Why choosing to analyse a match in which there was two clean sheets and an amount of xG which was equal to 0,7 for both team? (Source: FbRef). Inter and Real Sociedad played a game in which both team did not take any risk. However it was interesting to understand how both team decided to not take risks. Here are the differences between Alguacil and Simone Inzaghi.
WHO TOOK THE CONTROL OF THE TACTICAL CONTEXT?
This is a typical question when we want to analyze a match on a tactical standpoint. My point of view is that both team was comfortable with the tactical context of the match, however Real Sociedad was playing having the possibility to tie the match in order to get the first place in the classification of the group: an important advantage since this allows to be in the first pot during the last 16 draw of next Monday.
For this reason Alguacil's team decided to play the match with the intention to keep the control. On the other side Simone Inzaghi decided to play this match with the intention to win but without taking many risks as well, while looking for some mistakes of the opponent or finding some transition.
With two teams that was playing without taking the risks, probably the tactical context was taken by the team who had the option to close the match 0-0. And it was Real Sociedad.
Source data: Wyscout
And they kept the control of the match by using their strength: ball possession and closing the spaces for the opponents from their own third. Ball possession and PPDA demonstrates the strategy put in place by Alguacil's team which allowed them to keep the control of the match.
HOW POSSESSION WORKS FOR REAL SOCIEDAD
The possession phase of Real Sociedad is based on starting from build-up also using the goalkeeper and finding spaces behind opponent's lines. Inter did not allow Real Sociedad to find the free man behind pressure, however this was not a problem for "Los Txuri-urdin" since their intention was to keep the ball in order to avoid risks on a defensive standpoint. Therefore their intention was to invite Inter's pressing.
Here is one of the example on how Real Sociedad was trying to force Inter to press them: Inter was very compact centrally with the two forwards Thuram and Sanchez which first assignment was to close passing lanes to the progression zone where Zubimendi was playing. The midfielder, instead, had the primary duty to close the space in front of the defence (so called definition zone, highlighted in the picture). The strategy of Real Sociedad was to ask one of the central defenders (in this case Zubeldia) to carry the ball in order to force one of the forwards or one of the midfielders to break the line thus creating a space to progress the ball centrally.
In this video is possible to understand more in detail how this strategy worked. Also the use of the goalkeeper Remiro is part of the plan, since he was often used to lure the pressing structure of Inter.
HOW REAL SOCIEDAD RECOVERED THE BALL
The real trademark of Real Sociedad strategy is how they recover the ball. The PPDA statistic was a proof of this. The phase of recover of the ball is organic to the strategy of keeping the ball and having the control of the match.
Starting from the pressing on the build-up it is immediate to see the approach: Inter structure in build up, similar to Real Sociedad, was a 4+1 in which one of the wing-backs (in this Cuadrado) joins the three defenders. Real Sociedad invited Inter to go wide and then they put players in proximity of the zone where the ball is played, therefore we see that the left-back Munoz step up on Cuadrado, while Kubo the right-winger comes inside to cover the central spaces. Other than the structure it is important the timing of the players in applying the pressure, and Real Sociedad players executed the pressing very well from this point of view forcing Inter to play long and not gaining field.
The counter pressing once lost the ball follows the same pattern. Many Real Sociedad players move to the zone where the ball is played in order to regain it as soon as possible. Most of the (few) dangerous situations created by Real Sociedad during the match against Inter was generated by situations of counter pressing. Even if those situation did not lead to a transition or into a shoot it allowed the Spanish team to have the control of the ball to continue managing the match by keeping the ball and keeping Inter far from the penalty area.
In order to integrate the counter pressing activity, it is important to have a strong rest-defence. And it was the case for Real Sociedad against the two Inter's forwards. The rest defence was given by keeping three players against the two forwards, giving a numerical superiority guaranteed in case of transition. This strategy is not always enough to avoid situation in which counter attacks generate dangerous situations, however this allowed Real Sociedad to have the control of the most part of the match. The message for Inter was that if they wanted to be more dangerous they should have taken more risks. And this confirms that Alguacil took the tactical context of the match.
HOW INTER AND REAL SOCIEDAD TRIED TO CREATE OPPORTUNITIES
Opportunities to score was very few during the match, however it was possible to recognize a pattern in both team on how to reach penalty area.
Looking at the line-up Real Sociedad decided to play with Oyarzabal as left-attacker in the 4-1-4-1, a solution which did not work properly since the captain of the "Los Txuri-urdin" after returning from knee injury does not longer have the pace to win duel in 1 vs 1. On the contrary, Takefusa Kubo on the right has this pace and that's why he was the principal outlet for defining the attacks. His duels against Renato Augusto had the purpose to bring the ball in the penalty area in order to try crosses for Sadiq or cut-backs for Merino and Zakharyan, however the solution did not work and Real Sociedad was not able to create dangerous alternative situations.
On the other side it was Thuram the main outlet to create dangerous situations for Inter. The ability of the French forward to win duels and to progress with the ball with pace was the solution for Simone Inzaghi to create artificial transitions to expose Real Sociedad defence. Indeed, the main opportunities for Inter came from initiatives of the son of Lilian Thuram.
CONCLUSION
Inter and Real Sociedad was a 0-0 draw with few emotions, however we had the chance to see the different style and strategies of the two managers Simone Inzaghi and Alguacil. The lesson learnt is that controlling the ball is useful also when a team is deemed to play for a draw like Real Sociedad did. On the other side we have appreciated the research of a riskless approach by denying spaces to the opponent team.
At the end Real Sociedad was more happy cause the 0-0 allowed them to win the group, on the other side questions about the approach taken by Simone Inzaghi not only for the tactical approach but also for doing many rotations in this match from the ideal line-up of the team in a match that can have big influence for the next phases of the Champions League.
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