Former Real Madrid player Pedja Mijatovic has said he prefers Real Madrid’s counter attacking football rather than the tiki-taka football played by Pep Guardiola’s teams.
The two contrasting styles have been the focus this week after Real beat Bayern Munich 4-0 in the Allianz Arena to qualify for the Champions League final. Bayern had 67% of the possession, but failed to make it count, while Los Blancos took the chances that came their way.
Speaking to Marca, Mijatovic said tiki-taka football isn’t dead, but he prefers the counter attacking style employed by Carlo Ancelotti.
“It’s not dead: it is a valid way of playing and will continue to be so. Barcelona executed it to perfection for years and someone may try to emulate them. But it’s quite another thing trying to apply it with a different team, different players and in a different country: it’s a tough task,” he said.
And he continued: “It would be useless in Italy, that’s for sure. And people are questioning it in Germany… They have a different vision of football; Klopp’s Borussia are a good counterpoint. It’s not dead, but I prefer Real Madrid’s style and the way Atlético have been playing.
“They are teams that are well set up, with pacy players to turn defence into attack. At the end of the day it’s a matter of taste, but the aim is the same: to win.”
