How Toulouse have used set plays to preserve their Ligue 1 status – set-piece analysis

Toulouse currently sit in 12th place in Ligue 1, 9 points clear of the relegation zone. In a season where there are additional relegation spots when compared to the usual three, the challenge of staying up becomes more difficult. Toulouse though are enjoying what looks like a successful season. Safety is not guaranteed, although the points buffer and limited number of matches left should mean they will stay safe. In addition, Toulouse find themselves in a Coupe de France final against Nantes. Although the path hasnt been too difficult, with Reims the only competitor from the same division as Toulouse, the achievement is still impressive and the potential of a trophy remains a mouth-watering sight.

In the league, Toulouse have scored 10/48 goals from set pieces, meaning that 21% of all goals scored have been scored from dead ball situations, with these equalling around 6 points won. These goals could be the difference between survival and relegation when looking at the league table come the end of the season. Toulouse rank 3rd in terms of xG from set plays, with a value of 10.09, only bettered by Montpellier and Marseille, which clearly shows how strong Toulouse have been from these situations in comparison to other sides in the league.

In this??tactical analysis, we will look into the tactics used by Toulouse, with an in-depth analysis of how they have been able to use several different routines to create high-quality chances in their variations of corners. This set-piece analysis will look at the reasons behind the different routines used and how their use of decoy runs in particular have allowed them to be a unique threat from dead balls.

Decoy movements

One of Toulouses key methods to creating chances from corners has come through the use of decoys to create 1v1 opportunities in target areas for the target player. Being able to have a 1v1 opportunity in an open area provides the attacker with a big advantage as it becomes easier to create separation from his marker through changes in either direction or speed of movement. Once that separation is achieved, the target player is able to attack the cross unopposed from within 6-12 yards from goal, usually resulting in a high xG chance being created.

The image below displays how Toulouse have utilised decoys to create space inside the box. In this particular example, the goal is to deliver the ball to the near side of the six-yard box. In order to drag defenders away from the target area, Toulouse bring four attackers towards the far side of the box which attracts all the man markers away from the near side of the six-yard area. Usually, the near side of the six-yard box has zonal markers protecting it. The example below shows how Toulouse have brought over a player to be a short passing option in order to drag the zonal marker away from the target area.

Once the space is created around the near side of the six-yard box, the target player must time his run correctly. As the corner is about to be delivered, the target player must create separation, through the use of body feints to prevent his marker from staying tight to him. This allows him to arrive in the target area unmarked and attempt a volley on goal from inside the six-yard box.

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