Como (Cesc Fabregas) was a pain to Lazio (Mauricio Sarri).
Como brought Fabregas' flexible playing style into reality In & Out of possession.
Off-ball movement and smooth mobility to open up passing lanes through & around Lazio's high press/mid-block.
🧵A Thread🔵⚪️
Como tended to overload Lazio in midfield by making one of the DPs drop back and invite pressure.
Lazio, in fact, committed a player (Dele-Bashiru below) to advance.
From Como side, the numerical superiority was provided by Douvikas moving deeper into midfield.
Lazio remained compact horizontally (Zaccagni & Cancellieri narrowing inside), however, it allowed Como to find a wide option.
Also, the LB Valle was tasked with multiple roles. One of them was to push on inside to pin the CB, permit the ST to drop off, and vacate the wide channel for the winger Rodriguez to drop.
Even if the LB, Valle, held his position, Lazio's horizontal compact shape OOP, enabled Como's wide access.
So, Fabregas' team intended to enter the center passing by the wide corridors and then find Douvikas BTLs.
Lazio's CBs didn't step out & follow Como's ST, which led to Cataldi often getting overloaded. From there, it was easy to find the opposite winger.
The same thing kept happening.
Como generated the numerical edge in the initial phase, through which they were able to find the wide option.
Douvikas, as a false nine, dropped out BTLs, received, and picked out the opposite winger.
Como also relied on overloading Lazio in the buildup by making one of the DPs form a situational back three.
That allowed the FBs to push high up and narrow inside, creating a numerical advantage vs Lazio's FBs.
When Douvikas offered depth by pinning the CB, the RB Van Der Brempt, alongside Nico Paz, offered central solutions.
Below, Van Der Brempt & Paz outnumber Cataldi. Nico Paz receives down the RHS, combines in 1-2, accesses the space BTLs & finds the opposite winger.
In the high press, Como kept an extra player in the backline with the wingers instructed with a dual role (marking the FBs or CBs based on the play)
Como funneled Lazio toward the touchlines with a man-marking approach in midfield.
Generally, Lazio aimed to find the winger via short passes near the flanks or via long balls.
But, Como's FBs were aggressive in stepping out while the rest of the backline shuffled across to provide defensive security behind.
For Como Fabregas, the depth & width are always provided (it doesn't matter who provides that option, the context & situation are more important)
Floaters and anchors, as @saundzo came up first with the idea, and pinners, as @Jon_Mackenzie added.
IMHO, Raul Asencio's red card was the cause of bad press.
Don't get me wrong, he acted recklessly & it wasn't the first time when he turned his brain off in such a situation.
But let's assess Real Madrid press that led to Pachuca ST finding joy behind.
Xabi Alonso has a lot of work to do to refine Vinicius Jr body usage when he has to cut off a passing lane or an angle.
From a static position (Goal kick), it's not a problem. However, from an open play situation, cracks (illiteracy in executing the action) appear.
Here, Real Madrid press is good. Gonzalo Garcia runs onto Pachuca CB, Guler onto the pivot, with Bellingham shifting onto Pachuca winger, who narrows inside.
Also, Fran Garcia follows his man.
Vinicius Jr positions himself a bit inside, leaving the passing lane between CB & RB
Maybe his chapter with Inter is over, which is not IMO, because of how Inter delivered with him, the way he plateformed & maximized the team.
That cliché of history remembers just the winner isn't right in this case...
...because history will remember how Inter & Simone Inzaghi have been able to boss Pep Guardiola and Manchester City in their most complete version.
Simone Inzaghi engraved his name as one of the most influential coaches in recent years in Italy and the world.
I'm dead sure that his influence on the game is there & will be in the books for eternity.
Personally, I learned a lot from him, I learned a lot about how a well-drilled, coached team can go beyond limits and expectations, even if the quality of personnel doesn't hint at that or
✍️Barcelona high press had no answer to Inter constantly generating diagonal passing lanes.
Esp in the 2nd half, Inter displayed a masterclass in quick diagonal passing sequences with perfect body orientation from players to receive, pass & free space.
🧵[Short tactical thread]
Here, Inter set up in a 4-2-4.
Mkhitaryan & Dumfries push on, allowing Dimarco & Bisseck to act as situational FBs.
Torres & Yamal on Inter CBs with Raphinha keeping optimal position between Bisseck & Barella. Olmo also positions between Inter situational DPs.
Bastoni, picking out Dimarco wide, moves Barcelona across. Consequently, the diagonal passing lanes open up.
With Olmo being between 2 players means he's overloaded.
Mkhitaryan drops wide & another diagonal passing lane between the latter & Çalhanoğlu is accessible...
✍️ Arsenal - Paris Saint-Germain: Battle of brains (Arteta vs Enrique)
—PSG exploits Arseanl hybrid press;
—Arteta tweaks improved Arsenal high press;
—Arsenal central overload to progress;
—Lewis-Skelly was the key to Arsenal progression & chance creation.
🧵 [Tactical Thread]
At the beginning, Arsenal paid the price of switching from mid-block to m2m high press.
Arsenal mids were easy to pull out toward the ball side. That freed space in the center for Dembélé to drop in & open a diagonal passing lane for Nuno Mendes to cut through Arsenal.
Hakimi & Kvaratskhelia stretched Arsenal's backline laterally.
As the sequence developed, Fabian Ruiz ran down LHS & cut inside to draw Saliba & Timber with him. That allowed Kvaratskhelia to receive in space and attack the cutback zone to find Dembélé behind.