UEFA Champions League 2019/20: RB Leipzig vs Atletico Madrid – tactical analysis

The UEFA Champions League quarter-finals pitted two underdogs against each other in Lisbon as La Liga side Atlético Madrid met Bundesliga team RB Leipzig. It was eventually the German side who would progress to face Paris Saint-Germain in the semi-finals of the competition as they again upset the odds to secure a 2-1 win over their Spanish counterparts.

Many regarded that Julian Nagelsmann outsmarted Diego Simone in a battle which relied heavily upon the tactics of both coaches. It was Leipzig who took the lead, with Spaniard Dani Olmo scoring a neat header after an even first-half. After that, Atleti did react, with substitute João Félix converting from the penalty spot having been brought down. Another substitute, Tyler Adams, would eventually score the winner as his effort from the edge of the box was deflected beyond Jan Oblak and into his own goal by Stefan Savić.

This tactical analysis will consider what happened in the game to decide the result, providing analysis of the tactics of both Atlético Madrid and RB Leipzig.

Line-ups

Simeone opted to stick to his usual 4-4-2 shape and fielded Hector Herrera as the fourth man in midfield as Thomas Partey was not yet match fit. In attack, Diego Costa and Marcos Llorente were preferred, while Felipe was left on the bench as he too continued a recovery from injury which has seen his game time limited since the restart of La Liga. Atlético were notably also without winger Ángel Correa, who had tested positive for COVID-19 and did not travel to Lisbon with the rest of the squad.

Nagelsmann was forced to contend with the dilemma of not having Timo Werner available to him for the first time since his move to Chelsea, with Yussuf Poulsen taking the starting role in the front line. Dani Olmo and Christopher Nkunku also brought in to provide a second offensive line in the offensive midfield area with greater pace and fluid movement which would prove to be decisive.