http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Olympique-Lyonnais-c40130 versus Real Madrid – Key Battles: UEFA Champions League (Part 2)
In the first part of this series, Cristiano Ronaldo’s game against http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Aly-Cissokho-c5313 down the right wing for Real Madrid and Olympique
Lyon.
Angel Di Maria versus Aly Cissokho
This battle oozes youthful exuberance while at the same time it also typifies a dearth of experience that can be crucial to a team’s progress in the UEFA Champions League.
As Madrid travels to http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/France-c2899 to play Lyon in the first leg of their Round-of-16 match against Lyon, the focus will be on Ronaldo to provide the entertainment. However, working quietly under the shadow of the Portuguese winger is the Argentinean forward, Angel
Di Maria.
Real Madrid’s summer signing from Benfica has done quite well at his new club ever since his arrival in the early days of the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Di Maria rose to fame at Benfica where he helped the Portuguese giants to a historical league victory in the
2009/2010 season.
In his short time with Jose Mourinho at Real Madrid, Angel Di Maria has cemented himself as a regular starter for the former European champions. Not only that, he has on occasions acted as an impact maker for the Spanish giants in their domestic charge towards
the Spanish league title.
In his 36 appearances for Real so far in the 2010/2011 season, Di Maria has already contributed with 14 assists and six goals in all competitions.
In contrast, Cissokho has been a member of Lyon’s first team squad since the 2009/2010 Ligue 1 season. Upon signing a lengthy contract with Lyon, Cissokho replaced http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Fabio-Grosso-c13183 for the French giants at the left back spot.
He made an instant impact on the French league leaders’ team chemistry with his energetic approach and wing play. The Senegalese born French man is renowned for being a robust tackler and is also known as a very good crosser of the ball.
This battle between Cissokho and Di Maria is based on better decision making on the ball as both the players do not lack pace. Cissokho has enough pace to match Di Maria in the offensive department so it all comes down to who will be better with the little
time they get on the ball during the encounter at Stade de Gerland.
Last season, Cissokho dealt well with http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Esteban-Granero-c12919 as Lyon knocked Real Madrid out of the UEFA Champions League. This time around, the Frenchman will have his hands full with Angel Di Maria as the Argentinean winger is quite adept at exploiting ambitious
full backs on the counter attack.
However, Cissokho has the advantage of better decision making on the ball. Di Maria is considered to be quite wasteful with the ball when put under pressure so the former Porto full back will be pushing to force Real Madrid’s winger into as many mistakes
and turnovers as possible.
Angel Di Maria, also known as Di Magia, will also have to track Cissokho’s forward surges as a failure to do so will leave the likes of http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Sergio-Ramos-c33096 in a two versus one situation in the defensive third of the field.
Jose Mourinho will be hoping that Di Maria’s trickery will be enough to keep Cissokho occupied throughout the 90 minutes in France. However, it is quite possible that the Frenchman will not only deal with the threat posed by Di Maria but also replicate it
as the match rolls on.
Regardless of what happens, the Cissokho versus Di Maria battle will be a mouth watering one as it pits two equals against one another in an attempt to take a stranglehold of the match altogether.
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