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... 🧐🧵
Preventing Spurs from breaking from their deep block meant the visitors were locked into their own half. Rashford’s runs on the blindside of Dier were threatening, especially when receiving from Fernandes. Casemiro and the United defenders were superb at breaking up play... 🧐🧵
Fernandes’ positioning between the lines, and his ability to turn and face forward on his first touch, and deftly connect into Rashford running in behind, provided United with a significant threat throughout the second half... 🧐🧵
Conte set Tottenham up in a 3-5-2, with Bissouma coming into the side. Bentancur was therefore given more attacking freedom, and pushed forward through the right inside channel with penetrative runs off the ball... 🧐🧵
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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... ↩️🧐
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🧵
How Diego @Simeone’s #AtleticoMadrid knocked Manchester United out of the Champions League through attacking in a 3-5-2 and left-sided counter-attacks... 🧐🧵
United were set up in a 4-2-3-1, up against Atlético’s 5-3-2 defensive block. The hosts built around Atlético’s front two and progressed down the flanks. A strong spell in the first half came as a result of Ronaldo dropping out to combine between a full-back and winger... 🧐🧵
When Ronaldo drifted out to the left, left-back Alex Telles was more aggressive with his positioning. He overlapped to support Jadon Sancho, who made direct runs in behind, especially after moving into the inside channel... 🧐🧵