Carlos Corberán at Olympiacos 2022/23: How has the Spaniard fared so far in Greece? – tactical analysis

Still only 39 years old, Carlos Corberán has been all over the world already in his coaching career. He started his managerial career with two stops in Cyprus before coming to England, where he made his name. The Spaniard was the manager of Leeds United’s U23 side for a spell, while at the same time being first-team assistant coach under former Leeds United manager Marcelo Bielsa. 

Corberán then had a two-season spell in charge of EFL Championship side Huddersfield Town, guiding them to the playoff final last season in what turned out to be his final match in charge of the Terriers. After a brief one-month hiatus, he was back in management, taking over from Pedro Martins at perennial Greek powerhouse Olympiacos after disappointment in UEFA Champions League qualifying led to the Portuguese manager’s sacking.

However, Corberán has had a rather interesting start to life in Piraeus, with the reigning Greek champions four points off league leaders Panathinaikos at the early stages. Interestingly, in the Spaniard’s first nine matches in charge, Olympiacos have only lost once, but have drawn six times in all competitions. Corberán’s only loss has come in the UEFA Europa League group stage against Ligue 1 side FC Nantes. This tactical analysis piece will take a more detailed look at Corberán’s start to life in Greece, along with the tactics and philosophy he is trying to impose on the side in these early days. 

Preferred formations 

Though it is still early days for Carlos Corberán at Olympiacos, a trend is starting to develop in regards to what formation the Spaniard is leaning towards utilising with the players he has at his disposal.

The graphic above shows the different formations that the manager has used so far in his first nine matches in charge. A back four formation is definitely the preferred choice for Corberán, with the 4-2-3-1 and 4-4-2 being similar and therefore used interchangeably during a match. It is still early, but it’s looking like the Spaniard is going to stick with the system that brought him success during his time in England with Huddersfield Town.

Defensively solid 

Even though they may not be getting the results they are looking for at the current moment, the defensive structure that Carlos Corberán has implemented so far looks to be an astute one. Not counting European qualifying, since the Greek Super League has resumed and the European group stages have kicked off, the side from Piraeus have only conceded three goals in these matches. This section will take a look at the defensive shape of the Greek side, and why they are tough to break down at times for opposition.