Diego Simeone organised his team into an adventurous 3-5-2 formation in which their width was provided by their wing-backs Kieran Trippier and Yannick Carrasco, and Thomas Lemar and Rodrigo de Paul provided support ahead of Koke, their defensive midfielder... 🧐🧵
On the occasions Atlético could switch play from the right and around Liverpool’s 4-3-3 with sufficient speed they succeeded in finding Félix in the inside channel, where his ability to spin and combine in limited spaces helped move possession back into midfield 🧐🧵
Atlético prioritised attacking on the counter after Griezmann’s dismissal. Carrasco represented a key outlet on the left, where he also eased the pressure they were under, and was supported by Félix and their three central midfielders 🧐🧵
Atlético prioritised attacking down the left on the rarer occasions they had spells of possession during the second half. Lemar drifted from central midfield to where Carrasco remained advanced – Trippier was consistently more withdrawn on the right... 🧐🧵
When Roberto Firmino withdrew into midfield to alongside James Milner and Keïta, Jordan Henderson withdrew into deeper territory at the base of midfield, in turn encouraging Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andy Robertson to advance from full-back... 🧐🧵
One-twos often succeeded in drawing an opposing midfielder out of position, in turn creating space in the centre. By combining with a wide forward moving infield, a full-back or central midfielder proved capable of receiving between the lines and creating increased space... 🧐🧵
• • •
Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to
force a refresh
Spain used a 4-3-3 structure and built play patiently from the back, despite Germany pressing aggressively from their 4-2-3-1. They moved the ball around the back line to isolate Thomas Müller, before a centre-back stepped out with the ball into midfield... 🧐🧵
Olmo continued to move inside and Asensio dropped deep, in the process pulling Süle out of his position in Germany’s back line. This helped Spain to build out from the back and get around Germany’s increasingly effective high press... 🧐🧵
Traditionally, full-backs are the widest players in a back four, and as a result they attack and defend mostly in the wide areas. However, full-backs who move inside into central spaces are known as ‘inverted full-backs’. This movement adds an extra presence centrally... ↩️🧐
Although Pep Guardiola is the coach most associated with the inverted full-back, Johan Cruyff used them with Barcelona many years before. Then, he often converted the 4-3-3 into a 3-4-3 diamond, with one full-back inverting into central midfield... ↩️🧐
Manchester United were set up in a 4-2-3-1 shape, but Fred pushed forward from the double pivot to become a number 8 and give them a stronger attacking presence in central midfield. Bruno Fernandes then adapted his positioning, moving into the left inside channel... 🧐🧵
The hosts eventually pushed both full-backs higher, primarily working around the outside of Tottenham’s wing-backs. United’s wingers then came inside, with the freedom to rotate with Fred and Fernandes, as long as both inside channels were always occupied... 🧐🧵
Barcelona were set up in a 4-3-3, against a Madrid 4-4-2 defensive block. Torres moved inside to support centre-forward Aubameyang. De Jong and Pedri widened to support through the inside channels, with Busquets left as the single pivot ahead of the two centre-backs... 🧐🧵
Busquets dropped into defence to draw one of Madrid’s central midfielders up, and Pedri drifted wider to drag the other out. This often left De Jong as the free man to receive in the inside channel when Barcelona’s back line could access him... 🧐🧵
4-4-2 is made up of three distinct lines. The back four including two centre-backs and two full-backs. Ahead of them, a midfield four features two players in the middle and one on each side. Then the front two in attack who provide both height and goalscoring threat... 4️⃣4️⃣2️⃣🧵
In the 1950s, Viktor Maslov developed another variation of the 4-2-4, in which the two wingers dropped back alongside the two central midfielders. So originated the 4-4-2, which worked to overload opposition midfields with traditionally fewer numbers... 4️⃣4️⃣2️⃣🧵