UEFA Champions League 2020/21: RB Salzburg vs Atletico Madrid – tactical analysis

As the last game day of the Champions League kicked off this week, a few teams were still uncertain of their future in this competition and even in Europe. With Bayern Munich topping group A,  two of those teams were RB Salzburg and Atletico Madrid. Both teams could still qualify for the next round in Europe’s greatest competition, as Salzburg collected a total of five points and Atletico Madrid had seven points. With a win, Salzburg could send Atletico to the Europa League, anything less meant that the Spanish side would qualify to the next round in the Champions League.

With this in mind, the game was set up to be a nervous battle between two sides who are tactically well drilled. In this tactical analysis, we will take a look at the tactics from Jesse Marsch and Diego Simeone. As will this analysis give an insight into how both coaches tried to outwit each other.

Lineups and formations

Last game between both teams ended in a 3-2 win to the Spanish giants. Which led to a change of formation by Salzburg head coach. He chose to line his team up in a 4-4-2 diamond formation instead of the 4-2-3-1 used in the last encounter. This meant that only one change was made in personal. Midfielder Mohamed Camara was swapped out for Sékou Koïta, who partnered Patson Daka upfront.

Atletico Madrid on the other hand lined up in what many consider their best possible 11. Diego Simeone changed two positions from the previous game against Salzburg. Using their well known 4-4-2 flat, Simeone switched out Hector Herrera and Ángel Correa for Saùl Niguez and former Ligue 1 winger Yannick Carrasco.

Salzburg’s urgency

It was the home side who needed the three points thus from the first minute their play was full intensity by pressing the opponents high and constantly putting Madrid’s defence under pressure. This was the reason why Jan Oblak only played two short passes and opted to play all goal kicks long.