Segunda Division 2021/22: How predictable Tenerife were beaten at home by playoff underdogs Girona – tactical analysis

310 days after Eibar and Huesca kicked off the Spanish Segunda season Tenerife and Girona fought it out to escape to the illustrious La Liga. After an action-packed match, Girona beat Tenerife away from home to send their club into the top division to add to their two previous seasons in La Liga.

Girona only just reached the playoffs in the regular season and were hoping to end their streak of consecutive playoff final losses. Tenerife were hoping that Estadio Heliodoro Rodríguez López would create an atmosphere to get them over the line.

This article will be a tactical analysis of the key tactics deployed by Míchel, as he masterminded an unpredictable attack and a clever structure to outsmart Tenerife and become the play-off winners.

Lineups

Both teams were completely unchanged from the first leg of the play-off finals as both Luis Miguel Ramis and Míchel put out their strongest sides for the second time. Additionally, both managers decided to keep the same formations to start the match as Tenerife set up in a 4-4-2 while Girona played with width in a 3-5-2 or 5-3-2.

The biggest changes to their systems came as the match evolved. Girona were forced to make a substitution early with a devastated Iván Martín replaced by Samu Sáiz after the midfielder got a knock from a sliding tackle. Samu Sáiz played a big part in the Girona win supplying lots of energy in the midfield and looking to show Míchel why he should have started.