To BBZ
1. Pep had several tall strikers at Bayern (Lewandowski, Mandzukic, Muller) and they also played a lot of crosses from the wings (Costa, Alaba, Robbery). Against Atletico, they used 442 with Muller and Lewa up front, so I'm not sure why you use that as an example of why 433 possession play can't break down busses.
2. At Manchester City, neither Liverpool or Monaco beat them by parking the bus. City scored 6 against Monaco, and had two disallowed goals vs Liverpool so it was hardly a case of their attack being one dimensional. They also scored 8 goals in the two league matches against the same Liverpool team.
433 with short players (my estimation) will have 20% chances to break the bus and win a tie.
433 with SOME crosses will have 50% or more chances to win a tie.
So, there is no guarantee (even though, RM is winning all the time though), but you can raise your chances.
If you remember our matches against Atletico, we were extremely sterile in attack against their bus.
2014:
They scored after a cross, predictable.
We had 7 good actions in the match.
4 came after pure good old crosses.
One came after a through ball through the air.
1 came from Neymar's solo wing action.
And only ONE action in 90 minutes came from a middle, even though we had MSN, Xavi, Iniesta, Busi and Alves, lol.
So, my point is that in a CL, majority of big teams are so good in parking the bus, that we are usually toothless through the middle and there is way more free space on wings (for crosses).
In 2016:
We conceded after a cross again.
In 90 minutes, midfield managed to create only 1 opportunity for our 3 attackers.
So, in 2 away matches in 2014 and 2016, our midfield created 2 chances through the ground and through the middle over 180 minutes.
Is that a coincidence?
Of course not, because it is repeating over and over every season.
Atletico:Bayern 2016:
Bayern figured out that you can't break them through the middle.
So, they created 10 chances, 7 out of 10 chances came after crosses.
Other were long range shots.
So, Bayern created 0 or 1 chance through the middle.
Is that again a coincidence?
So, if you play SOME crosses, it doesn't mean that you will win, but you will raise your chances.
Lately in all matches in a CL between Real-Barca-Atletico-Bayern, almost all goals are:
1. after crosses
2. after set pieces
3. or after counters
It is almost impossible to score a goal against an organized defense in a possession-style-type of action in 2018, on this, the highest level.
And in Barca's DNA (and in Pep's DNA from Barca's days), we have a rule: slow down, don't play counters, don't lose a possession and sadly: WAIT until an opponent parks the bus and then we will try to create something.
About Pep, his Bayern "suffered" from a possession football, high defensive line and too many players in attack, which led to easy counters.
In City, he plays with shorter players and relies only on possession and counters, plus, his defense is as always prone to counters.
On the other hand, in a CL: Real can score from a possession game, from counters, from crosses, from set pieces.
And they are less prone to counters because they don't attack with 8 players (3 attackers, 3 midfielders, 2 full backs) with passes around the box, like Barca and Pep. And we are prone to easy counters after we lose a ball in that possession style.
Unlike Real Madrid.
So, their current style is just way more smarter than ours in 10s of different levels.
And we are just trying to do the same thing over and over even though it is not working.
With the same crazy reply all the time: but it worked in 2009 and 2011...
