The world’s attention is now fixed on the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals as we draw ever closer to a series of thrilling and captivating matches.
The UEFA Champions League quarter-finals high-profile clashes: Bayern Munich take on Inter Milan, Arsenal host Real Madrid, Barcelona face Borussia Dortmund, and Paris Saint-Germain meet Aston Villa.
Our analytical focus centres on the Bayern Munich vs Inter Milan fixture, the first leg of which ended in a 2-1 win for Inter away from home.
If Bayern is to turn things around in the second leg of this tactically demanding contest, set-piece proficiency could prove decisive in a closely fought encounter.
Bayern Munich have recently demonstrated particularly effective execution of attacking free-kicks, converting them into goals and dangerous opportunities most recently evidenced by their decisive goal against Augsburg last Friday in the Bundesliga.
This tactical study will first assess Vincent Kompany and Aaron Danks set-piece tactics, exploring their diverse tactical repertoire and innovative implementations.
The analysis will then evaluate potential counterstrategies available for Simone Inzaghi and Ferruccio Cerasaros Inter Milan.
Jamal Musialas Decoy Run
First of all, we will discuss Bayern Munichs usual trick of asking Jamal Musiala to run in front of the first zonal defender to make him drop earlier than his mates.
This trick keeps Bayern Munichs targets onside despite starting in offside positions.
This trick is usually performed in wide free-kicks in the outer flank or half-spaces.
As shown below, the opponent defends with seven players in the zonal line: a player for the rebound (green), a player (yellow) to defend short passes and a player on the ball (pink).
This is motivated by the first attacker (black arrow), who pretends to block the zonal defender to convince him that he wants to free Musiala, making him drop earlier than the line.
It ends with an earlier drop for the first zonal defender of the line, which breaks the offside trap.
As shown below, the first zonal defender (black) moves earlier, which confirms that the attackers behind him are onside.
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