In this first entry of the ANALYSIS section we take a look at Roberto de Zerbi's Sassuolo, keeping the focus on the build up play of the Italian team. Within all the principles presented, we analyse the occupation of the free space left by the defender. This is a basic principle in Sassuolo's positional game, especially during the main phase of building up the game from the back. We leave here a video where we highlight this principle, but where we can also see that in order to be successful with this idea, there are many other concepts that take place and build up a loop of positive feedback so that the full idea works, just like a set of gears need from each other for the full system to work.
Starting with a back 4, we can see how both centre backs look to attract the opposite centre forwards to generate free space in-between the lines. We can clearly see in these video clips that, even though the centre backs have space to drive and progress with the ball in the generated space, they never do it and play passes to the free player instead. The aim of this action has a double intention: firstly, the movement of the ball is faster when passing (rather than driving), and in second place they aim to play inside to then play outside, sometimes using a third man. But generating that space in the middle of the park is not that easy, and neither it is to occupy and take profit of them, as there are many other basic concepts taking place for the idea to be successful. We constantly see how de Zerbi's team adapts width through the wide players (both full backs and wing backs) starting from maximum width. Furthermore, we can see how all the players readapt their position and situation on the pitch as a function of the ball's trajectory, leading to a constant readjustment of the phase spaces as a function of both ball and opponents' trajectories. But we'll deepely analyse this factor in another post.
We do not only observe this behaviour in the game against Juventus, but it is one of Sassuolo's most common principle that takes place in nearly every game. In the sequence of images presented below, we can see how Genoa's striker follows the ball's trajectory when it travels towards Sassuolo's centre back, leaving a space in his back that Sassuolo's midfielder occupies keeping a 2.3 structure that allows the team to progress and, also, be ready in case they lose the ball (structure of security). We can use this same example to illustrate two concepts of positional game previously mentioned, as we see how width is kept in order to generate enough space, and we also see how the movement of Sassuolo's midfileder depends on both the ball and the striker's trajectory, in such a way that the advantage generated to receive the ball is greater.
If you liked what you read, do not miss the entry in our TRAININGS section to see how to apply these principles in a practical way.
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