Lucas Pusineri: Atlético Tucumán’s old-school way to the top – tactical analysis

Since taking over in the middle of April, Lucas Pusineri has taken Atlético Tucumán to new heights. After finishing in 25^th place last season, – a spot that would have seen them relegated in any other non-COVID year – Tucumán are now surprisingly challenging for the Liga Profesional de Fútbol title.

The side based in the city of San Miguel de Tucumán have never won the Argentinian first division, but after 120 years of existence, they finally have a real chance to do so. With five matches to go, El Decano currently sit in second place, only one point behind Boca Juniors. Additionally, aside from a match against Racing Club, they have a fairly easy run of games to end the season. While they depend on Boca to drop points, the title is closer than ever.

Considering Atlético Tucumán have nowhere near the budget or quality of the likes of Boca Juniors and River Plate, Lucas Pusineri’s work so far is extremely impressive. Unable to dominate matches like Real Madrid or Barcelona normally would, Pusineri has resorted to Atlético Madrid-style tactics.

This tactical analysis explores Atlético Tucumán’s successful tactics under Lucas Pusineri. With an unusual playing style, this analysis aims to understand how Pusineri has led a small club from San Miguel de Tucumán to go toe-to-toe with Argentina’s biggest clubs.

Formations

El Gigante del Norte have traditional tactics, and with such, a traditional formation. In 2022, Atlético Tucumán used a 4-4-2 47% of the time. For another 31% of the time, they have varied between a 4-1-3-2 and a 4-3-1-2, both extremely narrow formations. This variation has become more common under Pusineri, where the two distinct systems are used depending on the opponent’s structure.

The 4-4-2 is a fairly simple and straightforward structure which allows Tucumán to easily transition between phases of play. Additionally, as a team that likes to sit in low blocks for long periods of time, it is an ideal defensive structure. As far as line-ups go, Pusineri has been fairly consistent. Aside from a few changes here and there, the 46-year-old manager has stuck to the same players.

Low blocks

Tucumán’s tactics are far from possession-based. In 2022, El Decano have only averaged 45.44% possession. Similarly, they average 341.92 passes per 90. These are fairly low figures for a side currently challenging for the title. Tucumán’s success, consequently, comes from their work out of possession. Despite not having much of the ball, they only concede 10.22 shots per 90. Additionally, these 10.22 shots only amount to 0.95 xGA per 90 or 0.093 xGA per shot. El Gigante del Norte are extremely comfortable sitting in low blocks and defending deep. They are able to defend for long periods of time without conceding high-quality opportunities.