Jose Mourinho's Real Madrid: A Tactical Analysis - Defending in the 4-2-3-1

The long awaited study of Jose Mourinho’s tactics is finally here with an extensive analysis of his Real Madrid team’s 4-2-3-1 formation.

You can now see a full analysis of Real Madrid’s attacking and defending tactics which have been so important to their success. They scored 121 goals in La Liga and this book shows Real’s 4-2-3-1 system of play, each player’s responsibilities, positioning and movement within every possible phase of play.

The defensive phase was key for Real Madrid and the main features were applying pressure near the opposition’s penalty area to regain the ball, aggressive zonal marking across the whole pitch, using intelligent positioning to double mark opposing players and Xabi Alonso’s great tactical awareness.

Terzis Athanasios is a Tactical Professor of Football and has compiled an extensive assessment of Real Madrid’s defensive play after over 1000 hours of studying all the games from the 2011-12 season. Real Madrid won the La Liga title, beating Pep Guardiola’s Barcelona team, one of the most successful club sides in history, by 9 points.

This defending book starts with the characteristics of the players and builds into a comprehensive overview of the defensive tactics employed with clear diagrams and detailed descriptions.

This Defending book includes:

• Pages: 244
• Diagrams: 292
• Coaching Topics: 103
• Printed: B/W

• Strategies used to counter specific formations
  (the 4-4-2, 4-2-3-1, 4-3-3, 4-3-2-1, and the 5-4-1).
• Goal Side Marking and Tracking Runs: Providing Security
• Pressure, Cover, Support and Pressing
• Closing Passing Options inside: Forcing Play down the Line
• Defending from set-pieces
• Plus a lot more - See Full Book Contents below

• The Players
• Jose Mourinho
• Real Madrid’s First 11 and Player positions in the 4-2-3-1 System of Play
  
  Chapter 2
  Real Madrid in the four phases of the game
• Real Madrid in the Defensive Phase
• Real Madrid in the Transition from Attack to Defence
• Real Madrid in the Attacking Phase
• Real Madrid in the Transition from Defence to Attack

• Real Madrid in the Defensive Phase
• No Risky (Goal Side Marking)
• Aggressive Marking
• Defensive Positions in a Closed Ball Situation
• Defending a Winger’s Wide Positioning
• Transition from a Closed Ball Situation to an Open Ball Situation
• The Back Four Defending an Open Ball Situation
• Situations When the Aggressive Marking of the Forwards Was Not Possible
• Maintaining Safety and Balance in an Open Ball Situation: Central Midfielder in Space
• Goal Side Marking and Tracking Runs: Providing Security
• Providing Cover When Using Aggressive Marking
• Abandoning Aggressive Marking to Maintain Balance
• The Full Back’s Positioning on the Weak Side
• Defending near the Side of the Penalty Area
• Defending near the Sidelines
• Defending near the Sidelines and Close to the Penalty Area on Real’s Left Side
• Defending near the Sidelines and Close to the Penalty Area on Real’s Right Side
• Collaboration of the Full Back with the Defensive Midfielder and Winger during Aggressive Marking on Real’s Right Side
• Defending When Di Maria’s Positioning Was Poor
• Dealing with the Numerical Disadvantage on Real’s Left Side
• Alonso’s Role: Defending in Wide Areas
• Central Defender Providing Cover for the Full Back
• Defensive Midfielder Tracking the Advancing Full Back’s Run down the Flank
• Coping with Ronaldo’s Poor Defensive Positioning
• Balanced Positions in an Unbalanced Team
• Balanced Position
• Positioning against Barcelona When They Are Building up Play from the Back
• Collaboration between the Centre Forward and the Attacking Midfielder during the Pressing application
• Pressure on the Central Defender Receiving the Ball from the Goalkeeper
• Team Cohesion: Creating a Strong Side
• Pressure on the Goalkeeper
• Limiting Passing Options for the Central Defenders
• Collaboration of the Wingers and the Defensive Midfielders
• Preventing Midfielders Receiving Short Passes from the Defenders
• Preventing the Right Back Receiving from the Central Defender
• Pressing High up the Pitch: Benzema Is the First Defender
• Pressing High up the Pitch: Ronaldo Is the First Defender
• Pressing High up the Pitch against the 4-2-3-1
• Pressing High up the Pitch against the 4-3-3
• Pressing High up the Pitch against the 4-3-3 (2)

• Real Madrid in the Defensive Phase against the 4-4-2
• Keeping the Ball near the Sideline and Preventing the Switch of Play
• Extensive Shift towards the Strong Side to Create a Numerical Advantage around the Ball Zone
• Getting Multiple Players around the Ball Carrier: Regaining Possession
• Creating a Numerical Advantage in and around the Ball Zone
• Using Body Shape to Prevent Potential Passes
• Applying Pressure When Both Real Wingers Are in Balanced Positions
• Pressing High up the Pitch and Covering Positions
• Defending Build up Play down the Flank
• Defending a Goalkeeper’s Pass to a Full Back
• Creating a Numerical Advantage near to the Opposition’s Penalty Area

• Real Madrid in the Defensive Phase against the 4-2-3-1
• Aggressive Goal Side Marking
• Balanced Positioning in the Pressing Application
• Utilising Balanced Positions to Cover 2 Potential Ball Receivers
• Defending against a Central Defender Carrying the Ball Out from the Back
• The Opposition Full Back Receives the Ball on the Halfway Line
• The Opposition Play across the Back Line with the Goalkeeper

• Real Madrid in the Defensive Phase against the 4-3-3
• Defending against Opposition Winger’s Movement inside and Overlapping Runs of the Full Backs
• Marking Forwards Who Drop Deep to Receive
• Closing Passing Options inside: Forcing Play down the Line
• Defending a Long Pass towards the Forward
• Defending a 2 v 2 Situation by the Sideline
• Defending a Goalkeeper’s Pass to a Midfielder
• Closing down Short Passes High up the Pitch
• Preventing the Opposition Moving the Ball to the Weak Side

• Real Madrid in the Defensive Phase against the 4-3-1-2
• Triple Marking the Receiver near the Penalty Area
• Preventing Vertical Passes and Creating Superiority in Numbers around the Ball Zone
• Preventing the Switch of Play
• Closing Passing Options inside: Forcing Play down the Line
• Creating a Strong Side to Limit the Opposition
• Defending a Long Kick towards the Advanced Full Back

• Real Madrid in the Defensive Phase against the 5-4-1
• Closing down the Midfielders Receiving Short Passes from the Defenders
• Preventing the Ball Carrier from Passing or Turning High up the Pitch
• Defending against a Team Playing across the Back Line
• Defending a Pass Out Wide to the Left Wing Back
• Defending a Pass Out Wide to the Right Wing Back

• Defending on the Weak Side
• Defending a Switch of Play to the Weak Side
• Defending a 2 v 2 in an Advanced Position on the Flank
• Coping with Ronaldo’s Poor Defensive Positioning
• Defending an Advancing Full Back’s inside Run
• Defending an Advancing Full Back’s inside Run (2)
• Defending the Centre Forward’s Movement towards the Sideline
• Defending the Attacking Midfielder’s Movement towards the Sideline

• Defending when Pressing Application was not Possible
• The Opposition Have Space to Bring the Ball Out of Defence
• Defending a Long Kick to the Centre of the Field
• Defending against a Central Midfielder with Space to Create
• The Opposition Winger Receives the Ball in Space in the Central Zone

• Defending a Goal Kick
• Defending a Corner Kick
• Defending a Short Corner Kick
• Defending a Free Kick near the Corner Flag
• Defending a Free Kick outside the Penalty Area
• Defensive Positioning from Throw-ins

Conclusion