Ronaldo Názario Owned Real Valladolid’s La Liga Leap: Explaining Paulo Pezzolano Tactics – Tactical Analysis

The past 12 months have certainly been an emotional whirlwind for those involved with Real Valladolid.

Having been promoted to LaLiga in 2021/22, a rollercoaster of a 2022/23 season ended in heart-breaking fashion, succumbing to their relegation battle and finding themselves dropping down to the Segunda Division by just a single point, ruing missed opportunities and the inability to take advantage of their dominance in the final match.

Valladolid’s relegation had a detrimental knock-on effect on their playing squad ahead of a crucial bounce-back season.

Unfortunately, they lost wonder kid defender Iván Fresneda to Sporting CP, having seen his release clause slashed in half as a result of their relegation.

Off the field, things were not too promising either, with majority shareholder and footballing legend Ronaldo Názario looking to relinquish footballing control and distance himself from the Spanish outfit, but not before sacking the club’s sporting director and transfer department days before the present season was set to begin.

One shining light amongst all the turmoil was head coach Paulo Pezzolano, initially hired after a successful stint with Ronaldo’s other footballing project, Cruzeiro, with the Uruguayan aiming to steer them away from relegation.

Having kept the faith that Pezzolano would right their wrongs and guide Valladolid back to LaLiga, it would begin to appear that despite public outcry regarding Ronaldo’s loyalties and questionable decision-making — this is one decision that has certainly been vindicated.

As we look to the present day, Valladolid finds themselves in exceptional form, with a run of five wins in their previous six matches, having only conceded one goal within that time frame.

With long-time leaders Leganés stumbling, Vallodolid find themselves level on points in second place, looking to emerge as champions and achieve a second successive promotion from the Segunda.

This Paulo Pezzolano tactical analysis will begin to highlight some of Real Valladolid tactics which have allowed Pezzolano’s side to tick as we arrive at the business end of the season.

With four matches remaining, our analysis will address why Valladolid has been so versatile in the attacking phase whilst being resolute when out of possession.

Paulo Pezzolano Tactical setup and general style

Throughout this season, Pezzolano has looked to experiment with their tactical structure but has appeared to have settled on a tried and trusted setup, as highlighted by their recent period of successive victories.

Valladolid’s 4-3-3 has been incredibly impactful in their previous matches, providing excellent balance for the type of football that Pezzolano is looking to produce.

The extra presence in the centre of midfield positively contributes to their positional play, with Valladolid aiming to be ball-dominant and control the game, waiting for opponents to tire before unlocking the defence with intricate play.

Valladolid have averaged a 3^rd highest possession percentage of 55.6% this season, allowing them to utilise their line-breaking players with incredible progressive statistics; ranking second and third for progressive carries (769) and progressive passes (1598) respectively.

The basis of their build-up play relies on their two central defenders splitting wider and being comfortable in their ability to swing the ball across the pitch to find the perfect opening.

With a goalkeeper long ball percentage of 42% and Valladolid opting for the long pass 11.06% of the time this season, it is clear that Pezzolano prefers a more risk-averse option in their mission of progressing the ball into the final third.