⚽Pressing and Build-Up Play

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1. ⚽Pressing and Build-Up Play

2. 👉3 New Training Exercises for You!

⚽Pressing and Build-Up Play

Pressing has become one of the defining features of modern football. At the same time, players – even defenders – have reached such a high technical level that many teams now deliberately look to build their play from the back. This creates a constant dynamic: the better the pressing, the more sophisticated the build-up needs to be – and vice versa.

Kevin De Bruyne once explained in an interview that under Guardiola, they spent a lot of time specifically rehearsing pressing situations after goal kicks. The reason is simple: because the ball is stationary, patterns and movements can be trained with precision. Once the game is flowing, everything becomes much more fluid – and far harder to control.

The Basic Principle of Zonal Play

In general, the deeper a team operates in its own half, the more structured and disciplined its behavior needs to be. The goal there is always to minimize risk. The further up the pitch you move, especially in the final third, the more freedom and creativity are required.

In this newsletter, we’ll look at concrete examples of how different teams approach goal kicks and how their opponents respond with pressing strategies.

Liverpool vs Arsenal: The Art of Misdirection

Liverpool’s Unorthodox Approach

Against Arsenal, Liverpool used an unusual setup from goal kicks. Van Dijk stayed central next to the goalkeeper, while Konaté drifted wide – almost like a full-back. Meanwhile, the nominal full-backs, Szoboszlai and Kerkez, positioned themselves half-wide in central areas.

What stood out was the empty midfield. No holding midfielder in sight. Arteta, on the other hand, opted for a cautious pressing scheme and sent only Gyökeres to apply pressure up front. Given Liverpool’s extreme pace in attack, that kind of restraint was understandable.

The Decisive Moment

As soon as Alisson played the ball, Liverpool’s plan unfolded. Szoboszlai burst quickly from his half-space into the now open central area and received the pass there. With only one pressing player committed, Arsenal had no chance to stop that movement. Meanwhile, Mac Allister and Gravenberch deliberately held higher positions, dragging their markers with them and creating the very space Szoboszlai was able to exploit.

Arsenal’s Structured Response

In the same match, Arsenal relied on a more traditional but equally well-thought-out approach. Rice and Zubimendi formed a solid double pivot. Mosquera mirrored Liverpool’s idea by shifting wide, while the full-backs operated on different heights – Calafiori staying deeper, Timber pushing higher.

Liverpool, in contrast, adopted a more aggressive pressing strategy, with Salah and Etikete leading the first line. Etikete’s role was particularly interesting: he curved his run toward goalkeeper Raya and deliberately used his cover shadow to block the passing lane to Saliba. But by stepping out of his position, he inadvertently created Arsenal’s advantage. With the goalkeeper effectively providing an extra outfield player in the first line, Mosquera became the free man. Rice acted as the link, dropping briefly to receive before immediately playing Mosquera into space. Risky, yes – but also a clever way for Arsenal to launch their build-up.

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Slovakia vs Germany: Compactness as a Concept

Minimalist Setup

Slovakia employed a very different approach. Both centre-backs positioned themselves tight to the goalkeeper inside the box. The full-backs pushed high and wide, while only a single holding midfielder remained as a central outlet.

This structure came with clear pros and cons. On the one hand, it forced many German players to commit high up the pitch, creating more room for Slovakia’s build-up. On the other hand, it offered fewer central passing options and left little support for immediate counter-pressing after turnovers.

The Goalkeeper as Playmaker

The key figure was the Slovak goalkeeper. With an open body shape and plenty of patience, he waited for the right passing moment. For Germany’s Woltemade, pressing alone up front, it was nearly impossible to control – the keeper always had at least two options available to either side. A highly effective way to neutralize pressing pressure.

Nagelsmann’s Tactical Adjustment

At half-time, Julian Nagelsmann responded with a simple but effective tweak: instead of pressing with just one forward, Germany now sent two. This shift immediately removed Slovakia’s numerical superiority in the first line of their build-up.

One sequence illustrates the new German approach clearly. Wirtz pressed the goalkeeper with a curved run, cutting off the passing lane to the left centre-back. Woltemade locked onto the right centre-back, while the midfield matched up man-to-man. The result: the Slovak keeper was forced into long balls on several occasions – exactly the outcome Germany had been aiming for.

Conclusion

Man-oriented pressing in modern football opens up opportunities for both sides. Teams building from the back can use clever positioning and well-timed movements to create space. For the pressing side, man orientation provides the chance to be aggressive, win the ball high up the pitch, and immediately create dangerous attacking situations.

This constant back-and-forth turns modern football into a game of chess with 22 pieces. The coach who anticipates the opponent’s moves best and has the right answers prepared will give his team the decisive advantage.

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