Left Back Football

The short goal-kick rule that became active at the beginning of this season has seen a fascination with short goal-kicks and goalkeeper involvements in world football. However, they are difficult to execute due to the away team being in a pressing situation as one misplaced pass could lead to the team in possession conceding a goal. This piece looks at the goal-kick routines that have worked while looking to create the perfect formula for a goal-kick routine.

Positioning

Positioning is an essential facet of short goal-kick sequences for attracting pressure, short and quick ball circulations as well as progression past opposition pressure. Teams could also utilise positioning to attract high pressure before playing a direct ball over the first line of pressure to create quick opportunities for the break. In the situation above, Sassuolo have positioned the centre-backs alongside the keeper with deep-lying fullbacks and a deeper-lying double pivot to have numerical and spacial superiorities for their turnovers.

Roberto De Zerbi will normally position a midfielder at the top of the box in a double-pivot or as a singular pivote as a passing option for the goalkeeper or the centre-backs. The keeper may work a pass into the midfielder to attract pressure as the midfielder will then lay the ball off to the centre-backs who will then work a pass to the fullbacks in space. Minute details in ball rotations are integral as Sassuolo utilised the situation above but lost possession after a weak pass from one midfielder in the double-pivot to another as constant rehearsal of these situations is integral to efficiency. In the above situation, the goalkeeper will work a pass to one of the centre-backs to attract pressure and create space for the central midfielders or fullbacks. The deeper-lying midfielder will then move into the space in between the centre-back and fullback to receive the ball as he will work a pass to the fullback who will then move a pass for the other centrally placed midfielder in the double-pivot behind the first line of pressure.

De Zerbi positions six outfield players and the goalkeeper to establish connections to progress play as he looks to move possession forward as a unit. He will also utilise striker, Francesco Caputo in the wide areas as a direct out ball for the fullback as Caputo will receive the ball, lay off to a teammate and begin to move into the centre as a winger or attacking midfielder will then move into the wide areas as Sassuolo will break into the opposition half with width. Once the fullback passes the ball to Caputo, this will trigger central runs with Caputo distributing the ball to the player shifting the ball into the half-space as the striker will then move into the centre with a winger moving outside him.

Borussia Dortmund and RB Leipzig switched to a back three during the season as Lucien Favre and Julian Nagelsmann have tailored their formations to their short goal-kick strategy. Their centre-backs will move alongside the goalkeeper within the box while their central centre-back will be positioned at the top of the box. Dortmund will also position their wing-backs in the deeper areas as they seek to create the opportunity for triangular combinations with the wide centre-backs, wing-back and midfielder to work wide rotations and move possession into the opposition half.

In the situation above, Dortmund have numerical superiority as their opposition is waiting for the keeper to move the ball to one of the wide centre-backs which will trigger pressure from the two attacking players, the opposition are also prepared to push up with a player who will engage the wing-back when he receives possession. Dortmund will try to evade pressure as their midfielder will drop into the space beyond the first line of pressure to receive the ball while the back three is staggered for the keeper to have a direct access to the centre-back when the wide centre-backs are marked.

The wing-back is positioned deeper, so the goalkeeper has direct access to him positioned in the wide areas as the keeper will play a direct ball to the wide areas to evade central pressure. The wide attackers in the front three will be positioned in the half-spaces but will also move into the wider areas to work a one-two with the wing-back, allowing them to drive into space. Dortmund have so many players positioned in the deeper areas, so the players can work the ball back to the keeper who will switch the ball to the weak side where Favre’s side will have the adequate player spacing to work connections to progress play into the opposition half.

Nagelsmann could work a similar shape to Favre with Upamecano pushing into midfield or if they are utilising a back four shape they could have a 2+4 (3+4 including the goalkeeper) in a similar fashion to De Zerbi’s Sassuolo shape. The keeper, Peter Gulasci can circulate the ball with the centre-backs either side, attracting pressure then playing an out ball to Upamecano and one of the midfielders to beat the first wave of pressure and work connections via switch ball or direct passes in between the lines. Gulasci can also adjust this routine when the opposition is pressing high to work a direct out ball in between the lines.

Like De Zerbi, Werner will be positioned on the left flank at times, but Leipzig will not use him as an option for an out ball but instead preferring work connections behind the first line of pressure before isolating him against the fullback and working balls into the channels so that he has the opportunity to run in behind.

Tim Walter’s Stuttgart used rotations during pre-season while the keeper is in possession as players would switch roles before the keeper releases the ball. Two centre-backs would normally be positioned either side of the goalkeeper as once the keeper works the ball to one of the centre-backs, his partner would push into midfield to create a 2v1 situation against the opposition attacker, so the duo could work a quick combination then play an out ball in between the central lines. They also worked rotations whenever the ball was passed back to the keeper as the fullback would push higher with the wide-midfielder dropping into the fullback’s space and the midfielder pushing higher before the winger dropped into the fullback’s space to evade high pressure with rotations in the wide areas.

Attracting Pressure to create space

Attracting pressure to create space is an essential facet of short goal-kicks if a team presses high with a defensive line positioned at the halfway-line, the goalkeeper can utilise a long-ball to send a pacy striker in behind without fear of an offside. If a team’s higher press is triggered by a short goal-kick including a pass within the box, then there are opportunities to find space behind the opposition’s first wave of pressure creating opportunities to break. In the Copa Del Rey away to Real Madrid, Real Sociedad utilised a system of encouraging the opposition to push up high against their defensive chain with some combinations with the keeper before using a medium chip or a longer ball past the first wave of pressure for quick combinations in breaking situations.

Sociedad would consistently utilise moves where they would work the ball back to the keeper with their two centre-backs dropping either side of the keeper, drawing the opposition attackers while having midfielders and fullbacks to drop creating a line of four to draw Madrid’s midfield four forward. In one situation, La Real had a midfielder drop to create a three-chain in a 3-4-3 shape as Real Madrid switched to a 4-2-3-1 pressing shape to press the goalkeeper and three-chain. The keeper calmly passed the ball to the right sided centre-back who worked the ball back to the keeper who chipped the ball past the first line of pressure for Mikel Merino to chest the ball and turn past Madrid’s deeper midfield double pivot and drive the ball into space before playing a pass into the wide areas.

La Real attracting pressure to chip the ball.

In another situation, La Real worked the ball back to the keeper and dropped in a 2+4 shape with Real Madrid pressing in a 4-4-2 as the midfielders dropped deeper to encourage their markers to push higher while the centre-backs played closer to the keeper to give the two strikers a dilemma of pushing up to press the keeper or continuing to mark the centre-backs. The keeper waited for one of the strikers to shift his responsibility to marking him before playing a direct ball past the first two waves of pressure to Mikel Oyarzabal who was centrally placed to layoff for Martin Odegaard as two centre-backs pushed up to press him. Odegaard then played a pass to Merino who was making a run into the opposition half in order to create a 3v2/3v3 counter-attacking opportunity.

Nagelsmann has also utilised situations where he has attracted high pressure out of his team’s short goal-kick shape before playing a longer ball. At home to Werder Bremen, Leipzig had their usual shape with their two centre-backs beside the goalkeeper with Laimer positioned at the top of the box as Bremen pushed up with three attackers’ man-marking the centre-backs. Gulasci then played a direct ball to an attacker dropping into space in between the lines to lay-off for Laimer who played a pass in behind for Patrik Schick to try and flick a pass through for Dani Olmo on the break.

The main issue with creating breaking situations through using a short goal-kick situation as a decoy for a longer pass is the presence of attackers near the half-way line or in the opposition half to break. Real Sociedad consistently maintained an attacking trio against Real Madrid while Leipzig also had a trio in their situation. Players from the deeper areas should also make runs into the opposition half with the space created with instigated pressure from the opposition defence.

Switch-ball/Out-ball

The switch-ball/out-ball is arguably the most important facet of a short goal-kick routine as teams normally lose possession at the out-ball phase of the short goal-kick. In Mikel Arteta’s first managerial outing away to Bournemouth, Arsenal conceded from a short goal-kick situation as they tried to work a combination on the left-flank as Bukayo Saka tried to work an out-ball to his winger whose attempted lay-off was intercepted for the opposition to score. However, before conceding the goal, Arsenal had worked a situation where they had far more success in a short goal-kick situation.

Bernd Leno played a pass to right-centre-back Sokratis who worked a pass to Ainsley Maitland-Niles who played a pass to Mesut Ozil as the German dropped into space on the right-flank to lay off a pass to Maitland-Niles who drove into the centre and switched a pass to Granit Xhaka as he played into Saka on the opposite flank to work a combination with Pierre Emerick Aubameyang and attempt to drive into the opposition box. Switching is essential to Arteta’s build up shape as his side conceded a goal by continuing to work the ball on the same flank allowing the opposition to lateral press them and regain possession before breaking. In the successful situation, they had movement with Ozil dropping onto the flank, allowing Maitland-Niles to move into the half-space for the layoff before switching the ball to the weak side with shorter connections where they had more direct access to the opposition box.

In the aforementioned subject of using a short goal-kick shape as a decoy for longer to medium-kicks is about expediting the process for an outball as with shorter passes, the difference with shorter and longer is shorter include more minute details like the weighting and precision of the passes. There is also a luck factor as in Leipzig’s situation against Monchengladbach, the goalkeeper plays the ball to Ibrahima Konate who is beside him to work a pass to Laimer. Breel Embolo is close to intercepting the pass but Laimer cleverly shields the ball and works a one-touch pass to Lukas Klostermann who drives into the space vacated by Embolo and working a pass into Kevin Kampl who switched the ball to Timo Werner on the opposite flank who cut inside and had his shot blocked.

The out ball is usually where teams lose possession due to playing long-balls under pressure and ceding possession to opposition centre-backs as short goal-kick teams have adapted to this by moving their striker into spaces where they can receive long-balls. Werner and Caputo are positioned in the wide areas to receive possession in space as the former will use his pace to get in behind the defence and cross or cut-in or create a shooting opportunity. Caputo will also receive the ball on the flank to lay-off the ball and move into a more central position for his team to eventually work a shooting opportunity as Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal utilise Ozil in the half-spaces to establish connections before switching the ball to the opposition’s weak side. The out ball or switch ball allows the team in possession to beat opposition pressure and truly transition into an attacking situation to counter on an opposition high-line or a weak opposition defence.

Conclusion

Positioning, attracting pressure to create space and the out-ball or switch ball are an integral facet to creating short goal-kicks as teams can use and innovate different methodologies to create successful short goal-kick situations. Goal-kick situations will need to be rehearsed consistently to work on the minute details, especially evading pressure with short passes to create space behind the first wave of opposition pressure as the spaces are tighter and passes need to be precise. It will be interesting to see which teams use short goal-kicks in the future while also how they innovate with this facet of football.