Restattacke

The idea for this piece got sparked by two videos that gained a good amount of popularity on social media. The second of the two videos were of Bayern Munich head coach Julian Nagelsmann and Ralf Rangnick who is now in charge at Manchester United as they talked through some tactical concepts that have been implemented at Bayern since Nagelsmann had taken over. The first video that came out three days before was of Wolves manager Bruno Lage in a post-match interview after defeating Manchester United 1–0 where he talked about the tactical game plan that helped them win the match. This then brought me to the idea presented by Borussia Dortmund Assistant Rene Maric of the restattacke. From there we dive into a hypothetical matchup between Bayern Munich and Wolverhampton to see how Wolves ideas, presented by Bruno Lage and combined with Rene Maric, could potentially exploit the spaces of Julian Nagelsmann’s Bayern.

Setting the Board: Asymmetrical Fullbacks

To summarize: in the second video with Julian Nagelsmann, he mentions teams sitting in a low block against them looking to counter and needing ideas of how to build up and needing solutions to teams defending with five, six, or seven players. The main solution he talks about is the movement of the fullbacks and why they move the way they do, what structure they are looking to create, and what they are trying to achieve in the attack.

Depending on who is playing and the player profiles, the left fullback looks to play high and wide getting forward in the attack. The movement of the left fullback pushing forward playing high and wide with the right forward on the opposite side also playing high and wide is intent on keeping the opponents midfield positioning compact and looking to pull their back four or back five apart. This helps to draw out the opposition fullbacks creating exploitable space and forcing the center back into having to decide whether to stay in position or force him to have to shift and cover which opens up more space and gaps in the back line for the Bayern attackers to look to exploit with deep runs into depth and through balls. With positioning the fullbacks deeper, which some teams prefer to do, that can draw out the opposition midfielders but then that creates space in the #6 position where as having the asymmetry and staggering of the fullbacks creates space in the oppositions backline which Julian Nagelsmann prefers.

“Some opponents prefer a flat back four in the buildup to draw the opposing midfield apart. Rather, I prefer drawing their backline apart.” -Julian Nagelsmann

The right fullback then looks to play deeper and tuck inside and position himself in the right half space. This creates the 2–3 structure Julian Nagelsmann is looking to create. The right fullback in a horizontal line with the two #6’s or a #6 and a deep playing #8 look to position themselves in the center and left half space. Then we have the two center backs protecting the central space in behind the #6, #8, and inverted fullback. This rest defense structure is set up for Bayern to be able to more effectively counterpress. Building up with a back four as Nagelsmann explains is too hard to counterpress as the distances are too far apart. This structure is also to protect the center and half space areas to prevent counterattacks through the middle and force teams to have to switch the ball to the spaces on the sides to attack. By having to switch play to the wings in the transition phase it then takes the counterattacking team longer and moves them away from goal allowing time for the Bayern Munich players to recover.

*Approximate positions of the Bayern players from the example Julian Nagelsmann gives in the video from the game against Hertha Berlin

Here we see the movement of the fullbacks. The left fullback stays wide and pushes high as the right fullback comes inside next to the #6 to create the 2–3 shape that Bayern wants to use to prevent counterattacks while getting multiple players into the last line that can threaten in behind.

This movement from the right fullback to come inside opens the space for the right forward who positions out wide and looks to drop slightly to create a bit more distance from the opposition’s wingback/fullback. This coupled with the movement of Bayern’s left fullback helps to stretch the oppositions backline and open holes between the defenders.

Here we see as the right forward has received the ball this is forcing the wingback to have to step out and the left center back has to follow. This is now opening the gaps and spaces that Bayern are looking for to make runs in behind and look to play through balls.

If the runs made by the attacking mids and forwards on the ball near side are followed and covered by the opposition then it’s not a worry as this opens up space in the center and gaps in the opponents backline on the opposite side of the field that Bayern can look to exploit.

Attacking the Space: Where are the Fullbacks?

In the video with Wolves manager Bruno Lage, Lage explains how his team looked to exploit the spaces of the Manchester United fullbacks to help them to their victory. Though there wasn’t a ton of detail and Lage didn’t go too much in depth there were a few quotes that certainly were interesting and helped stimulate the mind in his ninety second explanation.

Bruno Lage: “The most important thing for us is to see where the fullbacks are. Which position they start.” (Why is that so important?) “To find the spaces. When they are defending and when they are attacking. Where they [the fullbacks] are.”

“Cavani tried to control Ruben. Christiano Ronaldo tried to control Coady. And the wingers inside. So, the space its outside. And the boys find those spaces. That’s why it’s so important to understand when you have the ball where are the spaces and when you are defending. If the fullbacks are in front [of Wolves two wide forwards] or if they go then it’s not your man and you control the space inside.”

After watching the two videos it then got me interested in comparing the two managers ideas to see how you could possibly take advantage of the fullback spaces left open by Bayern and maybe find ways to create space in the center of Bayern’s rest defense. To explore this more I watched and analyzed the Wolves — Man Utd game looking at how United set up their fullbacks positionally in attack and how Wolves looked to exploit the space.

Wolves Analysis vs Manchester United

At the start of the game both fullbacks for Manchester United looked to push high and get forward. Here the left fullback for United is starting his movement to push high and be positioned wide. This leaves the space for Wolves to look to exploit once United lose the ball and Wolves are able to gain possession. The center forward for Wolves once possession is won makes a depth run into the vacated space between the left fullback and left center back.

In these four pictures the right fullback for United (not pictured until the fourth pic in the bottom corner) is pushed forward trying to stretch the field. Once the ball is regained by the Wolves players in the center the left forward positioned inside can then exploit the opening in the left half space with the fullback having to recover.

As the half continued the left fullback for Manchester started to take up more central positions to overload the middle and close the distance to have to press but this opened more space on the wings for Wolves to exploit. On the plus side for United this forced Wolves a bit wider compared to them exploiting the half spaces so easily earlier. Here again Wolves forcing play in the center, trapping and pressing the ball receiver. In the first picture of the four we can see the space that the Wolves wingback can run forward into. Once the wingback receives out wide the right forwards movement out towards the wing draws his defender opening the space for the center forwards opposite movement to drop and receive.

Here again the left fullback takes up a more central position. This opens more space on the wings but prevents Wolves from attacking quickly through the half space.

Through these various scenes its clear to see that Wolves had a lot of success in exploiting the space of both the fullbacks for Manchester United. Wolves forcing play inside and winning the ball in central areas also helped make it easier for the Wolves attackers to exploit the fullback space. As noted, the United left fullback started to position himself inside more as the half continued on which forced Wolves to work their counterattacks from wider positions. This is also how Julian Nagelsmann prefers his opponents to run their counterattacks, if they get the opportunity. Through big switches into wide areas this pushes the opponent further away from goal and gives the defenders time to recover.

Restattacke: Mirroring the Rest Defense

After watching and analyzing this match between Wolves and United it then triggered the idea presented by the Borussia Dortmund assistant Rene Maric in his 2021 advent calendar of the concept called restattacke. As Maric states “the restattacke is mirrored to the concept of the rest defense” so the restattacke is how a team prepares to attack while they are defending. These concepts, Maric continues, “stretch to how and where you look to regain the ball and how allowing a team to progress more in their build up allows for more space to progress through on the counter.” He then further explains: “the restattacke also includes the way teams are organized in their shape for these moments.” “Where are the players who can develop the counter?” “Where are the players who can give depth to the counter?” “Which position do you want to reach in what moment?” “And lastly, having if-then-possibilities.”

These restattacke concepts from Rene Maric relate with what Bruno Lage said from his post match comments: “That’s why it’s so important to understand when you have the ball where are the spaces and when you are defending. If the fullbacks are in front [of Wolves two wide forwards] or if they go then it’s not your man and you control the space inside.”

Hypothetical Group Stage Leg 1: Bayern Munich vs Wolverhampton Wanderers

Looking at the setup of Bayern under Nagelsmann and the available spaces in the fullback positions how do we want to set our restattacke up against this 2–3 rest defense? First, we want to look at how we set up our press (does the press set up the restattacke or does the restattacke set up the press?). Whilst defending and pressing we want to look at what spaces we want to force the opponent into and where we want to try and win the ball. Where we win the ball and by who can impact how we counterattack. In the 5–2–3 press against the buildup the three forwards should be passive against the opposition center backs, looking to play narrow, and blocking passes into the three central midfielders forcing the wide play and having the two midfielders ready to jump out to press. Once the ball is won, we then have the narrow outside forwards making runs into the wide areas. With winning the ball in wide areas the issue can arise, if trying to exploit the wide fullback spaces, that the area where possession was won is then more compact with less space for counterattacking progressions on that side. This can then force play to have to be switched to the far side and attacking the space there. This can be an opportunity to attack the oppositions back side, but it can also have the consequence of giving the opposition time to recover. A team looking to force play to the wings and press in those spaces, after winning the ball, can create opportunities to then look to counter through the middle as focus is on the wide area and there’s potential to play diagonal balls between the lines from this position. Once possession is won in the wide area the near side forward, positioned narrowly initially, should look to make a run out to the wing on the side the ball is won. This run should be used to open the space in the middle for the center forward to drop into and receive. After the center forward receives the nearside forward making the run out to the wing can be found with a third man combination. The center forward could also look to play the forward on the opposite side or look to lay off to a midfielder who then can see the space ahead of him. The two central midfielders should be looking to position and receive in the half space or if the ball is played to a wide forward, bypassing the midfield, the midfielder should then look to make a forward run to support play in the half space. If possible, the midfielder should also look to make a depth run from his deeper position in behind the opposition backline. The center forward should also be looking to perform opposite movements to the wide forwards and double movements to look to run in behind or receive between lines.

To exploit the spaces vacated by the fullbacks as they push high on the left side and invert on the right it can be beneficial to force play into the center and look to win the ball there. This can be done with the two wide forwards still positioning themselves inside but looking to use their covershadows to block off passes into the wide areas (the right forward and the left fullback). The wingbacks as well should look to play tight to the wide attackers to make the opposition look further inside. The center forward should be preparing to press any central passes. Once the pass is played into our shape this should then trigger our press from the two midfielders and the center forward who should be backwards pressing. Man orientations for the wingbacks on the wide players should further take away any passing outlets out of pressure for players receiving in the center. Once the ball is regained in the center of the field the forwards can then look to make their movement to exploit the fullback spaces.

What height should we win the ball at? As Rene Maric wrote “allowing more progression enables more progression in counter.” There are advantages to winning the ball in different heights of the field. Winning the ball higher up can be more advantageous as you are closer to the goal you are trying to score in and further away from your own goal. Space to counterattack in this situation can be limited once the ball is won, however. Pressing high can also have the disadvantage of opening space in between our lines and in behind for the opponent to exploit. Defending in a low block limits the space the opposition has to attack in the final third making it difficult to find space to attack but winning the ball from that deep has the disadvantage of the longer distances to goal. Though winning the ball high up is the most advantageous due to the positioning further away from our own goal, for a team looking to play on the counter a happy medium can be found pressing in a midblock. This allows the opponent to move forward to progress their attack which opens up potential space to exploit on a counterattack once the ball is won.

In this hypothetical set up between Bayern Munich and Wolverhampton Wanders the three narrow strikers orientate themselves towards the two midfielders and inverted fullback. This passive pressure allows more time and space for the Bayern center backs to find passes but blocks off the middle and makes the center much more compact making it harder to find passes especially in the middle. This also gives the forwards more space to make runs into without running into offside positions once possession is regained.

As the ball gets played out wide the Wolves players can look to trap the ball out there with space already compact and shorter distances to press due to the height of the midblock and the positioning of the left forward in relation to the left wingback and left central midfielder.

Once Wolves are able to regain possession they can look to exploit the spaces vacated by the left fullback through quick ball relocation and runs into the available space. Though as stated before this is how Bayern would prefer you to counterattack if able to develop a counter at all against them. Using this space can still cause problems for Bayern however as Bayern defenders still need to recover and either shift to close space or orientate themselves to mark an attacker while Wolves have attackers looking to run in behind. Once the ball is played into the wide area or even once the run is made, this can drag the Bayern defenders out of their positions and open space in the middle for late runners to take up.

What Bayern doesn’t want is for teams to play through the center and half spaces against them. Once possession is regained and we make our run outward to exploit the wide channel can we look to use that run to open space inside the central areas of the field with players looking to get into gaps and position/move between lines. With this it can cause Bayern’s defenders more problems, but it can also lead to a higher turnover rate as more progressive passes are being played in compact areas. This can lead to the necessity for quick layoffs and third man combinations to beat the press and unlock the spaces. It can also create a necessity for the attacking team to counterpress.

If we want to look to exploit the fullback spaces more effectively the forwards should look to change their positioning just slightly to block off passes to the outsides while remaining narrow. The center forward should drop just a little bit to prepare to backwards press any central passes. With focus on the center of the field the wide forwards can exploit the space on the outsides easier once the ball is won.

Training

Setting the Restattacke: Defending to Counterattacking 8v8+Keeper

For this training game we want to work on the light blue teams restattacke and counterattacking. Play starts with dark blue who looks to attack the three small goals and are set up in a 2–3–3 formation with the right fullback inverting to position in the second line and the left fullback pushing forward to join the third line. Light blue set up in a 3–2–3 with a single center back and two wingbacks making up the first line. In the thin middle zone, the three light blue forwards are positioned in this zone looking to block forward passes. Two of the forwards are restricted to staying in this zone when defending while one forward is allowed to drop out of the zone to help defend (man marking, pressing, backwards pressing).

Coaching points: While the two center backs are in possession for dark blue, the two light blue forwards positioned in the middle zone should look to use their covershadow to block off forward passes into the midfielders. If looking to force play out wide the outside forward on the ball side should look to drop in and orientate themselves to the nearest player. Once the pass is played out to the opposition wide attacker the wingback and central midfielder for light blue should look to press with the forward floating to be an outlet once possession is won. Or you could have the wingback press with the man marking forward and utilize one of the central players as an outlet facing forward. Once possession is won in this scenario the floating forward should look to find space between lines or exploit the fullback space. The two forwards positioned in the middle zone, once possession has been won, are now free to move out of the zone and either look to receive between the lines or make runs into the outside spaces or in behind. The center forward in particular should look to use double movements to get in behind or receive between lines. The center back and two central midfielders while out of possession should positionally look to close the gaps between the pressing players ahead of them to maximize spacing, looking to shift and press on passes out wide while the ball is travelling to put the ball receiver under high pressure and quickly close the surrounding space. If wanting to force play centrally the two outside forwards should look to position in the middle zone blocking off passes to the wide attackers and prepare to move into the fullback space once possession is won. The center forward while out of possession should look to backwards press the passes played in the middle if play is able to be progressed through by the dark blue team.

Though it may have been mentioned above it should be explicitly stated: In the counterattack there should be a high focus on layoffs and third man combinations to have a ball receiver facing forward early in the progression of the counter and to find the free player and exploit space quickly. Depth runs should be used to threaten the space vertically and create space in front of the backline. Finally, selfless runs into the wide areas in order to create space in the center and holes in the backline.

A variation you could do as a warmup before this with smaller numbers is a 4v4 to small goals. The field split in the middle with a thin middle zone similar to above with one light blue player positioned inside looking to block forward passes. Play starts similar as above with one center back for dark blue in the top half of the field looking to play a forward pass into the three dark blue in the other half and score in the small goal. The three light blue players look to press and upon winning the ball look to use the light blue player in the middle zone to play into and look to counter the opposing small goal with play being free until the ball goes out of bounds or a goal is scored.

To progress, play a 9v9 game with both teams having keepers. Take out the middle zone and any restrictions, playing normal restarts and transitions. From here we want to remain focused on the behaviors that were trying to be achieved from above. Remembering especially what height we want our defensive block to be at and where we are trying to win the ball and exploit what spaces, with who, and how?

KW

Written January 2022

https://twitter.com/ankaman616/status/1478113375032860676?s=21

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1P1pmy1FP86vZ4yEMLBpc4YJWHNpBA5aG/view

https://twitter.com/ReneMaric/status/1474833935616065541?s=20&t=F4G3-_5gdew7VR6NpbGM1A