Champions League Performance Insights: Real Madrid's space invaders

"Our goal is to be good defensively. We have a lot of quality up front, [but] not always are we able to defend as a block. But, in these two games, we were able to do this – and, after that, when we have this base, the quality comes out."

This observation on Real Madrid's display against Manchester City in their UEFA Champions League knockout phase play-off came from coach Carlo Ancelotti himself, the Italian telling TNT Sports of his satisfaction with his side's compactness.

In the following article, UEFA's analysis unit will explore that defensive work, highlighting Madrid's efforts to control space when out of possession, as well as examining the danger they created when attacking multiple spaces while in possession.

To start with their play out of possession, this graphic shows Madrid's compact shape in the mid-block. As in their 3-2 first-leg win in Manchester, the titleholders were solid without the ball, staying compact and hard to break down.

Indeed, Ancelotti's comments afterwards suggested that Madrid's defending over the two legs of the tie represented an important piece slotting into the jigsaw. "We had difficulties to find a good balance defensively," he said, reiterating his point above. "It seems we found this balance and so we have possibilities to continue to the end in this competition."

Madrid protecting spaces in between 

As discussed among the UEFA Technical Observer Group after the first leg in Manchester, the partnership between midfielders Dani Ceballos and Aurélien Tchouaméni and the front two of Kylian Mbappé and Vinícius Júnior was fundamental.

Ancelotti explained after that 3-2 first-leg victory that he had wanted his players to press high only at restarts from Ederson. Instead, the priority was to control the spaces in between and this is the focus of the first clip of the video above.

As we see, the midfielders' priority is to control those spaces while the front two have the job of shuffling across and screening. At one point, both Federico Valverde and Ceballos can be seen pointing to Mbappé to get tight to Nico González. The willingness of a star footballer like Mbappé to graft for his team offers a lesson about attitude which we will return to later.

As the sequence develops, City shift the ball to their right side, Madrid shuffle across accordingly and Ceballos is there to press the ball and shut down the space around Phil Foden, with Tchouaméni stepping in to win the ball back. What is then apparent is Madrid's ability to keep possession under pressure; this is a team comfortable and composed in tight areas.

Madrid's composure and ability to keep the ball was commented on by Pep Guardiola after last Wednesday's match. "They can run; they always have done with the players up front," remarked the City coach, adding that now "they make long possessions" too. The second video above provides an example with a 98-second sequence.

As well as their capacity to keep the ball, Madrid caught the eye also for their ability to threaten several attacking spaces at once. If Ancelotti demands good organisation when his team are defending, when they have the ball they play with fluidity and freedom, and this aspect is explored in the final video below.

Watching the second-leg action, UEFA Technical Observer Rafa Benítez commented on how often Madrid's attackers penetrated City's defence with their runs in behind, and clip one features a passage of controlled possession which is punctuated by several players attacking space behind, as indicated by the purple arrows.

As for the second clip, this shows players finding space both in between – in Tchouaméni – and in behind, with the run from Mbappé. For young players, this run from Mbappé, on the move early and curving his path to stay onside, is a lesson in itself.

The last clip shows more of Madrid's runs in behind in the lead-up to Mbappé's second goal, though the role of Jude Bellingham is also instructive. The young Englishman finds a pocket of space inside and, after a swift scan, he halts his run, receives the ball and then feeds Vinícius Júnior surging forward on the right.

At the precise moment Bellingham turns to make his pass, he has four City players around him, but he has the quickness and clarity of thought to act, and this is something we will reflect on in the next section – the need to prepare players to be able to perform at speed in tight spaces.

Player development lessons

If this analysis has shone a light on world-class footballers on a Champions League night at the Santiago Bernabéu, it offers lessons for coaches working with players at early points on the pathway. Here, Thomas Brantsæter and Gunnar Pettersson – talent development experts with the Norwegian and Swedish football associations, respectively – share their thoughts on transferring this analysis to junior levels for the improvement of young players.

Thomas Brantsæter, Football Association of Norway
"We see a lot of young players who try to play safe. A lot of teams look to play a similar style of possession football, and players only want balls into feet. This means players may become more rigid. But as we see with these videos of Madrid, with the biggest talents their first thought is: 'How can I be a threat?'

"These players have a huge repertoire, and we are seeing more and more complete footballers who are great at 1v1s in big spaces but can also play in the smaller spaces. We need players who are both fast and have technical ability to combine in small spaces, and that is what Real Madrid do. These players don't have only one solution. They have the tools to expose their opponents where it hurts them most.

"We need to develop players who are also able to defend at a high level, as that's what coaches at the top demand. I see a trend where most teams in youth football only press high, and a lot of it is man-to-man-oriented. That doesn't teach them the skills we see in the first video, where Madrid are working zonally, so it's important to also practise defending in a medium or low block.

"I'd add that we need to teach young players to enjoy defending and to understand that it is not a passive thing. Rather, defending in a medium to low block can actually give you counterattacking opportunities.

"Finally, to practise counterattacking, why not start training drills with a loose ball and contesting possession? That's a real-game scenario and in such situations Madrid, as we've seen, are so quick to identify the right spaces to attack."

Gunnar Pettersson, Swedish Football Association
"A key trait in today's top attacking players is being able to control the ball and control the situation in tight spaces – like Bellingham in the third video. The game is so fast now so we need to develop players who can manage that speed.

"To coach this, players have to play in small spaces. They have to be able to control the ball and make decisions in small spaces and, at the same time, be able to combine with other players – with someone showing to feet and someone else going in behind, for example.

"Another important message for young players is to see how Madrid's superstars work hard defensively as well. At the highest level, you cannot afford to have players not contributing in defence as all players now are too good attacking-wise, so you cannot leave them with time and space.

"I'd suggest developing good habits from an early age so players are used to participating in both defence and attack. When your team have the ball, all players are attackers; when the opposition have it, they are all defenders, and everyone has to be as good as possible in both phases. Getting that mindset early can create the right habits as they continue through youth football.

"We have players from age six in our player development plan and we try to emphasise that there are two phases – attack and defence – and when you lose the ball, you move from attack to defence, and you need to participate and do everything you can to win the ball back."