Sérgio Conceição Tactics: A Bold Stylistic Shift For AC Milan 2024/25 – Tactical Analysis

Sérgio Conceiçãos arrival at AC Milan is a big deal for the club.

Hes known for being practical and flexible and has loads of experience.

His approach is all about making the defence strong and being able to go on the attack quickly.

After Paulo Fonseca got the boot, his style being all about possession and style, Conceiçãos appointment is a real shift towards a more reactive, dynamic and result-oriented approach, as we will see in this analysis.

This tactical analysis examines how Conceição thinks about tactics, his out-of-possession strategies, attacking mechanisms, and how his style compares to that of his two most recent predecessors at Milan.

Sérgio Conceição Out-Of-Possession Strategies

Conceiçãos defensive approach is all about discipline, organisation and adaptability.

While at FC Porto, he made the team one of the best defensive sides in Portuguese football.

During the 2021/22 season, for example, Porto only conceded 22 goals in 34 league matches.

He often uses a compact 4-4-2 formation, with two narrow defensive banks of four and two forwards who start the press.

When theyre up against stronger opponents, they sometimes switch to a 4-3-3 formation to strengthen the midfield.

This compact 4-4-2 forces opponents to operate in wide areas, which makes it less likely theyll be able to break through the middle.

This tactic is really effective against teams that rely on central creativity.

With two forwards positioned higher up, the team is well-prepared to launch counterattacks upon regaining possession, which is an essential aspect of Conceiçãos overall philosophy.

The formation can be changed in real-time, often switching into a 4-3-3 against stronger teams.

This adaptability means the team can field an additional midfielder, which provides extra protection in central areas.

One of the main ideas in Conceiçãos defensive strategy is to keep things compact, usually within 25-30 metres.

This means theres not much space between the defenders, so opponents must operate in wide areas that are less threatening.

His pressing system is highly situational, varying based on the opponents tendencies.

When they face teams that like to pass the ball, like Benfica and Porto, they press in more advanced areas, focusing on specific passing lanes and using backward passes to trigger the press.

By keeping the space between the lines small, Conceiçãos system stops opponents from using the gaps between the midfield and defence.

The close distances between players make it easy for them to switch from defence to attack and work together, which helps Porto (and maybe Milan) to get back into the game quickly.

FC Porto Defensive Territory Map 2023/24

Conceiçãos teams are great at executing pressing traps.

One of the tactics they often use is to leave the oppositions wide defenders unmarked while the ball is in the other teams half.

When the ball is played wide, Portos winger on the near side—in the half-spac