UEFA Super Cup: Talking tactics

Manchester City's masterplan bears fruit

Shape-shifters seek superiority

A regular theme was defensive midfielders dropping between centre-backs and full-backs stepping into midfield. This fluidity gained a fresh variation thanks to Pep Guardiola’s deployment of John Stones as a midfielder, the centre-back stepping up alongside Rodri when City had possession and their shape shifted to a 1-3-2-4-1.

UEFA observer David Adams reflected: “There’s a lot more interchange of positions and the purpose is to create a numerical superiority either in the defensive line to build or in the mid-line where you are trying to get the ball into the final third.”

Cornering the market

City were the top scorers in the 2022/23 Champions League with 32 goals. A competition- high six came from corners, and with 78 corners taken this worked out at one goal from every 13 – considerably fewer than the tournament-average ratio of one in 25.

Erling Haaland scored five of City’s goals from corners and three came in the round of 16 home victory over Leipzig when he registered five times. Interestingly, none of the Norwegian’s goals from corners were from first contacts but came rather from knockdowns or second-phase opportunities.

The same applied to Rúben Dias’ goal following a corner at Sevilla, which meant that City’s only goal featuring a connection with a dead-ball delivery was Manuel Akanji’s header from a Kevin De Bruyne free-kick against Real Madrid.

City conceded only five goals across the whole competition but three of them were from corners and another from a penalty. That meant the champions conceded a solitary open-play goal in 13 matches.

How Sevilla shone on the big stage

Staying wide

Sevilla’s Europa League success owed much to their effective play in wide attacking areas. Two-thirds (66%) of the Spanish side’s entries into the final third came via the two wide lanes, with a preference for the right-hand side, where 36% of final third entries occurred.

Clever combination play between right-back Jesús Navas and right-sided attacker Lucas Ocampos was a key characteristic of Sevilla’s attacking play. Navas – who can also be utilised as a winger – routinely made direct and overlapping runs from deeper positions to progress the ball or support the play.

"Jesús Navas never stopped running and was still getting forward in the 90th minute of the game," said UEFA technical observer Hans Leitart following Sevilla’s 2-1 extra-time victory over Juventus in the semi-final second leg. "Navas put numerous crosses into the Juventus box and was defensively solid against Samuel Iling-Junior, who is almost half his age. It was an amazing performance from a wonderful player."

Stepping up

Pressing effectively in the opposition half was a key characteristic of Sevilla’s out-of-possession play during their run to the Europa League final. In both their quarter-final against Manchester United and semi-final against Juventus, there were many examples of the Spanish side’s ability to disrupt opponents’ build-up play and regain possession high up the pitch.

"Sevilla pressed really aggressively high up the pitch during the second leg against Juventus," said Leitart. "Their aim was to make the pitch small so they could win the ball back. It meant every Sevilla player was pressing all over the pitch and they were either winning the ball back high, making Juventus kick the ball back to them or they were so aggressive that they conceded free-kicks. This approach made the Juventus players nervous on the ball and they ended up having poor control because they were anticipating aggressive pressure."

It was not only in high-pressing scenarios where Sevilla demonstrated effective defensive play, but also in their ability to regain possession. "Sevilla also won a lot of balls back in the middle third," added Leitart. "Juventus might have played through the initial pressure from the high press, but Sevilla’s central midfielders Ivan Rakitić and Fernando were equally aggressive and also made lots of ball recoveries in the middle third."

Sevilla continued with their high-pressing approach in the final versus Roma. Working from a 1-4-2-3-1 defensive shape, they demonstrated intensity in their pressing and regularly made multiple pressing actions in any one pressing scenario. There was also a clear intent to counter-press their opponents, with 56% of Sevilla’s pressing actions occurring immediately after losing possession.