Man-marking, a retro tactical approach, has resurfaced in Germany following Atalanta's Europa League win in 2024. However, it proved ineffective against Bayern Munich, who scored 10 goals in a one-sided Champions League match. While man-marking can surprise opponents temporarily, it is not viable for an entire match due to the size of the pitch. In contrast, Spanish teams utilize ball-oriented defending and organized play, leading to significant success in European competitions, with 24 titles this century compared to Germany's four.
"Atalanta had to learn that the hard way in the Champions League last 16. Bayern enjoyed absurdly vast spaces and scored 10 goals. Rarely has a knockout-stage match been so one-sided."
"Man-marking can only be a short-term measure if you want to surprise the opponent and put them under pressure, as in handball just before the final whistle."
"The Spaniards therefore stick to a different idea they have adopted: ball-oriented defending, clearly defined positions and roles, organised combination football that shifts the action into the opposition's half."
"Their clubs have won a total of 24 titles in the three European competitions this century. Behind them come England with 11, then Italy and Germany with five and four respectively."
Read at www.theguardian.com
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]