By Myles Palmer
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Molina; Scaloni, Cesar, Naybet, Romero; Victor, Mauro Silva, Valeron, Sergio, Fran ; Tristan.
That was the team, in 4-5-1 formation, that beat Real Madrid 2-1 in the King’s Cup Final last Wednesday night .
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THERE are only two teams in Europe who know how to defend : Valencia and Deportivo La Coruna.
Last time coach Javier Irureta was at Highbury he picked the wrong midfield, went 2-1 down, had Djalminha sent off,and crashed 5-1.
Since then Deportivo have improved a lot.
This season they have beaten Man United twice and won in the Bernebeu last week and in two games against Juventus they did not concede a single goal.
On their day Deportivo can play beautiful football from a massed defence, breaking out with nicely angled moves. They are the Spanish masters of pass-and-move.
Anchorman Mauro Silva is a keep-ball master, shielding the ball with great skill, slowing the game down to his pace.
When they are 1-0 up he will make you foul him, then take his time with the free-kick.
The only time Mauro Silva missed a tackle against Real Madrid last week, Morientes laid on the goal for Raul at the near post.
The first Deportivo goal came after five minutes : Molina took a goal kick, Salgado headed it back, six slick passes by Depor, Sergio waltzed past the tottering Hierro and nutmegged keeper Cesar.
Most Deportivo matches are low-scoring games and they are masters at running down the clock.
They have only conceded two goals in their last eight games before Saturday, when they dipped with a 1-1 at home to relegation strugglers Rayo Vallecano.
Deportivo employ a unique and highly refined style of play.
Their style is based on accurate, subtle passing.They just might be the best short-passing team in Europe.
I’ve watched their style develop ever since Sky began to screen live Primera Liga games about five years ago, when they had Rivaldo.
So Tuesday night should provide an interesting contrast of styles.
Arsenal’s football is based on athleticism, power and pace.They are the most explosively fast team on this planet.
So I see Matchday 5 as a battle between speed and craft,between penetration and possession, between quick movement and disciplined defending.
Arsenal are spectacular, Deportivo are canny. One team wins games by overwhelming opponents, the other wins by outsmarting them.
Deportivo know that Arsenal are devastating in an open game,so they will make sure that this is not an open game.
Arsenal know that Deportivo are almost unbeatable in a tight game, so they will try to score first and open it up.
Centre forward Diego Tristan defines the economy of Depor’s style.
Tristan is a dribbling big man who never runs offside. He does not waste many balls. And you’ve gotta be good to tackle him. He’s not a ball-loser: he usually shoots or gets his pass in.
His sidekick Valeron is a perceptive playmaker who makes an occasional 30-yard pass. When they defend corners they like to win the ball and give it to Valeron, who launches the counter-attacks.
They complement each other.Valeron concentrates on moving into positions from which a goal can be created,and Tristan concentrates on moving into positions from which a goal can be scored.
(Last year Figo created goals for Raul, then Zidane came and unbalanced the team, although Zidane also creates goals for Raul. I prefer the simpler balance in the Deportivo system.)
How will Arsenal stop Tristan and Valeron? By playing at a very high speed, probably.
I’m worried that,on the deck, Tristan might take Stepanovic apart. Should Sol Campbell mark Tristan?
Irureta has a big squad and he might start Emerson, the Brazilian,in midfield.
Emerson is an absolutely phenomenal player. Not the most consistent, but a very powerful athlete, amazingly resourceful and two-footed, with a magnetic touch.
I see him as one of the few midfield players who can compete with Vieira.
Expect a night of tension, unless Arsenal can attack with whirlwind pace in the first 25 and score two goals.
Depor play on the same day as Real, who have already qualified, so this game is a big one for the Spanish media.
Real cannot win a treble now, but Depor can.
10th March 2002.