Hi all,
Barcelona has just been crowned La Liga Champions after that victory over Espanyol yesterday.

It's time to think of the new season and after losing four times to Barcelona this season Real Madrid have decided to say goodbye to legendary Mr. Carlo Ancelloti and in comes one of those he coached in Madrid, Xabi Alonso, who coaches Bayer Leverkusen in Germany.

Let's Talk Some Tactics

The first thing that meets the eye in his system is the aggression in their syle. So we see the aggressive counter-pressing that occurs immediately after losing possession. Bayer Leverkusen led the Bundesliga in high turnovers and shots resulting from those turnovers during the 2023/24 season. This shows how well-coordinated their press is. If they lose the ball, Bayer's players swarm the opposition, making use of a compact attacking shape to quickly recover the ball.

This style minimizes the need for traditional defensive actions like dropping deep, as they move to quickly regain possession before opponents can organize a meaningful attack.

XABI ALONSO'S INTENT FOR MADRID

A key contributor to this success is their defensive high-line. Such a high-line enables the players to assume a compact shape to press and counter-press. They have to be efficient though.

Efficient because playing with such a high defensive line could leave spaces behind the defence, which could be exploited by fast transitions from the opposition.

Therefore, Alonso mitigates against this risk using a well-drilled 3-2 defensive structure— The three centre-backs in this system–who are physically imposing and quick–helped Bayer to successfully handle counter-attacks. Then the two midfield pivots provide additional cover, ensuring the team remains solid even during defensive transitions, with a primary focus on protecting the central zones.

This is what Real Madrid should expect. Infact it's interesting because this Barcelona under Mr. Flick plays with a markedly high defensive line. So it's gonna be high-line versus high-line.

Fasten your seat belts for a thriller next season, God keeping us alive.

Cheers