EFL Championship 2018/19: Brentford vs Bolton Wanderers

Brentford overcame a stubborn Bolton Wanderers outfit to secure their first win in eight Championship games. Neal Maupay struck an early second-half effort, as Brentford came out on top in what proved to be an even affair as Bolton fought to escape the relegation zone.

In this tactical analysis, we will look at how Brentford won the game, and how they improved their defence drastically in their close victory. The enhanced odds suggested Brentford could well have come away with nothing.

Long ball Brentford

Bolton did a good job in restricting Thomas Franks style of play by pressing high. However, this suited Brentford as they managed to switch their game, and therefore, reverted to long diagonal balls which reaped dividends.

On numerous occasions, a Brentford attacker managed to pick the ball up in space, which created good chances for the Bees. The first of such an occasion came in just the 2nd minute.

A long ball from Jeanvier, which was headed into the path of Saed Benrahma created a really good opening for Brentford as they managed to get in behind Boltons defence for the first time of the afternoon in just the 2nd minute.

Overall, 41 long passes were made during Brentfords game with Bolton, with 39 of those 41 being played by the back-five and Brentfords three holding midfielders. This highlights just how high up Bolton were pressing, which was apparent during the 90 minutes.