As Manchester United prepare to take on Bundesliga big boys VfL Wolfsburg in the Champions League on Wednesday night, Louis van Gaal and his backroom staff will be poring over footage of Die Wolfe ‘s recent games in order to identify how to overcome them and pick up a vital three points in Group B.
With Kevin de Bruyne having left the club, United fans may naively think they have less to worry about – but Julian Draxler was brought in as a replacement for the Belgian midfielder, now at Manchester City – and Daniel Caliguiri & Andre Schurrle are still at the Wolfsburg.
That means United will have to be wary of the threat to their full-backs – but it’s not an attacking midfielder or winger that I’ve picked out as the man Louis van Gaal’s men will have to be careful of.
Instead, I think a large threat comes from Wolfsburg’s left-back, Ricardo Rodriguez.
The 23-year-old left-back is already one of the best in the world in his position and offers so much more than just being a solid defender. Much like United’s Luke Shaw, he’s brilliant going forward – perhaps even more so than our number 23.
He’s quick-witted with the ball at his feet, loves running at players and is very fast. However, that’s not all. His vision is like that of a very good central midfielder and his aerial ability is exceptional given the fact that he stands at just 5’11”.
Has that given you enough warning as to his ability? I’m afraid not. Ricardo Rodriguez is an expert set-piece taker and is especially deadly from free-kicks, which he has a tendency to score plenty of. He’s netted already this season, popping up with a goal against Wolfsburg’s rivals, Schalke.
The Swiss international made his debut for his country in 2011 as a 19-year-old, when he featured against Wales. His talents are well known in his own country as well as in the Bundesliga, and I have a feeling that this season will be the one in which he makes himself better-known to the rest of Europe.
Let’s just hope that United aren’t the team on the recieving end of that particular eye-catching performance!
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