UEFA Europa League Tactical Analysis: Porto and Roma's game of cat and mouse
Friday, February 14, 2025
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UEFA match observer Rui Faria focuses on one-on-one play after watching Porto and Roma draw 1-1 in the UEFA Europa League knockout phase play-off opener.
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"We knew Roma would be man for man and so in the end it's about trying to get an advantage and if that's with one pass, it's one pass. I don't want to score a goal with 20 passes, I want to score a goal so if I can do it with one, I do it with one." These were the words of Porto coach Martín Anselmi following his side's 1-1 draw with Roma, and they related to a key tactical point from Thursday's Europa League knockout phase play-off first leg.
As UEFA technical observer Rui Faria explores, this was a match that stood out for the way both teams looked to find solutions against one-vs-one pressing – hence the comments above from Anselmi – as well as for their strong defensive strategies.
Matching each other up
Both teams used formations which matched each other, creating situations where there were one vs ones all over the pitch. Porto went with a 3-4-3, Roma a 3-5-2 formation. When either team built up play, their opponents looked to apply pressure by going man to man.
Strategies and solutions
When facing an aggressive press, players look to come deeper to receive the ball and progress it. If they are being followed by opponents, that creates space for forwards – though they have their own markers. Teams looking to bypass the press can go over the top and we can see both sides do this in the video.
"Man to man always brings some positional instability and less structural balance because if someone loses the one against one then their team becomes easy to break through," notes Rui Faria. "It's hard to build against one-vs-one high pressure. It depends on how comfortable your players are in dealing with the press.
"The most easy situation is to attract [your opponents] short and play more direct in attack to overcome the pressure. Once you play deep, you have to be ready to win the first or second ball and play from there."
To break down Roma's defensive strategies, Porto looked to unbalance the opposition with movement off the ball and combination plays between three or four players. Hence, the Porto clip in this second video which shows combination play of three vs three in a small area which leads to ball progression.
Faria says: "When your defenders have the ball, it's always important for the midfield to release players to receive the ball and progress on the pitch. The timing of movement and pass is fundamental. Third-man situations are a good way to do it."
The second example in the video, featuring Roma's goal, shows their goalkeeper Mile Svilar facing an aggressive press and deciding to go long beyond it. Porto win both the first and second contacts, yet Roma react positively. It is not always possible to win the first and second balls and what Roma do next is to counter-press and regain the ball, which leads to the transition for the opening goal.
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Similar reflections on Europa League and Champions League
As highlighted in our Performance Insights analysis following last month's Barcelona vs Atalanta match, a clear trend is emerging in both the Champions League and Europa League regarding how to counter a man-marking press – with positional adjustments and individual rotations proving to be effective solutions against this defensive strategy.
We see examples of the solutions sought at the Estádio do Dragão in this third video. In the first clip, Roma build up from the back and a great double movement from Matías Soulé loses his marker. Additionally, as Faria observes, we see Tommaso Baldanzi – a 39th-minute replacement for Paulo Dybala – occupy space between the lines. "Porto's central defenders tried to press him but he still found space," explains Faria. "Roma looked for superiority in the middle using Baldanzi between the lines."
Porto's players, meanwhile, had the option of looking to forward Samu, which is visible in the second clip.
We see them play the ball to Samu on the left side and he uses his strength and holds up the play, allowing the rest of the team to support him.
On this option of playing the ball direct to the attack, Faria highlights the importance of winning first and second balls, adding: "The forward must be effective and make opponents doubtful about pressing too close.
"This will be practised in training where situations that demand speed and movement of players help with the development of quick decisions and solutions. But everything is about adaptability."
This aligns with the reflections shared by Cristian Chivu and Roberto Martínez in the above-mentioned Performance Insights analysis of Barcelona vs Atalanta, where they emphasised the importance of players understanding the differences between a man-to-man press and a more zonal approach.
