Mario Mandzukic

Mario Mandzukic has spent the last eight years operating at the highest level in Germany, Spain and Italy for Wolfsburg, Bayern Munich, Atletico Madrid and Juventus, winning one Champions League, five league titles and numerous other cups along the way. He only failed to reach double figures for goals scored in one of those eight campaigns. Yet, in spite of his consistent showings for some of Europe’s most successful clubs, he lacks definition.

When asking what precisely the Croatian forward is, one receives multiple different answers: he is at once a ‘beast’, a ‘gadget player’, a ‘utility attacker’, ‘Mad Max’s Frankenstein experiment’, a ‘shithouse’. The descriptive terms are colourful and different, but common themes do emerge. The general consensus is that the player can perform a number of different roles well, works incredibly hard, possesses an unorthodox style and is unafraid to do the dirty work. In short, don’t try to label him; he, like Thomas Muller, belongs to his own unique club.

We may not be able to state clearly what Mandzukic is, but we can look more deeply at what he does. Here, we at Total Football Analysis do just that, exploring the 32-year-old’s individual strengths, weaknesses and tactical qualities.

A TACTICAL BACKGROUND

Mandzukic was signed by Dinamo Zagreb in 2007 as a replacement for the Arsenal-bound Eduardo da Silva. At that point in time he was renowned in Croatia for his unsophisticated style and direct approach on the pitch, and he was utilised in a variety of different attacking roles. This continued when he moved to Wolfsburg, as he was often used as a winger while Edin Dzeko led the line.

Revered for his fitness and work ethic, he succeeded Dzeko up front when the Bosnian hitman joined Manchester City. Unsurprisingly, his goals total went up in his second season in the Bundesliga, earning him a move to Bayern Munich. However, despite a positive debut campaign, he never quite adapted after the appointment of Pep Guardiola as manager. “Let’s be honest,” he stated in the summer of 2014. “I can’t play to my strengths under Guardiola’s style – no matter how hard I try.”

Later that same summer Mandzukic signed for Atletico Madrid. The move appeared a perfect one on paper as it allowed him to link up with Diego Simeone, a manager who requires his forwards to link play and help out in the team’s defensive organisation and pressing. However, despite winning over the fans and scoring 20 goals in 43 outings, reported attitudinal issues led to his departure after just one year in the Spanish capital.

During his first year with Juventus, Mandzukic acted as a striker within a front two also featuring the more refined Paulo Dybala, but he was once again forced to adapt when the club signed Gonzalo Higuain. Unable to lead the line consistently, he has since appeared most frequently on the left wing or as a second striker. Essentially, he is Juventus’ Swiss Army Man, filling in wherever he may be needed.

His current manager, Massimiliano Allegri, values him greatly. “Mandzukic gives us physicality both defending and attacking,” Allegri said last year. “When we’re under pressure, we rely on him to a degree. He’s an important player.”

Mandzukic may be shifted around at club level, but for Croatia he is the No.1 frontman. He led the line within their 4-5-1 system at this summer’s World Cup, playing a key role as they reached the final. Not only did he score three goals at the tournament, but he once again showcased the mental, physical and tactical capabilities that have enabled him to enjoy a long career at the top level of European football.

HIGH PRESSING INVOLVEMENT

No striker at this year’s World Cup averaged more tackles than Mandzukic, who made two tackles per game. His closest competitors in this particular field were Serbia’s Aleksandar Mitrovic, who averaged 1.7, and Uruguay’s Edinson Cavani, who averaged 1.5. It’s worth noting that Mandzukic’s higher average also came across a larger sample of games – he made six appearances, while Mitrovic and Cavani made three and four respectively.

This statistic offers a glimpse into the type of attacker Mandzukic is, particularly when playing up top on his own. He is defensively active and leads from the front with intelligence, persistence and endurance. Croatia’s success this summer was largely down to their effective pressing game, of which Mandzukic was an important part.

Instigating the press

Operating as the lone striker within Croatia’s system, Mandzukic was often responsible for instigating his team’s pressing. This involved identifying who to press, when to press them, and how to correctly apply pressure depending on the situation.

The ‘who’ was generally the opposition ball-player; the ‘when’ was generally when the opposition passed sideways within their first build-up line. The ‘how’ varied, though it regularly meant using a run or body positioning to take away the opponent’s passing options and force them into wider areas.

An example of this is seen in the below graphic, taken from the defeat to France. Here, Mandzukic identifies Samuel Umtiti as the man to press. He decides to press in this moment as Umtiti is about to receive a pass and does not yet have control of the ball. He uses the time taken for the ball to reach Umtiti to move closer to the centre-back. While moving closer, Mandzukic bends his run so as to eliminate the possibility of a simple return pass to Raphael Varane.

Following through

Most strikers have some involvement in their team’s pressing, though few are as involved as Mandzukic. Unlike many, he doesn’t stop pressing when he has forced his opponent into a certain area. Rather, he follows through.

An example of this can be seen below in a graphic that follows on from the one above. Here, having forced Umtiti wide, Mandzukic continues to remain close and apply pressure to his opposite man, eventually dispossessing him. While the referee, rather harshly, blows for a foul, Mandzukic is successful in disrupting France’s build-up.