Fede Valverde is absolutely crucial to the way Carlo Ancelotti wants his team to press/defend because he can take up multiple duties/roles off-the-ball and also allows the team to morph into different shapes/structures due to his positional sense, commitment and work ethic.
1/5
1/5
Here's a single sequence of play (10-15 seconds apart) where:
1. He acts as the widest player on the right, in the first line of the 424/244 press.
2. Joins the midfield line to change the shape into a 433
3. Fills in as the 5th defender to make the shape a 541/532/523
2/5
1. He acts as the widest player on the right, in the first line of the 424/244 press.
2. Joins the midfield line to change the shape into a 433
3. Fills in as the 5th defender to make the shape a 541/532/523
2/5
45:39: Inside Shakhtar's half, acting in the first line of press as the wide player in the right hand side (424), positioned in a such a way that he can either initiate the press if the ball is moved wide or can shuttle back deep if the opposition play through the press.
3/5
3/5
45:51: Shakhtar manage to play through/evade the press in Phase 1 and move the ball a bit higher up the pitch. Valverde shuttles back into midfield to provide support to Tchouameni and Kroos, morphing the shape into a 433 from the 424 press.
4/5
4/5
46:01: Shakhtar manage to retain possession in Phase II and slowly move the ball into the final third of the pitch. Fede fills in as the fifth defender to the back four, providing support to Carvajal and changing the shape into a 532/541/523.
5/5
5/5
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