Norrköping’s resolute defence vs Göteborg’s lethal attack: The compelling 2023/24 Allsvenskan U19 title race – scout report

IFK Norrköping is a prominent football club based in Sweden. With a rich history dating back to its foundation in 1897, the club has not only established itself as a force in Swedish football but has also nurtured through some young talent from its youth development program. Emil Roback is one player who spent time in the IFK Norrköping youth system. The young Swedish forward moved on to Hammarby before signing for Serie A giants, AC Milan. Roback returned to Norrköping on loan in 2023, allowing him to get some valuable first-team experience.

IFK Göteborg is another Swedish club with a tremendous footballing heritage and is well-known for producing talented players. One recognisable name who has graduated from the Göteborg youth system is Sam Larsson, who moved to play in the Eredivisie for Herenveen and Feyenoord upon leaving his homeland. 

The U19 Allsvenskan is drawing to a close with a compelling title race between IFK Norrköping and IFK Göteborg playing out. The former currently sit top of the league with the best defence. Meanwhile, Göteborg find themselves in second place but possess one of the best attacks, having netted 56 times so far this season.

This tactical analysis piece will take the form of a scout report where we will analyse the Norrköping defensive structure and why it has been so good this season. We will then move on to look at Götebogs attacking tactics and explore why they have been able to score so many goals this season.

Norrköping’s exemplary defence:

A solid defensive structure

Norrköping U19 have the best defensive record in the league this season, having only conceded 20 goals so far. This is largely because the team works incredibly effectively as a cohesive unit in the defensive phase. As the image above demonstrates, Norrköping primarily adopts a 4-3-3 shape when they are defending. This involves the midfield and front three remaining compact and blocking off the passing lanes in central areas. This acts as a trap to force the opposition to move the ball out to the wide areas, where Norrköping will look to initiate an intense press to force their opponents back into their own half.

The presence of three midfielders enhances the teams ability to press and regain possession in the central zones. The Norrköping midfield trio can apply coordinated pressure on the oppositions midfielders and prevent them from establishing a rhythm in their build-up play. The additional midfield support also allows for effective ball recovery and interception opportunities, enabling the team to regain possession swiftly and launch counterattacks or initiate controlled build-up play from deeper areas.