How did Cristiano’s hybrid magic unlock Atlético’s legendary defence?

It was one of those nights on which true champions show up and deliver. Cristiano Ronaldo did just that. With three goals against Atlético Madrid, the Portuguese superstar secured the win and made it possible for Juventus to still fight for the Champions League title.

Atléticos performance, on the other hand, was a disappointment. Diego Simeone and his team were the heavy favourites after their 2-0 win in the first leg. But after a poor performance, especially the way they defended crosses, was unlike Atlético. But how could Juventus break through what is normally the best defensive block in the world?

Cristiano and the 4-3-3/4-4-2

Juventus started in a 4-3-3 formation which occasionally looked like a 4-4-2 when ex-Manchester United forward Ronaldo behaved more like a striker and Federico Bernardeschi filled the right wing slot. Besides those two, Mario Mandzukic started up front. The three were supported by Blaise Matuidi, Emre Can and Miralem Pjanic.

Their full-backs Leonardo Spinazzola and Joao Cancelo had a crucial role about which we are going to talk in that article specifically. With Leonardo Bonucci and Giorgio Chiellini Juve lined up with their classic centre-back duo, which not only provides defensive stability but also creativity during the build-up.

Interestingly, Juventus system didn’t look like a classic 4-3-3. Due to the higher role of the full-backs, Ronaldo could move more into the box and support Mandzukic while Bernardeschi had a deeper role in the right half-space. The reason for the asymmetry was the role of Emre Can. The former Liverpool player dropped deeper and created a back three with Bonucci and Chiellini during the build-up process.

The idea was to find ways around the compact two-man line of Atlético and further create diagonal passing angles. Based on their numerical superiority, Juventus could easily move the ball around the defensive block of Atlético which struggled to apply pressure over the course of the whole game.