Ernesto Valverde Tactic vs Man U 1st Leg UEL Semi Final
In this post, I will discuss Ernesto Valverde Tactic vs Man U 1st Leg UEL semi-finals. Athletic Bilbao lost the game 3-0, and they were outplayed by Man Utd, even before they got the red card.
In terms of the tactic, Ernesto Valverde used his 4-2-3-1 tactic. Sannadi started as the striker, which was a little surprise to me, then flanked Inaki Williams and Nico Williams. With no further ado, let’s get into the details of the tactic.
Ernesto Valverde Tactic vs Man U 1st Leg UEL | Tactical Setup
In Possession
In the build-up play, Athletic Bilbao did try to play out from the back, but after the red card, they were taking more direct kicks from goal kicks.
In terms of approach play, Bilbao focused on plays through the sides of the field, more than they used the middle of the field. While still in possession, the passing directness was shorter, while the tempo was slightly higher. They looked for overlaps on both sides of the field, more than they looked for underlaps.
In Transition
The team involved in a fairly attacking width during transition. When the team won the ball on the break, they proceeded with counterattacks – even though they weren’t successful, as Man U mostly recovered the ball.
They worked the ball into the box, in the final third. When Valverde’s men lost possession in the opponent’s half, they either regrouped in their half to form a defensive wall or they counterpressed to win back the ball, which they hardly did. Lastly, the goalkeeper either distributed quickly or after slowing the pace down and distributed through rolling it out.
Out Of Possession
In terms of their pressing approach, Bilbao pressed with a mid-block line of engagement, but after the red card, the line of engagement was a low block. When the Man U team had the ball in their half, Bilbao’s defensive line was standard, but lower after the red card.
Furthermore, the Spanish boss equally instructed the defenders to remain compact by trapping the opponents outside. The defenders equally dropped off the defensive line to defend closer to their box.
Ernesto Valverde Tactic vs Man U 1st Leg UEL | Formation Lineup
Ernesto Valverde Tactic vs Man U 1st Leg UEL | Role Selections
GK
Agirrezabala was a sweeper keeper on support duty.
CDs
Vivian and Yeray were ball-playing defenders on defence duties. They tried to close down opposition attacks and break up the team’s attack. Vivian’s red card affected the team negatively in that game.
FBs
Yuri and De Marcos were traditional fullbacks on support duties. They were forced to focus more on defending during the entire game, especially after the red card.
DMs
Galarreta and Jauregizar were a defensive midfielder and a segundo volante on support duty, respectively. Galarreta focused on protecting the midfield against Man UTD, while Jauregizar focused on moving forward to support the attacks. After the red, he was defending too.
AM
Berenguer was an attacking midfielder on support duty. He operated centrally and did try to put in efforts in the game.
Ws
Inaki Williams was a raumdeuter. Inaki Williams wasn’t on his day generally; his runs and dribbles were sloppy.
Nico Williams was an inverted winger on the left flank. He had a really bad game all around, and his dribbling wasn’t effective.
CF
Sannadi was an advanced forward. He led the attacking forward, running at the defenders of Man U. He did have a bad all-around.
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