UEFA Europa League play-off: Torino vs Wolverhampton Wanderers – tactical analysis

European competition was heading to its final qualifying stages and that means the group stages are edging near us. On Thursday night, the first leg of the Europa League’s play-off took place. Along with the big names such as Eintracht Frankfurt, PSV Eindhoven or Espanyol, Torino and Wolverhampton Wanderers faced each other in what was considered an interesting match-up.

Torino started their Europa League campaign from the second qualifying round, beating Debrecen in the process. They went on to eliminate FC Shakhtyor in the next round before being drawn against Wolverhampton. Walter Mazzarri’s side were yet to start their Serie A season and the Italian side wanted to use this match as momentum for when they welcome Sassuolo next week.

Similar to Torino, Nuno Espírito Santo’s side also entered the second qualifying round of this years Europa League through their 7^th-place finish in the Premier League. They have been matched against lower-rated opponents such as Crusaders and Pyunik, which Wolves eventually beat. In the Premier League, two draws against tough teams Leicester City and Manchester United have shown signs of positive things to come for Wolves.

This tactical analysis will provide an analysis of the match between Torino FC and Wolverhampton Wanderers. Meanwhile, using statistics, we will analyse how Wolves’ tactics secured their first-leg win over Torino’s tactics.

Lineups

Mazzarri lined his Torino side up in a 3-4-1-2 with Salvatore Sirigu in goal. Brazillian centre-back Gleison Brenner paired up with Armando Izzo and Nicolas NKoulou to complete the back three. In the role of an attacking midfielder, Álex Berenguer acted as the link between the midfielders and the strikers. The former Osasuna player positioned himself just below the pair of striker Andrea Belotti and Simone Zaza.

With most of the squad in full condition, Nuno went for his usual 3-5-2 formation. Jesús Vallejo made his second start for Wolves alongside captain Conor Coady and Willy Boly in the heart of their defence. Rúben Vinagre and Adama Traoré were chosen to occupy the wing-backs spots as Nuno wanted to rest Matt Doherty and Jonny. Upfront, Raúl Jiménez and Diogo Jota continued their connection as both led the line for Wolves.

A goal-shy first-half and Wolves breakthrough

It was not a surprise when both teams entered the first half with a conservative approach. They wanted to get to know more about the other’s tactics and find their way to counter it. For the home side, they didn’t use a direct style to pass the ball towards Belotti and Zaza occasionally. Instead, the players focused on building their attacks from the back.

Usually, Brenner and Izzo raised higher from their position and created a passing triangle with NKoulou below. They would circulate the ball until they reached the halfway line and then laid it off to one of the midfielders. But against Wolves’ pressure, the defenders stayed on the edge of their defensive third and both Daniele Baselli and Soualiho Meïté dropped deep to support them.

They formed a