Olympique De Marseille Vs Atalanta [0–1] – Champions League 2025/2026: Ivan Jurić High Press & Man-Marking Tactics – Tactical Analysis

Olympique de Marseille hosted Atalanta BC in Gameweek 4 of the UEFA Champions League at the Stade Vélodrome, and the game resulted in a crucial win for the Italian side.

Thanks to their single goal of the match, Atalanta secured their second win in this phase, following victories over Club Brugge, a draw with Slavia Praha, and a loss to PSG.

The team’s results suggest that their qualification hopes are still alive, given that they actually have seven points and are within the knockout play-offs zone, especially if they continue to get positive results in the upcoming games.

For Marseille, however, things are becoming a bit more complicated, as they have only won one game against Ajax, while losing the three other games against Real Madrid, Sporting CP, and now Atalanta.

This puts Marseille in 25th spot with three points.

It will be crucial for the French side to earn points in their upcoming games in order to climb the standings and compete for a play-off spot, if they plan to continue their European journey this season.

That said, their mission will not be easy at all, as they will face tough teams like Newcastle United and Liverpool, in addition to two tricky games against Club Brugge and Royale Union Saint-Gilloise.

In this tactical analysis, our focus will mainly be centered on Ivan Jurićs effective high-pressing system and how they dealt with the attacking situations created following their recoveries.

Olympique Marseille Vs Atalanta Formations & Lineups

Roberto De Zerbi preferred to start with a 5-4-1 formation for Olympique Marseille, with Gerónimo Rulli as the goalkeeper, Michael Amir Murillo and Ulisses Garcia as full-backs, and Nayef Aguerd, Benjamin Pavard, and CJ Egan-Riley as centre-backs.

The midfield was made up of Matt ORiley and Pierre-Emile Højbjerg as central midfielders, with Mason Greenwood and Igor Paixão on the wings, and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang as the team’s main striker.

For Atalanta, Ivan Jurić opted for the 3-4-3 formation, with Marco Carnesecchi as the goalkeeper, and all three centre-backs: Odilon Kossounou, Berat Djimsiti, and Honest Ahanor.

The midfield consisted of Marten de Roon and Éderson as central midfielders, with Davide Zappacosta and Raoul Bellanova as wing-backs.

Attacking-wise, Jurić preferred to start the match with Nikola Krstović as the main striker, with both Charles De Ketelaere and Ademola Lookman playing on the wings.

Atalanta High Pressing & High Defensive Block Efficiency

Atalanta started the match with an excellent approach, despite playing an away game against a team and a head coach known for their efficient, high-pressure strategies.

Jurić studied Olympique Marseille’s strengths well and countered De Zerbi’s plans with a very disciplined and aggressive high pressing that created numerous issues for Marseille, obliging them to play with wide lines.

Atalanta