This week, FC Bayern Munich, now Pep Guardiola’s Bayern, won Bundesliga title in record time. In the title match, Hertha Berlin played in a well structured 1-4-3-3 (three fowards in the middle with two really offensive sidebacks).
As the Main Princliple of the Game at the moment of Offensive Organization (with ball possession), Guardiola’s team shows how to “Enhance the ball possession”. This principle has the objective of weakening the opponent by moving and keeping ball possession through long time interval.
Below, I will show some principle applied by Guardiola:
1. “Centre midfielder runs back to help carrying the ball”
When it is a 2×2 situation for the centre-backs of Bayern, Lahm runs back to the defensive line to create a 3×2 scenario helping to carry the ball.
2. “Carry ball from behind to bring opponents creating and freeing mates”
When centre-back have space to carry the ball, they sahll move to it in a way that it makes opponents to come, freeing spaces to teammates to move and receive the ball.
3. “Constant support to ball carrier”
Player without the ball shall stay close to the ball to create several option to the ball carrier, helping keeping the possession.
4. “Force concentration of players in the middle area”
Creates numerical superiority in the central zones of the pitch, dominating the game and keeping ball possession.
5. “Wide pitch”
Wingers shall play wide to open spaces in the fields. They are a good option when the opponent is well succeeded defending the center.
6. “Capitalize the space in the back of defensive line”
When opponent defensive men moves to support the ball carrier, midfielders and forwards shall make the most of this created space to be free.
All these principles applyed results in goals as this one:
