Manchester City & Pep Guardiola came out victorious against Manchester United & Ruben Amorim.

HOWEVER, Man City Out-of-possession strategy has left question marks considering the flaws that appeared in the game.

Wide overloads, gaps BTLs, FBs were pinned, ETC

A Thread 🔵🔴 This is how Man City pressed Man Utd.

They opted for a 4-3-3 in which Haaland jumped on De Ligt with Doku & Bernardo Silva staying between Man Utd's wide CBs & WBs.

Behind, Foden and Reijnders man-marked Man Utd DPs, with Rodri offering protection BTLs.

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.

Manchester United — Arsenal: tactical analysis;

How Ruben Amorim set the team up to build through, around, and over Arsenal's high press.

What did change in Man Utd's buildup dynamics.

🧵Thread🔴⚪️ Man Utd Amorim buildup intends to bait the opponent forward, and then work the ball out via quick, one-touch passing sequences.

Or via long balls, win the second ball and then release runners in space behind the opposition's backline.

It wasn't different vs Arsenal.

Juventus committing more than 5 players at the backline is a weakness IMO.

It eases in fact Manchester City circulating the ball around the block with no pressure.

Doku, Ait Nouri duo on the left: overlaps, underlaps + their individual ability makes it look easy. Too many rotations on the left side between Ait Nouri, Doku, Reijnders and Marmoush.

One of them initiates the process, and everything follows for the sake of moving into free spaces by pulling Juventus defenders out of position.

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.

Simone Inzaghi passed by here.

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.

✍️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.

✍️ 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.

✍️Against Atalanta, Inzaghi set Inter up so they could generate space through positional rotations to bypass Atalanta's man-oriented press.

Not only that, but Inter has been able to access the free man through Thuram dropping deeper and 3rd man-combinations.

🧵[Short Thread] The 6th minute of the game.

https://x.com/LamdarhriAchraf/status/1902062612780876256

✍️Juventus vs Inter: Tactical Analysis

—Juventus struggles to put a stop to Inter positional rotations;
—Inter man2man marking worked but it had its repercussions when Juventus bypassed it;
—Aggressive Juventus in the 2nd half;
—Cambiaso role in the buildup

🧵 [Tactical Thread]


Bastoni was a headache for Juventus who pressed in a shape close to 4-3-3. Bastoni advanced down the LHS & tied Conceição & McKennie’s hands as both couldn't shift to press him. In case they did, Dimarco & Çalhanoğlu would be free to pick out. If not, Bastoni would be alone.

✍️Against Bournemouth, Liverpool always found the spare man due to the trio in midfield, and Luis Diaz, as a false #9, never stopped strolling, which was bewildering for the Cherries.

Let's assess Liverpool's strategy in generating free players.

🧵[Short Tactical Thread]


Liverpool tended to create numerical superiority in midfield. That came through Mac Allister moving wide to the left to drag Christie with him & Adams with L. Diaz as a false #9. With Kluivert occupying Gravenberch near the center of the pitch, Szoboszlai is the free man BTLs.

✍️ Real Madrid Press from dynamic situations is Primitive.

Players aren't aware of follow-up sequences and are distant from their men which allows the opposition space and time to act.

Let's assess How Real Mallorca easily bypassed "Real Madrid High-Press"

🧵 [Short Thread]


This scene is from the 1st minute and is a domino effect.

Rodrygo vacates his position and jumps onto Mallorca DM, Mascarell. The diagonal distance is too long for him so he arrived late. Mascarell has time and space to access the CB that J. Bellingham covered by his shadow.

✍️ Manchester City - Manchester United: Amorin's 2nd win vs Guardiola in a month, Tactical Analysis

➖Man Utd wide combinations to progress;
➖Man Utd found the spare using "overload to isolate";
➖5-2-3 setup was good but with some defensive lapses City could exploit.

[Thread]


Firstly, Man City aimed to progress by offering Matheus Nunes the space needed to push the Man United block backward. To do so, Gvardiol joined Gündoğan in the pivot forcing Amad Diallo to follow and M. Nunes dropped deep in the left to receive and carry the ball forward.

✍️ AC Milan revealed to Real Madrid how to progress through Atalanta's aggressive man-to-man press.

AC Milan used rotations in midfield to manipulate Atalanta players and free the center for Morata to drop deep and work lay-offs, combine, and set runners behind.

[Thread]

Fonseca's instructions to his players to rotate & interchange to manipulate the hosts’ m2m approach were plain to the eyes from the first whistle. In detail, Lookman & De Ketelaere pressed the CBs, Pašalić & De Roon man-marked the DPs & the WBs occupied the opposite FBs...

✍️ Dortmund - Bayern Munich: Tactical Analysis

➖Bayern Munich Fullbacks & Wingers to generate space behind;
➖Dortmund exploited Bayern Munich's man-oriented press, especially on the wings;
➖Bayern Munich positional fluidity between the midfielders.

[Thread] In possession, Dortmund built up with 2 CBs split wide to make room for the GK to step up. Nmecha operated as a single pivot while Sabitzer Groß circulated down the Right and left HS. The wingers tucked inside, allowing the FBs to hold the width.

✍️ Liverpool vs Chelsea: How both teams exploit each other's weaknesses: Tactical Analysis.

➖Cheslea Central progression with 3-2-2-3 shape;
➖Caicedo and Gusto impacts;
➖Liverpool surprising 4-2-4 low-mid block;
➖Liverpool's quick attacks.

[Thread]
#LIVCHE


Liverpool surprisingly started the clash as they set in a 424 mid-block. Salah and Gakpo tended to curve their run to press Colwill and James and close the passing lane into inverted Gusto and Plamer. Szoboszlai and Jota stayed near Chelsea DP to prevent central progression.

Arsenal vs PSG Analysis:

◽️ Arsenal Press suffocated PSG in the buildup.
◽️ Arsenal found ways to bypass PSG press.
◽️ Calafiori and Trossard's positions were jockers to Arsenal progression.

#ARSPSG
#UCL Arsenal went into full gear in the 1st minute. They kept pushing PSG block backward until they locked the ball side where there was no passing option for Willian Pacho. The latter was forced to go long. Arsenal regained the ball.

INTER VS ATLETICO MADRID: Tactical Analysis🔥✍️
Marko Arnautovic’s goal gives Inter a significant lead against ATM in the first leg of their UCL. We bring you the need-to-know about Inzaghi's brilliant tactical show during the clash.

[Thread] Inter and ATM started their clash with a 5-3-2 shape with 3 defenders, 2 WBs holding the width, 3 midfielders roaming freely, and 2 strikers.

INTER INZAGHI 2023/24: Tactical Analysis ✍️
◾Patient team in possession against Low-Block teams;
◾Rotations and fluid combinations;
◾Central Progression;
◾Pressing Aggression and smooth Counter-Attacks.
[Thread] Inter Inzaghi prefer to line up in a 3-5-2 shape. With Sommer as a GK, Dimarco and Dumfries as WBs, Bastoni, Acerbi and Pavard as defenders. In midfield, Çalhanoğlu, Mkhitaryan and Barella as tempo dictators. The front line is composed of Thuram and Lautaro Martinez.