Examples of #LFC’s patterned movements to disorientate Atalanta’s back three in the #UCL .

Atalanta set up in their usual man oriented back three; this is a high risk, high reward strategy.

The main reward being the opposition attackers receive the ball under aggressive pressure and therefore the system reduces the time and space they have in possession, forcing
them to make a quicker decision.

The two main risks are: 1) if a defender loses an individual duel with an attacker, the offensive team will have an overload, and 2) the offensive team can easily create space by dragging defenders away from specific zones, and exploiting it via other runners.

Some examples:

- Salah moves away from half-space, into wide area, dragging defender with him.
- Jones identifies space between the two CB’s and spins into space.
- receives through ball into dangerous area.

- Jota scanning to understand Mane movement; indicates this pattern has been coached.
- As Mane drops deep, that’s the trigger for Jota to lose his marker and exploit the space in behind.
- Mane receives deep, turns and finds runner in free space in behind Atalanta defence.

- Jones drops slightly deeper, dragging defender away from area and therefore opening up passing lane to Jota.
- As Jones drops deeper, Jota moves across his marker and makes run into the space created.
- Jota scores from resulting pass into the free space created.