West Ham 2 - 2 Manchester United: Statistical and Tactical Analysis

Sir Alex Ferguson's side went into this match with one hand on the Premier League trophy, however they still had to battle a West Ham side who played well against the league leaders.

Essentially it was a battle of two 4-2-3-1s with Jarvis, Nolan and Vaz Te making up the home side's '3' which worked excellently on the break, up against a very threatening '3' of Kagawa, Rooney and Valencia behind RVP.

3 Points on Bayern Munich 2 - 0 Juventus: Width, Pressing and Mandzukic

The odds of progressing into the final 4 are largely in favour of Bayern after their brilliant display against a strong Juventus side, who were never allowed a moment's rest by Ribery and Mandzukic. The Bavarian's lucky start with Alaba's deflected goal played a large role in their domination however, as they practically started on fifth gear.

The home side fielded their expected 4-2-3-1, with Gustavo replacing Javi Martinez alongside Bastian Schweinsteiger behind Toni Kroos, who early on was replaced by Robben due to the German international picking up a groin injury.

The Old Lady also started out in their standard 3-5-2 system, with Matri and Quagliarella leading the line as Vucinic was too ill to start. Peluso and Lichtsteiner flanked the midfield of Marchisio, Pirlo and Vidal.

Wayne Rooney: Attack or Midfield?

Over the past few seasons, there has been much talk over the Manchester United player's current, and future position, as to whether the 27 year old is most effective up front, or deeper, as an aggressive midfielder. In my opinion, Rooney is by far the most effective in a supporting role, and probably has had the most success playing just deeper than the main striker, but as he ages and his fitness worsens, might the midfield role be best?

The Effect of Gareth Bale's Central Move

Gareth Bale's new position in the centre has brought him great success in the six matches he has featured there so far, averaging a rating of 8.59. AVB's decision to move the once-winger into a position behind the striker is very similar to Guardiola's over Messi when he took over in 2008, where he made the transition from inside forward to false 9.

Stopping Gareth Bale

Just how do you stop an in form player? When everything just goes right for them, every shot placed perfectly out of the 'keeper's reach, every turn making the defenders looking more and more foolish. Sometimes they make you wonder if it is even possible, when they produce moments of pure brilliance to win the match in the 90th minute.