Trigger-based pressing is redefining how teams control space without relying on constant aggression.
In a football landscape increasingly shaped by high pressing and proactive defending, Antonio Contes Napoli offer a different kind of control.
While many elite teams equate territorial dominance with relentless pressure high up the pitch, Napoli operate with restraint and calculation.
This tactical analysis examines how Contes side, alongside a comparative example from Claudio Ranieris AS Roma, structure defensive blocks and selective pressing triggers to manipulate opposition build-up and recover possession in high-value areas.
Through three visual examples, we explore how Napolis pressing blueprint reflects an evolved, intelligent form of defensive control.
This analysis highlights how trigger-based pressing and pressing traps allow Gli Azzurri to defend with structure and strike with intent.
In the modern game, pressing high is often viewed as the clearest expression of dominance.
It is associated with energy, aggression, and the ability to dictate tempo.
But Contes Napoli demonstrate that pressing smart can be more effective than pressing hard.
Selective pressing does not represent passivity; rather, it is a calculated refusal to waste energy chasing low-risk passes.
Instead of initiating pressure from the start, SSC Napoli allow the opponent to build into zones predetermined as pressing traps.
The intention is not to suffocate the opposition immediately but to shape their choices and then engage with synchronised aggression.
In this model, pressing becomes an ambush.
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Defensive Structure & Triggers: How Napoli & Roma Set The Trap
It is helpful to examine Claudio Ranieri tactics with Giallorossi to understand the value of structure in selective pressing.
His side adopted a 5-3-2 defensive block, highly compact both vertically and horizontally.
The back five provided security against switches and direct balls, while the midfield three denied access to central spaces.
You can see this played out in Figure 1 below.
Ranieri’s Roma is set in a well-structured 5-3-2 shape, with minimal distances between lines and strong central occupation.
The midfield trio screens passing lanes into the half-spaces, forcing Fiorentina to play into the highlighted wide area — a premeditated pressing zone.
The block does not engage immediately but waits for the right moment to trap the ball carrier along the touchline.
This defensive discipline channels play into wide areas, where the risk of being penetrated is lower.
Pressing is then activated only when the opponent is isolated, the passing options are reduced, or the ball is played backwards.
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