They're also excellent at playing out from the back through pressure. They work really nice little triangles and that's something we need to be aware of. Against City and Chelsea, they'd suddenly beat the press and have Modric steaming through midfield in acres of space.
Really need Thiago and Fabinho fit and available.
Their pace and directness on beating the press is the big worry - and my fear is how a not fully fit Fabinho handles that. I think he's at his best as a controller and in more congested midfield battles; less so against sides who break and move the ball sharply, which can highlight his one key weakness - a lack of elite pace/athleticism. When he's fatigued or not fully fit, even his reading of the play doesn't quite make up for it, leaving him a split second behind the ball or tugging at the shirt of the man beating him. But he's better suited to dealing with Benzema dropping off than Henderson.
Fitness and legginess generally across midfield is a worry. On quality and form, though Keita-Fabinho-Thiago has been emerging as perhaps the first choice midfield, I can't see Henderson not starting this one. On balance, if I had to choose Thiago or Fabinho to be fit enough to start, it would be Thiago. But I know nothing and don't see the fitness metrics or how they look in training. Happy with any selection that gets put out.
Matip or Konate feels like a toss-up; see pros and cons for either choice (if he'd had more games, Gomez would be possibly the best matchup to counter Vinicius specifically).
Upfront, I'd expect Diaz-Mane-Salah. As ever, our best answer to a good attacking side is pinning them back and taking our own chances. Mane is playing well, Diaz can stretch them (a little sharper end product on the biggest stage would be useful). The argument for bringing Diaz on against tired legs could equally be applied to bringing on Firmino to pick out the gaps that emerge late in a game. Need Salah to step up. Hasn't looked bad recently at all; there may be some truth in the balance being slightly different since Diaz came in, but it feels like an awfully long time since he connected truly with a curler from the edge of the box.
Somewhere, at some point, Curtis Jones to do something massive.
As I said, I know fuck all.
