Tactics Explained | Champions League Final: Real Madrid vs Juventus

The 2016 17 Champions League final will
be contested by Real Madrid and Juventus,
both champions of their nations domestic
leagues and arguably possessing the
finest attack and finest defence
respectively in Europe this season. Real
Madrid have scored 32 goals in this
season's Champions League; the most.
Juventus have conceded only three all of
which have been from set pieces. Only
group G's FC Copenhagen have conceded
fewer in the Champions League; 2 - and they
only played six matches to Juventus's
12. But in Marcelo and Dani Carvajal Real
Madrid boasts two of the finest
fullbacks in the game as well as the
superb defensive midfielder Casimiro.
Juventus on the other hand have Paulo
Dybala and Gonzalo Higuaín up front and
the converted deep-lying playmaker Miralem Pjanić
pulling the strings. To bill
this match as an unstoppable force
meeting an immovable object is to
overlook the all-round ability and
balance of both sides.
Max Aleggri Juventus side lineup either
as a 4-2-3-1 or as a 3-5-2 but as
Allegri himself had stated morphing from
one to the other situationally in game
is a crucial part of how the Italian
champions play. Defensively Juve they tend
to use a form of man orientated press
while the front two players press the
central defenders the rest of the Juve
side sit off picking their opposite
numbers who are then pressed when in
possession but not too aggressively.
Shape is more important than regaining
possession by pressing. The double pivot
sit deeper lining up against the
opposition central midfield in a form of
man marking. The wider players then drop
in to make a 4-4-2 narrower in the
midfield and wider across the back four.
The wider players nearest the ball push
out to press the opposition full back
while the other wide player tucks in to
make a three man central midfield
organised and anchored by the
tactically astute Sami Khedira.
Once the ball has transitioned into the
Juve half, they again make a 4-4-2
but generally narrower and drifting from
side to side to keep the shape and width
if the opponent's switch play. However
Juventus are happy to vary the press
depending on the opponent. If the
opposition play out from the back as
Barcelona tried Juve will press more.
If they play directly as Monaco did they
will sit off more and channel the
buildup centrally where the pitch is
more congested. Much of Juve's
attacking play in either formation is
about creating space for the full or
wing backs to push on. In the 4-2-3-1
Dybala's dropping into space pulls
opposition midfielders around and allows
Pjanic in midfield or Bonucci from
centre back time to play to wide left
and right. Higuain will also drop off
while in the 4-2-3-1. The lateral
movement of the two wider attacking
midfielders augmented by the full-backs
means that Juventus play very wide
going forwards. This affords the chance
to switch the play either directly or
through the midfield pivot and Juve's
width means they can create space on the
opposition flank for a player to cross
to two hard-working predatory forwards; Higuain and Mandzukic, with Dybala
often arriving late for a layoff or to
pounce on loose balls. In the 3-5-2
or the 3-4-2-1
the theory is the same; create width use
the forwards to pull the defense out of
shape switch the ball and bring Alves
and Sandro into the game for crossing
opportunities. There is a conception that
Zinedine Zidane's primary job as Real
Madrid's manager is to control a
dressing room full of world-class talent
and egos and that the tactics are
essentially no more complex than give
the ball to players like Gareth Bale
Karim Benzema
and Cristiano Ronaldo. Sit back and enjoy.
However good teams players are though at
the highest level organization is still
crucial and Zidane has added structure
to Real's defensive stance. Defensively
Real also press high on the opposition
center backs and playing with three up front
they can also shift the press across to
the full-backs. However, Real tend to mark
passing lanes rather than men which does
leave them vulnerable if the cover isn't
arranged well and don't press very
aggressively. Casemiro
is the key player moving in front of the
back four to shut down passing lanes
pressing and winning back the ball and
dropping deeper if the full-backs need
to push up. Real also fall into a 4-4-2 or
even a 4-1 4-1 in their own half with
right-sided forward, Bale if fit, or one
of Isco or Modric in the 4-3-1-2
filling the right-sided berth. Real want
their opponents to try and play over
them by compacting the vertical space
and congesting the middle of the pitch,
and encourage this by playing quite a
high line. In attack Real try to
stretch the play as much as possible.
Toni Kroos is usually the deepest lying
midfielder in possession linking
the back four and the front players even
though Casemiro is a screening
midfielder defensively. Real Madrid tend
to use Kroos as the build-up player,
Luka Modric or Isco as the midfielder
who pulls wide or pushes into the box
and Casemiro as a shuttling support
player. Carvahal and Marcelo push very
high and very wide while the forward
line of Bale Benzema and Ronaldo can
interchange dropping in or wider to
create overloads. When playing a 4-3-1-2
with Isco in the hole
this movement is more vertical than
horizontal but the effect is the same.
Real Madrid have three hugely talented
attackers who can play anywhere across
the front line while the full-backs
create the initial chances. The intention
is to have two players on the side where
Madrid are in possession, two players
in the box for the cross and a spare
player on the far side for the switch or
to regain possession
if the ball is over hit. The more
attack-minded midfielder fills in to
ensure the wide players have a passing
option to recycle or switch play if
required. Real also use Modric's ability
to carry the ball using one two passes
or have one of the forward players drop
off to link the
midfield three to the forwards. This can
also be done by Isco in the 4-3-1-2. So,
who are the teams likely to line up
against one another? Real will be in
their customary 4-3-something and
whether Isco plays will depend on
whether Bale returns to fitness. Juventus
have several choices, they can
play a 4-2-3-1 seeding the deeper
midfield to put pressure on the Real
Madrid defense-midfield link, or they can
place three at the back, wide, matching
Real's front line using the wing backs to
push up onto Real's full backs and using
Dybala or Mandzukic to drop in to help
out against Real's midfield three. Both
teams play wide and so the temptation
will be for both sets of full backs to
sit deeper and play more cautiously in
the opening stages at least. If Bale is
not fit however and Isco plays in the hole,
Juventus will likely be bolder as
Real will play slightly narrower. If the
wide area's see both sides trying to
stifle one another then Modric and
Pjanic will become the key men for
their respective sides. Modric will
look to carry the ball forwards into
areas where Real should have a numerical advantage,
Pjanic meanwhile will try to link with
Dybala who will drop into space and
evade Casemiro
and his accurate passing through the
lines will be crucial if Juventus are
to find a way through Real's defensive
shape. While one might expect Juventus
to sit deep, absorb pressure and hit
Real on a counter or exploit their
set-piece defensive weakness, Allegri
might adopt a more aggressive 4-3-4
or a 3-4-2-1,
pin Real Madrid back and by asking
Mandzukic and Dybala to drop in and
Pjanic and Khedira to push up, overpower
Real Madrid's midfield three leaving a
3v3 at the back, and trusting in the
energy of Alves and Sandro to cover back
if required. Whatever happens this is a
final with two very deserving sides and
should afford a feast of intelligent
tactical football.
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Tactics Explained | Champions League Final: Real Madrid vs Juventus

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