Tactical features which could decide the Champions League Final – The Conventional Playmaker

Inter Milan, and Paris Saint-Germain, are set to face each other in Munich on Saturday, in a mouth-watering Champions League final tie. This will be Inter’s second final in three years, whilst Paris have reached their first final since 2020. 

Both sets of semi-final ties showed both finalists to be very competitive, and a set of tactical features which could ultimately determine the end result. 

Wide battles

Simone Inzaghi sets up his Inter side to attack with plenty of width, and during the semi-finals, the wing-backs were key in attacking situations, a number of which became goals. Right wing-back Denzel Dumfries was the star of the penultimate round. All of his 5 goals involvements in this season’s competition occured in the previous two matches. Dumfries scored twice, and assisted one in the first leg against Barcelona, and assisted twice in the second, constantly making runs that exploited the Catalan’s high line, sometimes combining with midfielder Nicolas Barella in the process.

Federico Dimarco posed a threat too on Inter’s left flank, but whereas Raphinha was drifting in field, acting as a second striker as he has done all season, with Gerard Martin providing overlapping runs on Barcelona’s left, Dimarco had to contend with Lamine Yamal. Yamal held the width on Barca’s right, often receiving the ball to feet with space and/or the right angle to cut inside and test goalkeeper Yann Sommer with a shot. Inter had to go 2v1, even 3v1 against Yamal, with Alessandro Bastoni, and Henrikh Mkhitaryan supporting.

The same sort of situation could occur with any one of PSG’s attackers out wide. Desire Doue, Ousmane Dembele, Kvicha Kvaratskhelia, and Bradley Barcola, are ruthless on the break, and are tricky in 1v1s. Those mentioned are two-way players, more so than Yamal, and alternate positions, which makes them harder to mark. 

Kvaratskhelia regularly occupied the left flank in his time with Napoli, but since moving to Paris, a further dimension has been added to his game by manager Luis Enrique. So given this upcoming final is a one-off match, Inter could prove a bit more conservative on one side of the pitch at least. The 3-5-2 may have to shift into a 4-4-2 without possession, with one centre-back on either side drifting wide to cover.

Nuno Mendes made prove key for PSG. Achraf Hakimi moved forward a lot against Arsenal Mendes stuck back more so this meant PSG always had three at the back when defending and were better suited to dealing with Bukayo Saka, who couldn’t find as many openings as Yamal against Inter. Dumfries often caught Martin out of position and bested Martin physically, but could face a tougher opponent in Mendes.

Physical edge

PSG’s preferred starting XI consists of a number of players short in stature, with two of their first-choice midfielders proving especially small. So if PSG were to be pressed high, and encouraged to play the ball long, Inter would have a better chance of winning the subsequent aerial duels, suggesting the threat out wide is perhaps even more important to PSG.

The hold-up play from both sets of forwards is important to both sides moving the ball through the thirds, Dembele, who has enjoyed a career resurgence as a goal scoring centre-forward, sometimes drops deeper to receive, be that from the edge of the box where he can partake in quick one-twos, or helping get the ball out to the flanks and through the thirds onto runners from the half way line. 

Dembele is integral. Not only has his goal tally increased exponentially, as has his overall influence. He has the most shots, with 60, the most through balls, with 11, and the most progressive carries, with 84.

One pattern of play for Inter, sees Lautaro Martinez, who will drop into deeper positions, receive the ball through the middle of the pitch, hold off pressure, and then move the ball to the wing-back making the run ahead. The wing-back will either go for goal, or try to return the ball to Lautaro, who made the run into the penalty-area.

Lautaro has scored 9 goals in this season’s competition, and he will be hard to shut down, when latching onto crosses, and when combining with strike partner Marcus Thuram, who himself is a threat from the edge of the box. But How the forwards dealt with tight pressure from defenders, ergo a physical edge, may play its part in how effective either front line is.

Both sets of midfields cover lots of ground, including João Neves, and Mkhitaryan, in various situations across the pitch can, and this can prove instrumental. Neves is a midfield dynamo, completing the most tackles in this season’s competition, with 38 (out of 57). Mkhitaryan aids both offensively and defensively on Inter’s left. The Armenian is secure in possession, but also tracks back with discipline.

In relation to wingbacks, Dumfries is a powerful runner, and on the left for Inter, it is not only Dimarco who gets the ball rolling; centre-back Bastoni is comfortable bringing the ball into midfield, and the defenders for Inter do break forward into the box as alternative targets for crosses. 

Closing down

Both teams will presumably be set on controlling the match, with and without possession. Allowing each other less time to move the ball via and through midfield with ease would be one way to limit room for control,

Hakan Calhanoglu, for example, is great at drawing in the opposing press, and then releasing the ball long to runners in the opposing sides half, be that the wing-backs out wide – who have previously made use of vacant space in behind, or towards the centre-forwards who may look to knock the ball down, or run onto it. 

Although Calhanoglu’s movement also varies, as part of Inter’s rotations in build-up, and to offer a shorter passing option, makes it hard to track him, and therefore man-mark him, PSG may find it worthwhile if their high press closes down the space in front, and forces the ball away in another direction.

How PSG limit the space afforded to Barella, Inter’s midfield Jack of all trades, is also worth consideration. He not only makes runs into the final-third, but he is also a good retainer of the ball, and help connect play as the ball reachers closer to the opposition goal. He links the midfield to the wide players.

In turn, Inter have to contend with PSG’s pivot equivalent, in Vitinha, who often starts attacking moves for the Parisians, completing the most long passes this season, with 141. Whilst Inter are associated with defending compactly, and closer to their goal, they do also press high up the pitch, which can lead to quick regains, and brief attacks which can catch the opposition unprepared.

When Inter press high, a wing-back and/or a midfielder may push up to offer an extra number, creating a 3v2, or 3v3. One could possibly track Vitinha and not allow him room to turn, and pass. When Inter do so too, they can close down players receiving with their back to pressure, and then quickly break. It goes without saying that whilst PSG create lots of chances, Inter are one of the best teams in the world on the counter-attack.

Both sides wide threats will mean pressing too high could prove a risk if the ball can be released from deep quickly enough, which is why if and when either side chooses to press higher up the pitch, both deep-lying playmakers are not allowed plenty of time on the ball, and that both defensive lines are ready for the diagonal switch to the flanks.

DATA: FBREF