How Shakhtar Donetsk’s possession structures have made them one of the most exciting teams in Europe – tactical analysis

After winning four straight Ukrainian Premier League titles from 2017-2020, Shakhtar Donetsk ended the 2020/21 campaign in second-place by eleven points to the eventual winners, Dynamo Kyiv.

Having failed to progress past the Round of 16 of the UEFA Europa League or win a single domestic trophy, Portuguese manager Luis Castro announced that he would leave the club at the end of the campaign.

It did not take the Shakhtar hierarchy to find their managerial replacement and opted to go for a much younger and more vibrant manager in Roberto De Zerbi, the former Sassuolo and Empoli head coach, and an ex-Milan youth player.

Lauded for his high-octane and possession-oriented style of football, De Zerbi’s switch to Ukraine was surprising given his growing reputation in Italian football but has been one of the most interesting managerial appointments in Europe.

With the competitive league already commencing in Ukraine, Shakhtar have won four out of five games under the Italian – including winning both legs of their UEFA Champions League third qualifying round tie against Genk – but his system of play is what has caught most people’s eyes.

This article will be a tactical analysis of Shakhtar Donetsk under De Zerbi in the form of a team scout report. It will be an analysis of the Ukrainian side’s new positional play tactics.

Starting lineup and player profile

The graph above shows the age profile of players that De Zerbi has been using the most this season. The players who have played the most minutes are mainly under the age of 24 with the exclusion of certain first-teamers such as Marlon Santos, Maycon, Alan Patrick, Mykola Matviyenko, and Tepas Stepanenko.

De Zerbi has put his trust into a very young group of players to carry out his energetic, high-pressing, and dynamic style of play. There are still some players with experience in the squad to help the younger players though too.