WORLD CLASS COACHING
Defend Like the Pro's
By Luca Bertolini
Table of Contents
PART FOUR
Analysis of the Goals
Analysis of the Goals
Manchester City 1 - Liverpool 0
Despite the overload of the left side of Manchester City’s attacking direction and of Liverpool’s right defense block (a general numerical advantage for the Reds is very clear), the wingers and the wide combinations isolated the defenders into 1 v 1 duels (Laporte has the possession against Arnold, in this first picture)...
...or 2 v 2 duels on the ball (Bernardo Silva is dribbling against Wijnaldum and David Silva is countered by Arnold, who could have double the mark against the ball carrier).
The movement of Sergio Aguero, who was coming back from an offside position, proved very important for the developments of this first goal move.
Bernardo Silva was able to dribble to the end line, Wijnaldum didn't cover the inside pass lane toward the box; Arnold didn’t double the mark and he didn't cover the goal first pole space.
Aguero was positioned between the center backs; Lovren couldn't see him and Van Dijke left him free to move without the ball.
Bernardo Silva could play an inside pass toward Aguero, who moved behind and from this side, overcoming Lovren, while he was only looking at the ball position.
Aguero anticipated the direct opponent and Van Dijk did not double the mark on him or close the shooting lane toward the goal. Lovren was not placed between the potential receiver and the goal to save; this way Aguero could turn freely, while receiving, to prepare the shot on goal.
Even if Allison was properly placed on the first pole to save the goal, Aguero had the time to shot under the crossbar to score the first goal.
Manchester City 1 - Liverpool 1
Liverpool's draw goal was an example of the new patient possession phase, which gave an alternative way of play to the usual vertical direct attacking style that characterized the Reds during last seasons. This attacking move was not forced, as the spaces were closed in the first stages of the finishing phase.
Midfielders, forwards and fullbacks were all placed inside the attacking half; the shape is clearly planned to create wide possession and to attack the goal thanks to three center forwards, who invited the opposition defense to be placed narrow in the center, leaving spaces outside.
A first switch of side from the right to the left was played to move the opposition defense; Firmino was placed wide to occupy Laporte and Wijnaldum ran deep against Danilo, opening a space on the attacking left flank for Robertson. Salah was placed between the center backs (Stones and Kompany).
City was able to shift across quickly and to cover the left side (6 v 3 for the citizens is clear in the picture); the center midfielders of Liverpool 1-4-2-3-1 in the 2nd half were in support and City midfielders were far away from the ball. Fernandihno dropped back along the defense line, Bernardo Silva and David Silva couldn't press the ball carriers.
Arnold could receive on the right again and exploit Sanè’s wrong defense action, turning inside. (Sanè tried to rebound a potential cross pass, while the opponent was changing direction toward the center).
Three close attacking players (Firmino, Salah and Wijnaldum) forced the back four to save the box in a 4 v 3 duel; again, another exploitable space was opened on the left side of Liverpool final third. Sanè was again too much passive against the opponent, who could switch the side easily toward Robertson.
Danilo was on late in covering the space in behind, Ederson couldn't go out of the goal space to catch the ball and Kompany didn't follow the movement of Firimino toward the second pole...
...and the Reds number 9 scored easily.
The draw goal summed up some new characteristics of Liverpool possession phase (patient build up to move the opposition, overload the center final third to open spaces for the fullbacks and finish inside the 18 and 6y boxes). On the other side, the deeper defense of Manchester City made the opposition move easier, staying placed too close to the goal.
Manchester City 2 - Liverpool 1
The pressure phase of Liverpool’s forwards that started inside the middle third was not followed properly by the center midfielders of the 1-4-2-3-1 formation in the second half, leaving space to dribble up for Danilo.
All the five attacking players of Manchester City could face the opposition goal and Sterling could dribble the ball easily on the other side of the midfield line. The Red’s back four line was quite compact in covering the depth, but Arnold had to control Aguero, as the center backs were busy while looking at Sterling, who was dribbling inside and Bernardo Silva, who could have ran in behind in the middle.
Arnold decided to track Aguero, rather than leaving him offside and closing the passing lane toward Sanè on the left side; Manè was too far away to counter Sanè or to intercept the ball. Sterling could play without effective pressure also.
Sanè could receive inside the left part of the 18y box, as Arnold was on late and couldn't cover the goal space properly...
...and he scored exploiting that space, toward the second pole of Allison goal.
