A Guide To Back-Three Defence Tactics: From Mainz High Press To Inter Milan Low-Block – Tactical Theory

Inter Milans run to the 2024/2025 UEFA Champions League final is likely to spark discussion around back-three formations.

The hype around the back-three isnt new, but this season, many of the teams using it are showing that they deserve the spotlight, particularly in the way they defend and play out of possession.

The original idea behind the back-three formation, which can later be translated into a five-man back when the team is out of possession, is to have more players in your own half than the opposition, making the defensive situation safer.

Interestingly, even though they use a similar formation, teams defending with a back three can defend completely differently.

With this formation, one can press high, one can use a mid-block trap, and another can defend deep.

Thats why its interesting to see how the team with a back three defends—to show the variation that can be applied to this type of formation and the benefits it can bring to clubs that use it.

Apart from Inter, teams like Crystal Palace, Celta Vigo, St. Pauli, Werder Bremen, and Mainz 05 are employing a three-back formation, and they have achieved notable successes in their own contexts this season.

Our tactical theory article shares a tactical analysis of this pattern.

Pressing High With A Back-Three Formation

Mainz provides a good example here.

They use a 3-4-2-1 formation week in and week out and press high with this formation.

For context, Mainz are second in the league in terms of PPDA (passes allowed per defensive action), behind only Bayern Munich.

Remember, the lower the number of opponents passes allowed, the more intense the pressing.

Bo Henriksens side also have the second highest number of tackles in the opposition half, which shows how aggressive they are without the ball.

In the out-of-possession phase, Mainz will divide its players into two groups: five for the initial pressing phase and five for the rest of the defence.

This ensures that Mainz arent outnumbered in their own half, while the five players up front are flexible enough to press the opponents build-up.

Those five players will be tasked with not only winning the ball quickly but also forcing their opponents to play the long ball as quickly as possible.

This is the logic of those who play three at