Training Drills

The team Pep should've played vs Real Madrid

By JLA Tactics Board CreatorMarch 16, 2026
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COURTOIS
ALEXANDER-ARNOLD
RÜDIGER
HUIJSEN
MENDY
VALVERDE
PITARCH
TCHOUAMÉNI
GÜLER
DÍAZ
JÚNIOR
DONNARUMMA
KHUSANOV
DIAS
GUÉHI
O'REILLY
RODRI
SAVINHO
SILVA
DOKU
SEMENYO
HAALAND
CHERKI
AÏT-NOURI
NUNES
GONZÁLEZ

Tactical Analysis

If I was Pep I would've started with this team. In my opinion this is our best team and in the biggest games you play your best players. Playing Semenyo, Savinho and Doku reminded me of when he dropped Rodri for the CL final versus Chelsea. Rodri was our best player that season and he dropped himf or another attacker in Sterling. I love Pep but he should have won at least 2 champions leagues by now. He makes strange decisions on the biggest stage. Nunes -> Khusanov. I do not need to explain that. Cherki -> Savinho. I do not need to explain that either. Ait-Nouri -> Doku. It's the first leg versus Madrid in Madrid. We need game management and a strong midfield. O'Reilly would have offered box to box running and an extra level of solidity in midfield next to Rodri. Having Ait-Nouri at left back offers more in terms of crosses for Haaland than Doku does anyway. Doku generally has a poor low delivery and holds the ball for too long, he is impossible to read from an offensive point of view. I do feel bad for Haaland but I would much rather a swung in cross from Ait-Nouri than a low drill from Doku which gets cut out at the near post all the while I have been jostling for a position the ball with never get to. I do miss the days of Sane, Grealish, Mahrez and even Gabriel Jesus on the wing.

Game Situations

Tactical Exercise

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