Tactical Theory: Using Guardiola and Enrique’s methods to understand how to break down a 4-5-1 defensive block – tactical analysis

One of the most exciting tactical points weve seen in the 2022 World Cup is how the teams defending in deep blocks (e.g. Morocco & Japan) were superior against positional attacking teams (e.g. Spain & Germany), who found a lot of trouble attacking these units when the opposition players defended deeply which is also exactly what happened to Manchester City against Dortmund in the Champions League recently when Edin Terzić faced Pep Guardiola.

Pace, positional attacks, high-pressing, third-man runs, and diagonality are principles that each modern team seem to implement in an attempt to dominate and beat any deep block. The concept of the third-man combination consists of attracting the opposing players in order to to find free players isolated from the ball.

This tactical analysis represents a series of tactics that can be used to hurt the 4-5-1 defensive teams, forcing them into lose-lose situations and pushing them closer and closer to submission. This tactical theory piece will be an analysis of different methods teams can use to break down a 4-5-1 defensive block.

Distribution for confusion

As opposed to letting players freely roam across the whole pitch to overload the ball side while leaving the other side with no players, the prominent idea is to have them occupy offensive zones in order to move within these defined areas for switching or more well-structured counter-pressing.

The players should look to position themselves between the opponent’s block in both horizontal and vertical lanes, as well as both inside and outside the block. Furthermore, the players should never set themselves too closely thus one opponent will find it easy to defend the distance between two players if it‘s little, creating an inefficient attack.

The prime idea is to progress through or around or above the opponents block to reach the box. Therefore, passing options should always be available for the ball carrier. Passes into depth are always the top pick, also passing options to each side, and of course, the potential option for a back pass to safety and re-circulate. The players should have proficiency on the ball regarding passing accuracy, receiving, dribbling, and also how to get out of the opponent’s cover shadow to open a pass and move to pin the defenders. In general, players active on and outside of the ball will be essential.

Build with the least amount of players as possible but as many as needed. Another familiar idea is to have one extra player in the backline than the opponent strikers, creating a triangle with two centre-backs and a midfielder to outplay one striker or creating a numerical advantage to outplay two strikers. That secures clean ball progression.

Also having two players in the wing means some absence central so one player is adequate. Likewise, use fewer amount of players to pin the opponents backline (e.g. two out wide wingers pin the fullbacks while the opponent’s centre-backs are busy with the striker. the opponents back four is pinned by simply three players).

Another advanced execution happens when the striker dropping-off to combine and overload centrally then two wide wingers move to the interior corridors (Distance between FB and CB) allowing to overload the midfield without defenders following (the opponents back four is pinned by two players only). Also, two #8s may move forward in these interior corridors pinning the backline meanwhile dropping off the striker and inverting the fullbacks can compensate for some of their absence. This ideology should be utilised in other spaces on the pitch too.