From The Vault: Mourinho shackles Monaco to win his first Champions League trophy
Sixteen years on it’s easy to ignore Jose Mourinho’s stature as a top manager in world football. The current spell at Tottenham Hotspur and the previous one at Manchester United don’t match up to his early achievements.
Perhaps the downfall started at Real Madrid. It may have well started after he won the league with Chelsea in 2014–15. Yet, history will never forget what he achieved in the period between 2002 and 2012.
“Again..please don’t call me arrogant, because what I am saying is true. I am European champion, so I am not one of the..bottle. I am a spec- I think I am a special one.” He told the English press upon his arrival at Chelsea in 2004.
His arrival at Chelsea succeeded his first Champions League trophy. His first and Porto’s second after the 1987 triumph against Bayern Munich. Their opponent was Monaco managed by Didier Deschamps.
Monaco started in a 4–1–3–2 matching Porto’s diamond. Deschamps’ method of ball progression was initially long balls into the path of Fernando Morientes. This however was mitigated by Porto’s high defensive line. Mourinho’s back four acted as one to perfect the offside trap while making sure the aerial duels against Morientes were as high as possible up the field. Thus neutralizing his threat of flick-ons.
Jorge Costa and Ricardo Carvalho won most of the aerial duels against Morientes, but even Paulo Ferreira and Nuno Valente benefited from the high line. This gave them more safety to go into aerial duels against Monaco’s midfield further up the field.
Other than that the cohesive high defensive line meant that any of the back four can go into an aerial duel without fear of the space behind them being exploited. Here, Carvalho beats Morientes in the air denying Monaco any form of ball progression.
After the initial approach failed, Monaco switched to building up through their full backs Patrice Evra and Hugo Ibarra. Mourinho was ready though. One of Derlei and Pedro Mendes pressed Evra, while on the other side one of Carlos Alberto and Maniche pressed Ibarra. In case it was Mendes or Maniche, Deco dropped into midfield to fill the space vacated by the press. Here, Deco moves wide to press Evra as Mendes is back defending the space Ferreira vacated.
This totally nullified Monaco’s build up and second try of ball progression. Mendes was constantly breathing down Evra’s neck forcing him into unfavorable passes.
Derlei also jumped in to complete the touchline press. His movements towards Evra here presses the defender forcing him into a back pass all the way to Gael Givet at the center of defence. Furthermore, Derlei’s press keeps Ferreira’s positioning safe and allows Mendes to track Jerome Rothen’s run.
On the other side it was Maniche pressing Ibarra. Denying the right-back from progressing up the field freely.
All of the Porto players had a role in the pressing scheme. Deco’s was to drop into midfield to cover the space vacated by Maniche or Mendes. Here, with Mendes tracking Evra, Deco is occupying the right side of midfield — Mendes’ original position.
Another example late in the first half is when Costinha tries to disrupt Ibarra’s burst forward after the right-back beat Maniche. Deco sees the space Costinha left and drops back into midfield.
In the second half Mourinho tweaked the pressing scheme. None of Mendes nor Maniche pressed Monaco’s full backs. Carlos Alberto, Derlei and Deco dropped to press them (Ibarra and Evra). Mendes and Maniche’s role was to support Costinha and defend the channels. However, once Ibarra or Evra progressed further, Mendes or Maniche collapsed to create an extra man in the press.
An example here in the 52nd minute, Carlos Alberto presses Ibarra limiting his passing options. The right-back is then forced to pass the ball to Lucas Bernardi in the center of the pitch. Before that pass however Derlei was tracking back to press Bernardo, eventually forcing the Monaco midfielder to go backwards.
Deco as well featured in the full back press. His presence here doesn’t entirely affect Evra but its importance is that it allows Mendes to defend the right channel against Rothen.
It was time to change and both managers played their cards. Mourinho introduced Dmitri Alenichev instead of Carlos Alberto, moving Deco upfront and Maniche at the tip of the diamond. As for Deschamps, he switched to a 4–3–3 with the introduction of Shabai Nonda upfront.
Monaco’s aggressive full-backs eventually backfired against them as the spaces out wide were used by the Porto players on counter-attacks. In the build up to the second goal it’s clear how Alenichev are Derlei are occupying theses positions, giving Deco two passing options.
Deco chose Alenichev and the Russian returned the pass to Deco who was in a central position. The Portuguese-Brazilian midfielder put it past Flavio Roma to double Porto’s lead.
Evra’s bursts forward created null for Monaco but not only that, it caused them problems defensively in the second half and minutes after Deco’s goal he combined with Derlei multiple times on the right wing exploiting the space Evra vacated. Vassilios Zikos saved Monaco from a third with a crucial tackle to stop Derlei. The third came though minutes after that
Again it’s space vacated by the Monaco full-backs, this time it’s Ibarra. Derlei saw the space and moved into it in the build up to Porto’s third.
His cross to Maniche is disrupted but the ball falls into Alenichev’s pass. In a 1 v 1 situation against Roma, Alenichev slammed it into the net to make it 3–0.
Porto executed the perfect plan on the day, limiting Monaco to 0 shots on target. Mourinho’s initial way to stop Monaco from ball progression and his adjustments throughout the game proved that he is a special one.
Time has passed since then. Mourinho’s glories with Chelsea, Inter and Real Madrid further upped his name as one of football’s greatest ever managers. Porto meanwhile have had a few highs since then, winning the 2011 Europa League in addition to multiple domestic trophies. None though has reached the heights of the 2003–04 squad.
