TEAM ENIGMA_87
Formation: 4-2-2-2
Style: counter attacking mixture of Piksi's Red star at it's heyday and Conte's Juve to play to Pogba's strengths.
Defence:
Two attacking full backs in Cabrini and Gerets who are capable of manning their flanks and stretching the field. Alongside them are two complete CB's with Mozer commanding the back line. Bossis plays like a stopper and LCB.
Midfield:
Fernandinho drops into the hole and also covers the flank if needed, whilst Souness initiates attacks from deep. Pogba is playing in more attacking role drifting wide to the left flank whilst Stojkovic is the centerpiece and main playmaker. He would also drift to the right and is generally in a free role occupying the line between midfield and defence.
Attack
Greaves is playing as a second striker whilst Riva is leading the line. We have plenty of good crossers on each flank so his presence in the box would be a danger for the opposition defensive line.
Piksi's profile and time to revisit his overall quality - the man of the hour.
The hour of the genius - Dragan "Piksi" Stojkovic
The Serbian maestro at his heyday was one of the best players on the planet. Relatively short peak and plagued by injuries, he couldn't put his stamp as one of the best players of his generation, but for those who watched him can surely look no further. He was a player with brilliant technique, excellent decision making and what sets players like him and Ronaldinho, Maradona, etc apart is how smoothly and effortlessly the game flows through him. Piksi, a playmaker by trade, could operate all over the frontline and you can see him on either wing dribbling his way through the opponents and setting up his team mates as apart from the technique he had an excellent reading of the game - something that the very best possessed. With his unorthodox decision making he often surprised defenders and opposition goalkeepers and made him a feared opponent by some of the greatest defensive lines in the 80's/90's.
Piksi's career started in one of the more humble Yugoslav teams - Radnicki(Nis), before he made his name in Red Star - the Serbian colossus along with Partizan. Stojkovic wore the red shirt for 4 seasons before he got transferred to Olympique Marseille. With the French side he achieved his biggest triumph in his career - winning the Champions league against none other than his former team - Red Star.
The career of Stojkovic at Velodrome didn't go as expected - he got loaned to Verona and with the expectation of Marseille at the time - the club had some of the best players in their ranks at the time - Papin, Waddle, Tigana, Cantona and Abedi Pele. Stojkovic put his stamp on the team and while his stay was pretty brief he was pretty fondly remembered by all French fans. Unfortunately a knee injury(something that will go on in his later days) put a stall in his career and effectively that was the obstacle that paved his way out of the team and spending some of his best years outside Europe.
Even without conquering the European football with Marseille, he still remains one of the most effective and creative footballers when he was in his pump. Performances for both Yugoslavia and Red Star against the very best sides and defenders in the game - Baresi, Maldini, Rijkaard's Milan, Maradona's Argentina, Brazil were deeply appreciated by both Serbian fans and opponents.
When Red Star faced Milan, twenty five years ago, Arrigo Sacchi's star-filled side found themselves facing defeat by Red Star Belgrade in the second round of the 1988-89 European Cup and their domination in club football could have ended before even its start.
With half an hour of the second leg remaining, Sacchi's men were 2-1 down on aggregate and reduced to 10 men after striker Pietro Paolo Virdis was sent off.
The Serie A champions needed a saviour, and found one in unlikely circumstances as a thick fog enveloped the Red Star Stadium, forcing referee Dieter Pauly to call the game off.
"It was almost the end of the dream for Milan," then Red Star captain Dragan Stojkovic told BBC Sport.
"After the game, Milan recognised they were very, very lucky. Maybe it was an act of God! Even today when I talk to Milan director Adriano Galliani he laughs about it and says 'Thanks to the fog in Belgrade we became a big team!'"
Second-round opponents Red Star would prove much tougher to crack though, as the champions of the former Yugoslavia took a 1-1 draw home from the first leg at the San Siro, with Stojkovic opening the scoring after a jinking run in from the right flank.
"That was one of the most beautiful moments in my career," the 48-year-old remembers.
"It was a really big challenge for us to play in a full San Siro but we put in a fantastic performance.
"For my goal, I dribbled past the entire defence, especially Franco Baresi, to score a goal and it was an amazing moment. Red Star then showed strong mentality and strong character not to raise the white flag. We surprised a lot of people that night but we knew it was not over."
The second leg, on 9 November 1988, started badly for Milan as Dejan Savicevic, whose summer move to Red Star had been disrupted by a call-up for 12 months' mandatory military service, smashed in an opener after another surging run from skipper Stojkovic.
Virdis then saw red after a clash with Goran Juric to leave Sacchi's side with 10 men just after half-time.
"Milan were on their knees," says Stojkovic.
"But then everything happened very quickly. After 10 minutes of the second half the fog came in and, in one moment, suddenly it was invisible. The referee wanted to let us play but he had no choice, it was impossible.
"At half-time the visibility was fine, but minute by minute it got worse, First, I couldn't see the stand. Then I couldn't see the goal. Then I couldn't see the penalty area. Then I couldn't see the ball!"
Referee Pauly had no option but to postpone the game in the 57th minute and hand Milan a lifeline.
It was one they would take 24 hours later.
"That Milan team was not one of the best, it was the best from my point of view. The best ever," says Stojkovic.
"When we lost on penalties, after the game as captain I said to my team-mates be happy, don't cry.
"Rijkaard came to me and told me to be proud, he said 'you are a really big player.' That was a big compliment for me to receive from a big star. He told me Milan were very lucky.
"I have no regrets, it is just great to be part of footballing history," he says.
"But Milan will never forget those two games in Belgrade. They were born in the Belgrade fog."
It was not only his performance at club level that lit the world during that time. Stojkovic was at his peak and year-two later he destroyed a Maradona led Argentina side that went on to lose the final in the 90WC.
Stojkovic outperformed Maradona at that tournament, having scored 2 against Spain to put Yugoslavia through, but his performance in the QF is something that can hardly be forgotten. He set up at least 4-5 clear cut chances for his team mates with only the Serb forwards misfiring let the game to be decided by penos. Unfortunately as other greats in the game Stojkovic was one of the players that missed for his side in a heartbreaking shootout. Fittingly the only player in the Argentinian side that missed as well was Maradona.
Piksi's talent didn't know any boundaries. One of his remarkable traits was his fantastic skills on the ball and movement without it. You can always see him everywhere knocking a backheel to his team mate or going on a surging run past 5-6 opponents. Taking the ball away from him without a foul was nearly impossible.
As any other great playmaker in history he was born with incredible vision and ability to set up a teammate. Both long and short his passing was always precise and taking the right decision - a trait that he showed even early in his career.
Of course apart from his individual brilliance, there was something else that made him such a complete player on the pitch. He was dedicated, team player that put his heart on the field. His defensive qualities can be seen below.
Even when Piksi called it a day as a player - putting an end to a turbulent career, he was again in the highlight reels. Managing Nagoya - the team he played for in the 90's - he found his place in the football highlights once again with his football abilities.
After the game was stopped, Stojkovic met a spectacular volley from the bench and although the distance seemed impossible - he put the ball in the net. Coincidence? Highly doubt that.
The Serbian maestro at his heyday was one of the best players on the planet. Relatively short peak and plagued by injuries, he couldn't put his stamp as one of the best players of his generation, but for those who watched him can surely look no further. He was a player with brilliant technique, excellent decision making and what sets players like him and Ronaldinho, Maradona, etc apart is how smoothly and effortlessly the game flows through him. Piksi, a playmaker by trade, could operate all over the frontline and you can see him on either wing dribbling his way through the opponents and setting up his team mates as apart from the technique he had an excellent reading of the game - something that the very best possessed. With his unorthodox decision making he often surprised defenders and opposition goalkeepers and made him a feared opponent by some of the greatest defensive lines in the 80's/90's.
Piksi's career started in one of the more humble Yugoslav teams - Radnicki(Nis), before he made his name in Red Star - the Serbian colossus along with Partizan. Stojkovic wore the red shirt for 4 seasons before he got transferred to Olympique Marseille. With the French side he achieved his biggest triumph in his career - winning the Champions league against none other than his former team - Red Star.
The career of Stojkovic at Velodrome didn't go as expected - he got loaned to Verona and with the expectation of Marseille at the time - the club had some of the best players in their ranks at the time - Papin, Waddle, Tigana, Cantona and Abedi Pele. Stojkovic put his stamp on the team and while his stay was pretty brief he was pretty fondly remembered by all French fans. Unfortunately a knee injury(something that will go on in his later days) put a stall in his career and effectively that was the obstacle that paved his way out of the team and spending some of his best years outside Europe.
Even without conquering the European football with Marseille, he still remains one of the most effective and creative footballers when he was in his pump. Performances for both Yugoslavia and Red Star against the very best sides and defenders in the game - Baresi, Maldini, Rijkaard's Milan, Maradona's Argentina, Brazil were deeply appreciated by both Serbian fans and opponents.
When Red Star faced Milan, twenty five years ago, Arrigo Sacchi's star-filled side found themselves facing defeat by Red Star Belgrade in the second round of the 1988-89 European Cup and their domination in club football could have ended before even its start.
With half an hour of the second leg remaining, Sacchi's men were 2-1 down on aggregate and reduced to 10 men after striker Pietro Paolo Virdis was sent off.
The Serie A champions needed a saviour, and found one in unlikely circumstances as a thick fog enveloped the Red Star Stadium, forcing referee Dieter Pauly to call the game off.
"It was almost the end of the dream for Milan," then Red Star captain Dragan Stojkovic told BBC Sport.
"After the game, Milan recognised they were very, very lucky. Maybe it was an act of God! Even today when I talk to Milan director Adriano Galliani he laughs about it and says 'Thanks to the fog in Belgrade we became a big team!'"
Second-round opponents Red Star would prove much tougher to crack though, as the champions of the former Yugoslavia took a 1-1 draw home from the first leg at the San Siro, with Stojkovic opening the scoring after a jinking run in from the right flank.
"That was one of the most beautiful moments in my career," the 48-year-old remembers.
"It was a really big challenge for us to play in a full San Siro but we put in a fantastic performance.
"For my goal, I dribbled past the entire defence, especially Franco Baresi, to score a goal and it was an amazing moment. Red Star then showed strong mentality and strong character not to raise the white flag. We surprised a lot of people that night but we knew it was not over."
The second leg, on 9 November 1988, started badly for Milan as Dejan Savicevic, whose summer move to Red Star had been disrupted by a call-up for 12 months' mandatory military service, smashed in an opener after another surging run from skipper Stojkovic.
Virdis then saw red after a clash with Goran Juric to leave Sacchi's side with 10 men just after half-time.
"Milan were on their knees," says Stojkovic.
"But then everything happened very quickly. After 10 minutes of the second half the fog came in and, in one moment, suddenly it was invisible. The referee wanted to let us play but he had no choice, it was impossible.
"At half-time the visibility was fine, but minute by minute it got worse, First, I couldn't see the stand. Then I couldn't see the goal. Then I couldn't see the penalty area. Then I couldn't see the ball!"
Referee Pauly had no option but to postpone the game in the 57th minute and hand Milan a lifeline.
It was one they would take 24 hours later.
"That Milan team was not one of the best, it was the best from my point of view. The best ever," says Stojkovic.
"When we lost on penalties, after the game as captain I said to my team-mates be happy, don't cry.
"Rijkaard came to me and told me to be proud, he said 'you are a really big player.' That was a big compliment for me to receive from a big star. He told me Milan were very lucky.
"I have no regrets, it is just great to be part of footballing history," he says.
"But Milan will never forget those two games in Belgrade. They were born in the Belgrade fog."
It was not only his performance at club level that lit the world during that time. Stojkovic was at his peak and year-two later he destroyed a Maradona led Argentina side that went on to lose the final in the 90WC.
Stojkovic outperformed Maradona at that tournament, having scored 2 against Spain to put Yugoslavia through, but his performance in the QF is something that can hardly be forgotten. He set up at least 4-5 clear cut chances for his team mates with only the Serb forwards misfiring let the game to be decided by penos. Unfortunately as other greats in the game Stojkovic was one of the players that missed for his side in a heartbreaking shootout. Fittingly the only player in the Argentinian side that missed as well was Maradona.
Piksi's talent didn't know any boundaries. One of his remarkable traits was his fantastic skills on the ball and movement without it. You can always see him everywhere knocking a backheel to his team mate or going on a surging run past 5-6 opponents. Taking the ball away from him without a foul was nearly impossible.
As any other great playmaker in history he was born with incredible vision and ability to set up a teammate. Both long and short his passing was always precise and taking the right decision - a trait that he showed even early in his career.
Of course apart from his individual brilliance, there was something else that made him such a complete player on the pitch. He was dedicated, team player that put his heart on the field. His defensive qualities can be seen below.
Even when Piksi called it a day as a player - putting an end to a turbulent career, he was again in the highlight reels. Managing Nagoya - the team he played for in the 90's - he found his place in the football highlights once again with his football abilities.
After the game was stopped, Stojkovic met a spectacular volley from the bench and although the distance seemed impossible - he put the ball in the net. Coincidence? Highly doubt that.
Paul Pogba:
His best undoubtedly came under Conte and was the reason why United decided to throw hundred millions at him. He often drifted wide to the left and his best attributes was his passing range and ability, along with nifty dribbling skills and eye for the goal. He was tried in a deeper positions where sometimes he excelled, but in this game we're more concentrated in getting the best out of him in his IMO more natural attacking role, whilst having the solid protection in the middle of the pitch of Fernandinho and Souness.
TEAM OAENCHA
Liability: Trent Alexander Arnold
Maverick: Carlos Valderrama
Tactics:
Solid backline with GOAT GK and a proven at high level CB partnership. Chiellini's ability to cover at LB would help cover for TAA's gung ho style.
Makelele' defensive cover and Lampard's work rate in moving the ball up from the deep compliments with Valderrama' inspired but often laissez-faire playmaking style. Fast and tricky wingers in Barnes and Jairzinho make up for lack of pace in that midfield.
Raul spearheads the line with support from Jairzinho who often moves up to be a wide forward.
Whilst Stojkovic loved the inside - outside right channel. His greatest performances came when he had that free role to operate and pull wide - against Spain/Argentina for the NT and also against Milan.