Ideas and roles dictate City’s pressing shape

“In the dim and distant past we played the first leg and what we can remember from that we will put to good use. Since then, we’ve watched all Madrid’s games since La Liga restarted so we’ve spoken about how we think Madrid might approach this game but what we have done more is speak as a squad about how we can hurt Madrid and cause problems for them.” remarked Pep Guardiola before Friday’s match.

It all sounds normal. The ironic part is, the way Manchester City caused problems for Real Madrid had a glimpse of post lockdown Real Madrid.

Since the return of football in Spain, Real Madrid have been only winning — drawing once against Leganes when title was over, keeping clean sheet after clean sheet. Part of this defensive improvement has been how they minimized the opposition’s build up options by pressing their center backs and players dropping to assist the build up, mainly in a 4–3–1–2 shape.

The shape is not that significant but the idea is to press the opponent’s center backs while denying build up options who are dropping to support.

Watching Real Madrid post lockdown it’s also noticeable how dependent they are on Casemiro, Toni Kroos, Luka Modric and the center backs in the build up phase. Allowing the full backs to push forward, with Dani Carvajal occasionally popping up in midfield to support the build up.

Putting these points together, it was Manchester City’s ability to limit Real Madrid’s build up that gave them the upper hand. Quite ironic.

Guardiola started with Phil Foden centrally up top in the first half. The naming of the shape whether it’s a 4–3–1–2 with wide forwards,or a 4–3–3 style diamond doesn’t matter. The essence is in the roles of the players and the type of player in that position. Foden’s positioning throughout the first half was a consequence of his role, and that is to press Real Madrid’s center backs and to deny passes into their build up options in midfield by dropping deeper.

City’s pressing shape varied depending on the number of Real Madrid players dropping to support the build up. It might look as a 4–3–1–2 here with Raheem Sterling and Gabriel Jesus stepping up to press Real Madrid’s center backs while Foden is dropping on to Casemiro. But if Kroos drops deeper and Kevin De Bruyne follows, the City pressing shape will morph into a 4–2–2–2. The pressing was dynamic and that’s what made it harder for Real Madrid.

The players and shape alternated but the idea was the same, and that is to press Real Madrid’s build up. Here it’s a 1–2 shape similar to that of Real Madrid’s during their latest La Liga matches. Foden and Sterling are pressing the center backs as De Bruyne is marking Casemiro. The logical observation here would be that Kroos is free, but is he?

Once Raphael Varane goes back to Thibaut Courtois for the switch of play towards Kross, Kyle Walker is quickly out of his position to press. It wasn’t reactive, Walker who is out of the screen here could be seen in the previous snippet anticipating the switch of play towards Kroos whose movement towards that space is a trademark move in Real Madrid’s build up. Walker pounces as Courtois’ floater goes out into a throw in.

Real Madrid don’t use their full backs during the build up phase, only when Carvajal goes inside then he might participate in the build. That’s what City revolved their pressing scheme around. The wide forwards, Sterling and Jesus here are ready to press Real Madrid’s center backs, while Foden and De Bruyne are positioned to deny passes into Real Madrid’s players who are dropping to support the build up, Casemiro and Kroos.

When the ball is played to Eder Militao, it’s still the same from City. Militao can’t find any safe pass into his regular build up options and Sterling is moving up to press. A foul saves Militao here but the suffocation was just beginning.

Perhaps the greatest trick City played on Real Madrid is that they made them believe that Kroos is free, but the thing is to reach Kroos the ball has to be floated to the left side from Varane or Courtois due to City’s 1–2 pressing shape here.

Floating a ball means there is time for Walker, who is one of Manchester City’s fastest players if not the fastest, to sprint towards Kroos and press him. Walker’s performance wasn’t limited to covering in midfield and defending. He was a key element in City’s pressing scheme as he positioned himself correctly to be able to press Kroos in case the ball was switched to the German. In this scenario with the build up options off the table, Courtois plays the ball towards Carvajal out wide who is pressed near the touchline by Ilkay Gundogan.

Walker was regularly waiting for the switch of play towards the left from Real Madrid whenever City’s forwards were pressing Real Madrid’s center backs. Here he is seen flying towards the right side in case Varane switches play to Ferland Mendy, but the Frenchman goes long to Karim Benzema who is offside.

Carvajal’s movement inside was also accounted for. The placement of Foden centrally meant that he can drop on to Casemiro, making it a 4 v 4 once Carvajal moves inside to assist the build up, and here you can see the main build up options that Real Madrid use all crossed out. Militao is pressed by Gundogan, Jesus is preparing to sprint at Varane, De Bruyne and Rodri are marking Carvajal and Modric and on the near side Sterling can easily press Kroos as there is no passing angle towards Casemiro. The shape of the press is different, but the idea is the most important constant.

The players’ positions during pressing varied as well. In this scenario it’s Foden who is pressing Varane instead of Jesus, creating a gap centrally where Kroos dropped. De Bruyne follows and leaves his area, knowing that Courtois is unlikely going to use Mendy in the build up, and that Walker is ready.

Walker was moving towards Mendy when he adjusted his body in reaction to Courtois’ attempt of a vertical ball towards Eden Hazard. It was a poor pass that was taken uncomfortably due to Foden’s press. De Bruyne intercepted the pass and Foden’s shot went past the left post.

In the build up to City’s first goal it was the press that unfurled everything. Foden’s movement forced Varane to go backwards with Sterling in place to press Militao. Meanwhile centrally, De Bruyne moved up to press Casemiro, leaving the task of marking Kroos to Walker.

After the ball was shifted towards Militao, he was pressed by Sterling forcing the ball to be played towards Courtois. Foden then dropped on to Casemiro and De Bruyne alternated his marking to mark Kroos. At the far side, it’s now Jesus in place to press Varane.

Just like in chess, the king is now surrounded. Checkmate. Varane’s build up options are all crossed out. Sterling can press Courtois and Militao, Foden can press Carvajal and Casemiro and finally De Bruyne is on to Kroos. The defender hesitates, Jesus nicks the ball and City scores leaving Real Madrid handicapped in the tie.

Real Madrid were dismantled by the press like a paper going through a paper shredder. It was intense, organized and efficient. In the second half City moved slightly to their regular 4–3–3 with less emphasis on the aforementioned pressing scheme.

Still, Real Madrid made multiple mistakes and the score line could have been more than 2–1. It might have been PTSD from the first half.

The next step in football evolution hasn’t been reached yet. Glimpse of “Active press-breaking” can be seen sporadically, but till then pressing and its variations still prevail.