Domenico Tedesco Tactics At Belgium 2023: The Man Tasked With Revitalizing Belgian National Team – Tactical Analysis

Following the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, Roberto Martinez called time on his tenure with the Belgian national team, after Les Diables rouges were eliminated at the round of sixteen stage.

This marked the beginning of the search for a new manager to lead Belgium into what is likely a new generation, with the so-called “golden generation” all nearing the end of their international careers.

After a somewhat protracted search, the Belgian FA decided on 37-year-old former Schalke, Spartak Moscow, and RB Leipzig boss Domenico Tedesco.

The Italian-born German was an intriguing choice by the Belgian FA.

This tactical analysis piece examines what Belgians can expect from their new national team manager.

His first match in charge is on Friday, March 24th, against Sweden in UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying.

Domenico Tedesco Preferred formations and style of play

During his most recent spell in charge of RB Leipzig in the Bundesliga, Tedesco opted to set his side up in a very aggressive 3-4-1-2 system, with this likely being the system he will employ during his first two Euro qualifying matches against Sweden and Germany.

The German manager likes his sides to be on the front foot, looking to be a very attack-minded side.

Tedesco also looks for his sides to hold the majority of possession, with his Red Bull Leipzig side averaging over 56% of the ball. 

The underlying numbers show his philosophy of being an attack-minded coach when looking closer at the attacking statistics during his recent spell in Leipzig.

His Leipzig side created 1.52 xG per 90 minutes and averaged 9.05 shots per 90 minutes.

Tedesco’s teams also like to play vertically whenever possible. His Leipzig side had the second-most progressive passes in the Bundesliga last season, with 2,876, trailing only Bayern Munich.

A look at Tedesco’s more in-depth attacking style of play will be profiled later in this tactical analysis.

Still, in general, Belgian fans should look to see a side that will likely be more proactive going forward than they were in the past, which is good considering the attacking talent that Tedesco called up in this first window in charge.

Domenico Tedesco Build up play 

The first thing we will look at is the build-up style that Domenico Tedescos style of play is looking to implement on his side.

As mentioned, the German manager preferred a 3-4-1-2 formation, which he would likely keep, at least for the first two Euro qualifiers.

As he likes to hold the majority of possession, Tedesco wants his sides to build out from the back with the goalkeeper, but in a certain way, with his back three system.

The image above shows an example of Leipzigs typical shape during the build-up phase of play under Domenico Tedesco.

Leipzig would look to create multiple passing options to escape the pressure from an opposition’s high press or just more easily bypass opposition lines of pressure.

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