved pulls strings.