Why was Kevin De Bruyne Substituted? A Tactical Decision With Major Impact

ByCalin Jula

In the clash between Liverpool and Manchester City, one of the key moments of the match was the substitution of Kevin De Bruyne, the architect of Manchester City and one of the most creative players in the world. In the 69th minute, Guardiola decided to bring Mateo Kovačić on the field instead of De Bruyne because the Citizens were struggling to maintain possession of the ball.

Statistics and On-Field Contribution

Analyzing De Bruyne’s statistics before the substitution, we observe a decrease in his efficiency in terms of assists and creating goal-scoring opportunities. Although he started the game strongly, actively contributing to the team’s build-up play, as time went on, his influence on the game began to diminish. His contribution peaked in the 23rd minute, where he provided an assist for John Stones to open the scoring. It’s important to note here that this assist came from a corner kick, rather than open play.

However, why did De Bruyne not have the expected impact on the game? This is where Klopp’s strategy comes into play.

Klopp’s players’ positioning on the field prevented the ball from reaching De Bruyne.

The positioning of Klopp’s players in the midfield cuts off any hope of a pass to De Bruyne, even though he is free. We can observe, for example, in the continuation of the phase illustrated above, when the ball is sent to the right flank of the field, Szoboszlai comes to meet it to prevent the pass to De Bruyne. This causes a great frustration for him, as he sees that he is not directly marked by an opponent but the ball cannot reach him.

Szoboszlai intervenes to cut off the passing lane to De Bruyne.

The impact of Liverpool’s pressing is clearly evident in Kevin De Bruyne’s statistics, where in this match, he had a passing accuracy of only 64%, compared to his average of 83%.

Tactical Adjustment and De Bruyne’s Substitution

As the second half progressed, Liverpool increased their intensity. We can observe that in the first half of the game, the match was fairly balanced, but in the second half, Liverpool stepped up their game. This made it harder for the Citizens to maintain possession, further reducing De Bruyne’s impact.

By bringing on Mateo Kovačić for De Bruyne, Guardiola stabilized the midfield defensively, given Kovačić’s profile as a defensive midfielder. However, this substitution also had another tactical implication. It allowed Phil Foden, whom Guardiola has named as “the best player in the Premier League,” to move closer to the center of the field, filling the void left by De Bruyne.

The impact of Foden’s presence closer to the midfield was immediately noticeable. In the 74th minute, he made an incredibly dangerous run into the center of the field, challenging Kelleher for the ball. Although Kelleher managed to punch the ball away, it rebounded off Foden and hit the crossbar. Of course, Kelleher was fortunate that the ball rebounded onto Foden’s arm, which would have resulted in the goal being disallowed. But what if the ball hadn’t hit Foden’s arm? What if the crossbar had been a few inches higher?

Foden’s central positioning allowed him to initiate this phase that caused significant problems for Klopp’s team.

Conclusions

The decision to substitute Kevin De Bruyne in the match against Liverpool was influenced by several factors, ranging from physical condition and statistics to tactical and strategic considerations. The impact of this change was positive for Manchester City, providing the team with a new dynamic and contributing to the necessary tactical adaptation to cope with the challenges posed by a formidable opponent.

Guardiola and Klopp once again demonstrate why they are two of the best tacticians in modern football in an exceptional match. However, I cannot conclude without mentioning that Liverpool deserved a victory at Anfield, and without appreciating the energy and determination of Luis Díaz towards the end of the game, which should have at least brought a goal for Liverpool.

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