Champions League Preview - Manchester United v Atalanta
Why Leicester's defensive structure was so effective, and how to expose Atalanta
Manchester United were defeated 4-2 loss to Leicester in the Premier League on the weekend, and were tactically outplayed by a defensively focused and discipline side.
United now face Atalanta in the Champions League, a team who set up their defense in a way that is similar to the Foxes.
In some ways, a perfect test for what is to come in their midweek fixture.
Leicester manager Brendan Rodgers had recognized that Manchester United are not interested in pressing from the front, and deployed a back-3 while in possession of the ball.
Johnny Evans acted as the anchor in the middle, while Daniel Armartey and Caglar Soyuncu stretched wide to utilize the space, and create more dangerous passing angles, like below:
Leicester’s fullbacks Ricardo Pereira and Timothy Castagne stayed wide when Leicester held the ball, and midfield pair Boubakary Soumare and Youri Tielemans worked between United’s midfielders to find half-spaces and create a passing option.
Without the ball, Leicester’s full-back’s were discipline and quickly dropped back to form a back 5, making it difficult for United to easily pass through:
Manchester United had 6 shots on target for the game, all coming from the very edge of the box or outside.
United’s Champions League opponents Atalanta also deploy a back-3, however they are much more aggressive than Rodger’s Leicester.
As you can see from kickoff against Empoli, full-backs Davide Zappacosta and Joakim Maehle have already pushed up, and are left exposed as the ball is turned over just 14 seconds in:
Atalanta manager Gian Piero Gasperini encourages attacking football, and wants his full-backs to be aggressive to both stretch the pitch but also provide an attacking options from width with overlapping runs.
Below, Empoli keeper Vicario sends a long ball from defense, resulting in Merih Demiral - operating in the center of Atalanta’s back-3 - stepping up in to midfield to challenge for the ball aerially:
The ball broke free, allowing Empoli to charge at Atalanta’s broken defense:
Manchester United can find joy in this fixture by stretching Atalanta's defensive three.
Atalanta’s fullbacks will typically stay high and wide, and on occasion do not recognize the danger quickly enough to retreat and transform their defense in to a back-5 in the same way Leicester did so well against Manchester United.
With Atalanta’s back 3 stretched, this vacates space and allows room for United’s attacking runners in to the box to find space between the center-backs.
In Cristiano Ronaldo, Mason Greenwood, Jadon Sancho and the returning Marcus Rashford, Manchester United certainly have the personnel to take advantage.
Twitter: Inside Football
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