Canceling double away goal value has a positive effect

The Group of Technical Observers of UEFA who participated in the elaboration of the extensive report of Champions League 2021/22 considers the repeal of the away goal rule, which was not considered last season, to have a positive effect.

The panel consists of Packie Bonner (IRL), Tim Cahill (AUS), Cosmin Contra (RUM), Frank de Boer (NED), Corinne Diacre (FRA), Jean-François Domergue (FRA), Dušan Fitzel (CZE), Steffen Freund (GER) , Frans Hoek (NED), David James (ING), Aitor Karanka (ESP), Robbie Keane (IRL), Marcel Koller (SUI), Claude Makélélé (FRA), Roberto Martínez (ESP), Mixu Paatelainen (FIN), Vera Pauw (NED), Peter Rudbæk (DIN), Willi Ruttensteiner (AUT), Willy Sagnol (FRA), Thomas Schaaf (GER), Gareth Southgate (ING) and Giovanni van Bronckhorst (NED).

In his opinion, the fact that this rule was not applied, for the first time in more than half a century, prompted meetings to become “more attractive”, according to Frank DeBoer, because it has been verified that local teams are no longer worried about conceding goals.

The document explains that this rule caused local teams to act more cautiously. “Now, instead, the matches are less chess and “more open”, according to the former Dutch defender.

Meanwhile, the Spaniards Robert Martinezselector of Belgiumbelieves that this system is fairer than before when spitting goals are worth double in the event of a draw.

“Back then it was unfair: if you played the second leg away from home you had an advantage because the last 20 minutes of the game you could go crazy, score two goals and then you went through the away goals rule, ” he argued.

the Irish packie bonner he felt the change in perception among the spectators when the away team scored. “Someone is calmer. “If the away team scores, the home team still has a chance, so the public’s reaction is different and the atmosphere and the players on the pitch are affected,” he said.

Despite this, the qualifiers are over Champions they kept the pace of six of the nine seasons before the pandemic (2010/19), with more goals coming in the second leg than in the first leg, although a campaign considered too short in ours to have anything significant. conclusions.

The game with the most goals in the knockout round is the first leg of the semi-finals Manchester City vs Real Madrid (4-3). Interestingly, this was the only tie decided on away goals under the old rule. The Italian set Carlo Ancelotti in the end it passes (5-5) without needing an extension.

Effect of surrogates.

The panel also highlighted the impact of Real Madrid’s substitutes on their path to the title, such as Brazilian Rodrygo Goes in the match against Chelsea, as well as the effects of five changes for the second full season.

In number, in 29 knockout matches eleven players who started from the bench scored, with Inter, Porto and Sporting making the most changes.

The report assures that Carlo Ancelotti was not afraid to “make bold changes”, such as removing the redoubtable Toni Kroos and Luka Modric from the midfield in more difficult moments of the matches against Chelsea and Manchester City and bringing in youngsters like Eduardo Camavinga, who was in charge of sending the ball to Karim Benzema who was finished by Rodrygo.

“Ancelotti has been an example this season of having players who are very important like Kroos, Casemiro, Modrić and then there are younger guys who come in – Rodrygo scores goals, Camavinga gives assist. It’s not about how long you play, it’s about the quality of your playing time”, assured Roberto Martínez.

“That comes from what the coach has created in the dressing room, an atmosphere where everything is important and that is important. If you can create that atmosphere, then five substitutions is positive,” said the Belgium coach.

The debate on the advantages and disadvantages of the five changes raises different positions in the panel and presents the data. For example, Pep Guardiola at Manchester City made only 3.6 on average per game, the fourth lowest number among 32 teams. Instead, he used the fifth most players in his games (26), leaving open the option that the Spanish coach would prefer to rotate through the eleven to make substitutions.

Aitor Karanka gave another point of view and defined the way the squad was made: “Instead of 20 or 22 players, maybe 18 would be better, because they would have more opportunities and it would be easier to build a relationship where everyone feels they can play.

Packie Bonner felt that with five changes a coach can “respond to what another coach is doing and still have a chance to change the strategy at the end of the game,” he said.

“With three substitutions that’s impossible, because you have to save one for the last phase of the match in case a player has a cramp, for example. You have more scenarios you can prepare for because there’s more flexibility. It’s amazing see how coaches respond to another coach’s move,” Bonner said.

Commission members address the tendency to play the ball from the goalkeeper. Ten teams conceded goals in these actions and eight scored starting from behind.

“The problem is that if you lose the ball in that area, it’s almost immediately a chance or even a goal for the rival,” said Frans Hoek, warning that “you don’t have to build for the sake of building. “

Roberto Martínez believes that it is important to train young footballers to play in this way even if they work in a different system in senior football. “Footballers must impose the obligation to play backwards and take risks, otherwise the player will not improve. At a professional level, it depends on the philosophy of the club and the purpose of his work,” he said .

Defense Trends

The technical report also confirms the trend of using three center backs and two lanes. According to him, in the last Champions League seventeen teams started at least one game with three or five defenders, although the most common formations are 1-4-3-3, 1-4-2-3-1 and 1 -4- 4-2 (four semifinalists played with four defensemen).

Of the teams that regularly play with three or five defenders, Atlético de Madrid have sparked the most lively debate among UEFA observers. In Atlético’s quarter-final first leg at Manchester City, their 1-5-3-2 formation became 1-5-5-0 at times. In the process they limited City to two shots on goal, the document reflects.

One view is that this is a damage limitation exercise. Atlético, according to Roberto Martínez, spent three quarters of the tie “waiting for City to make that difficult pass to get the ball back, but in the second half in Madrid they were a different team. So we often talk about system tactics and often forget that a behavioral defense system has a completely different effect”.

A mitigating opinion from Willy Sagnol was that Simeone’s men reserved their energy for the last 45 minutes of the match because maintaining that intensity for longer against City might be “impossible”.

The importance of scoring first

Although the fact that Real Madrid used more vertical passes towards the Brazilian Vinicius, compared to the rest of their match, was considered an exception, the importance of scoring first was also evident with the exception of Real Madrid, who executed a spirited return to the playoffs. . Percentage-wise, 72% of the teams that scored first ended up winning.

A total of 380 goals were scored, the third best mark since the implementation of the current format, more goals were scored in the second half (210, for 168 in the first half and 2 in extra time) and Bayern Munich for third straight season tops team in scoring with 31.

On the other hand, Real Madrid showed that they know how to take advantage of their moments in matches. While quick transitions paid off for many teams, the Whites’ scoring sequence averaged 16.2 seconds and consisted of 5.3 average passes.

In the knockout rounds he was the highest ranked, with seven goals after nine or more passes. Indeed, the report recalls that Benzema’s header against Chelsea in the quarter-finals ended a sequence of 59 seconds. The London team scored six goals in actions of nine or more passes and Bayern Munich five.

Pressure on the opponent

In reference to the pressure on the rival, Chelsea allowed its rivals to progress to the lowest meter (8.7 m.); Ajax, which allowed the fewest passes to its opponents (7.44); and Manchester City (45.5 m.) and Bayern (44.4 m.) who later put up their defense.

Real Madrid figures far from these leaders, but the report reflects that Ancelotti, praised for his historic success, understood the characteristics of his team, with “midfielders who are not too young, who not so fast”, according to Fabio Capello , and edited here.

Kilometers traveled

Even in kilometers traveled per game, Real Madrid is in the middle of the table with 115.38, just ahead of Villarreal (115.24), far from the leader, Dinamo kyiv (123.5), although they cover fewer players from at Liverpool (114.09), runner. -up, or from Juventus (113.95) and Atlético de Madrid (113.21), for example. The lowest player in this table is PSG with 106.34.