In possession, Stones steps forward to give an extra body in middle of the park and when defending he steps back to partner Ruben Dias.
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Manchester City are just one game away from making it a memorable 2022-23 campaign. Pep Guardiola’s side have already won the Premier League title and have also lifted the FA Cup trophy by narrowly beating local rivals Manchester United 2-1 in the final. Now they have a chance to win an illustrious treble on Saturday night. Manchester City will take on Inter Milan in the final of the Champions League. This will be a pulsating tie which will see two teams with contrasting forms going against each other.
The Premier League champions are known for their attacking-based football which involves them having plenty of ball. On the other hand, Inter Milan are famous for their rock-solid defence. It will be a clash between an unstoppable force and an immovable object. However, Man City’s defence is neither bad. In fact, they have picked up the form at the right moment of the season and went on an incredible run in all competitions.
One of the main reasons behind is that the positional tweak associated with Manchester City defender John Stones. In possession, Stones steps forward to give an extra body in middle of the park and when defending he steps back to partner Ruben Dias. Speaking about Stones’ positional tweak, Dias, as quoted by the club’s website, said, “It has changed the way we do it. The biggest change is to John.”
“From being to my side and then he has to go in the middle and have a completely different role from what it used to be. He has definitely showed us how good he is and how good he can be in that position. I am happy for him and I love him. It’s a big step in our team because you end up having an extra man in the middle and then in two seconds he is next to me.”
One of the key reasons behind Man City’s solid defence is the good partnership between the centre-back pair of Ruben Dias and John Stones. However, it cannot take anything away from the important role played by other defenders in the team. “We all get along very well and one of the main characteristics we all have is that we are intelligent and adaptive to situations that come up. If the solution we are doing is not exactly what we need, we’re able to adapt. These days, it’s a very important characteristic to have not just in one player but in your team,” Dias added.
The Portuguese centre-back has played a crucial role in the team’s success of late. Ruben Dias has been a regular starter for them in both the Premier League and the Champions League knockout stage. Speaking about his role in the team’s recent run, Dias said, “I put it down only to the team. Everyone recognised the moment and everyone stepped up. That’s why we’re here today and have this opportunity to win a third competition this season. Now it’s about making it even more special.”
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