New tactical analysis thread 🧵

Our UEFA-licensed coaches have analysed the tactics from yesterday's dramatic heavyweight fixture at the Etihad... 🌶️🧐

🔋 @Wyscout

#MCFC • #Arsenal

bit.ly/3MXapKO Manchester City’s 4-3-3 started on the front foot as Arsenal initially attempted to press into the host’s half, in a 4-4-2 shape. Arsenal went player-oriented in the wide areas, with Declan Rice and Thomas Partey tracking Bernardo Silva and Ilkay Gündogan’s forward runs. However, Silva’s wide runs to City’s right-side created space for Savinho to drive inside, penetrating against the aggressive jumping of Arsenal’s left-back, Calafiori. This helped disrupt and stretch Arsenal’s back line in the early stages, including when Haaland was slid in-behind to calmly open the scoring... 🧐🧵

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The key points of a 4-2-3-1... 4️⃣2️⃣3️⃣1️⃣🧐 Stemming from tweaks to the 4-4-2 formation, and initially most popular in Spain, the 4-2-3-1 grew in popularity from the 2000s onwards. It has since been used with success by many prominent coaches, including Pep Guardiola, Arne Slot and Erik ten Hag... 4️⃣2️⃣3️⃣1️⃣🧵

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Ange Postecoglou back at school... 🇦🇺👨‍🏫

#THFC

Fresh analysis thread 🙌

How Spain and Germany’s changes in attack cancelled each other out in an intriguing tactical battle between Luis Enrique and Hansi Flick... 🧐🧵

🔋 @Wyscout

#ESP • #GER 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... 🧐🧵

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Inverted full-backs explained... ↩️🧐 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... ↩️🧐

Fresh analysis thread 🙌

How Manchester United's midfield movements and Bruno Fernandes’ central influence helped them beat Tottenham to go fifth... 🧐🧵

🔋 @Wyscout

#MUFC • #MUNTOT 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... 🧐🧵

Fresh analysis thread 🙌

How Barcelona used Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Frenkie de Jong to tear Real Madrid apart in #ElClasico win... 🧐🧵

🔋 @Wyscout

#FCBarcelona 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... 🧐🧵

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The 4-4-2 explained... 4️⃣4️⃣2️⃣ 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🧵

Fresh analysis thread 🙌

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... 🧐🧵

🔋 @Wyscout

#MUNATL • #UCL 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... 🧐🧵

Fresh analysis thread 🙌

How Manchester City’s wide triangles and box midfield helped them dominate against a disappointing Manchester United... 🧐🧵

🔋@Wyscout

#MCFC • #ManchesterDerby Guardiola set his team up in their familiar 4-3-3, against United’s 4-4-2 block. City focused on building through the inside channels. De Bruyne and Silva received in between the United winger and central midfielder, before connecting with the wide attacker and full-back... 🧐🧵

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Counter-pressing explained... 🏃‍♂️⏱️ Counter-pressing is a strategy used to disrupt the opposition as soon as possession is lost – the point of defensive transition. It involves aggressively pressing the ball and the opponents near to the ball with several players... ⏱️🧵

Fresh analysis thread 🙌

How the Manchester City high press and #PSG forwards’ lack of effort was key to the home team winning and securing top spot in Group A... 🧐🧵

🔋 @Wyscout

#MCFC • #MCIPSG City's 4-3-3 was designed to create central overloads, with false 9 Silva dropping deep and Sterling and Mahrez maintaining their width. Walker and Cancelo could then go forward to create 2v1s out wide in the knowledge that PSG’s wide forwards, were unlikely to track back... 🧐🧵

Fresh analysis thread 🙌

How left-sided rotations, Antonio Rüdiger’s build-up and Hakim Ziyech’s roaming helped Chelsea thrash Juventus... 🧐🧵

🔋@Wyscout

#CFC • #UCL Chelsea used a 3-5-2 structure with two high number eights in N’Golo Kanté and Hudson-Odoi. Hakim Ziyech acted as a number 10, often moving away from Christian Pulisic, who stayed high as the main centre-forward... 🧐🧵

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Double pivot explained... 👥 A double pivot is a withdrawn central-midfield or defensive-midfield pairing. They are positioned in front of the central defenders, inside the full-backs, and behind the attacking midfielders. The duo is most commonly used in a 4-2-3-1, operating behind a 10... 👥🧵

Dean Smith tactical analysis thread 🧵

The new Norwich head coach has worked consistently for more than a decade since starting out as a manager in January 2011, having moved from Walsall to Brentford, then to Aston Villa and now on to Norwich... 🧐🔰

#NCFC In addition to the odd brief experiment with a back three, Brentford used a proactive, attacking 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1 in the early days of Smith’s tenure. With this shape, they were the fourth highest scorers in the Championship in 2016/17... 🧐🧵

Fresh analysis thread 🙌

Manchester United staged an impressive comeback from two goals down to move top of Group B and ease some of the pressure that had been building on Ole Gunnar Solskjaer... 🧐🧵

🔋 @Wyscout

#MUFC • #MUNATA Manchester United initially found it easier to progress possession towards the right, where, owing to Atalanta’s out-of-possession 5-3-2, Aaron Wan-Bissaka came under less pressure when receiving the ball... 🧐🧵

Fresh analysis thread 🙌

Liverpool moved five points clear at the top of Group B to edge closer to qualification to the knockout stages of the Champions League... 🧐🧵

🔋@Wyscout

#LFC • #UCL 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... 🧐🧵

Fresh analysis thread 🙌

Chelsea fell to defeat at Juventus after a fine defensive display from the Italians. Juve took the lead just 11 seconds into the second half through Federico Chiesa – a goal Thomas Tuchel later desrcibed as “cheap”... 🧐🧵

#JuventusChelsea • #UCL Bentancur dropped alongside Locatelli to form a double pivot. Bernardeschi then dropped into midfield, while Cuadrado moved into a narrow position. Chiesa then moved across the front line, attacking centrally to threaten the space in behind Chelsea’s back three 🧐🧵

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The libero explained... 👤🏃‍♂️ A libero is a defender who plays behind the rest of the back line, and is responsible for covering and sweeping across the spaces behind other defenders. The role grew to include passing forwards after a regain, often to launch a counter-attack 🧵👤

The @academy_cv webinar, with the respected Jesse Marsch, is underway...

"There a lot of young coaches in Germany who have been influenced by Ralf Rangnick. Every coach has interpreted Ralf in their own way, but Thomas Tuchel did that really well at PSG."

#CVLiveMarsch "I spent quite a bit of time at Leipzig when Ralph Hasenhuttl was there. He has a really good way of communicating with people, and of investing in relationships. At moments like this that's what becomes important. Managing difficult moments."

#CVLiveMarsch

Jürgen Klopp doesn't expect Virgil van Dijk to play again this season. Our coaches look at how big of a miss he is for both Liverpool's defence and attack 🔴 #LFC Van Dijk’s role for Liverpool is that of a leader. Despite being right-footed, he plays on the left side of central defence, and is perfectly comfortable there. He exudes confidence, and brings an important calming presence to the heart of Liverpool’s defence 🔴 #LFC