In the Zone: Šeško and Vlahović's elite movement
Thursday, October 3, 2024
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UEFA technical observer Rafa Benítez analyses the individual brilliance which lit up Matchday 2's Leipzig-Juventus match.
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"Crazy" is how Juventus striker Dušan Vlahović summed up his team's thrilling 3-2 comeback win at Leipzig on UEFA Champions League Matchday 2, a game that was open and entertaining – yet tight – and was ultimately decided by key moments from individuals.
To start with Leipzig, they had less possession and looked to create opportunities via counterattacks. The German side had a few quick early breaks, but these fizzled out once they reached the final third.
Yet their 30th-minute opening goal, as we can see in the first clip of this video produced for the FedEx Performance Zone, was an exception as they countered from their own box and executed the transition well.
Let's look at the goalscorer, Benjamin Šeško. He starts his run from just outside his own area. As the ball goes wide to Loïs Openda, Šeško continues forward at pace, always mindful of his positioning and timing.
When the moment is right, he makes a run, attacking the space between the back line and the goalkeeper with speed. Openda's ball towards the area where he's running is perfect for him, and Šeško controls superbly with his right foot before finishing convincingly in off the crossbar with his left.
Juventus's first goal, five minutes after half-time, is seen in clip two – and what's crucial here is the clever movement from Vlahović. Andrea Cambiaso receives the ball and, with his positioning, he is able to deliver a successful cross, but look at how Vlahović attacks the space in front of the defender from the blind side, cutting in front to direct Cambiaso's ball across the goal and into the net.
The scorer of two goals, Vlahović was a key figure, as clip three further underlines. In a tough moment for Juventus – 2-1 down after Šeško's second and a man short following goalkeeper Michele Di Gregorio's 59th-minute dismissal – we see him press hard to help win the ball back and then produce a sensational strike from outside the box.
Juventus had made two early substitutions in the first half and now had one player less, yet they continued to be dangerous, within a 4-3-2 formation. They had to choose their moments to be courageous with the ball – and we can see the prime example in clip four, which shows Francisco Conceição's winning goal after 82 minutes.
He is up against two defenders and yet he attacks them, dribbling between them and then shooting under a third Leipzig player to score. He went alone, took the risk and found the net – the ultimate individual moment to win the game.
Of course, it wasn't just about the goalscorers. Juventus had more control and possession, and Cambiaso – stepping inside or advancing down the left from his left-back position – was vital to that. Additionally, Nicolò Fagioli scanned constantly and had full awareness of his surroundings, and brought that control for Juventus.
Despite having ten men and facing an aggressive opponent now pushing even harder, Juventus worked really hard, held the ball well in defence, were well organised and still controlled the game. Every player knew exactly what they had to do.
I liked the way Cambiaso switched positions: he'd move wide, drop back, move inside. He gave solutions to team-mates, always made the right pass – often a penetrating pass – and even took a couple of shots. His contribution made a difference for Juventus, though they still needed the individual impact and magical moments of Vlahović and Francisco Conceição to win.