Tactical review: Shaqiri a key figure, Sparta lacked individual performance and more caution in defence

Sparta faced a big test on Thursday. The clash with Lyon showed, besides the comparison with the European top, the progress since the August double-header with Monaco. How did the match develop tactically?

Both teams went into the match in a 4-2-3-1 formation. Sparta took on Lyon immediately and made the start of the match very difficult for the French favourite by actively making themselves available. Two quick goals came in addition, so the visitors took their time to get the game under control.

First half

The key person in Peter Bosz’s system at Lyon is his most expensive summer signing Xherdan Shaqiri. Although he is listed as a right winger, he operates predominantly in the middle of the park.

Thus, with the ball on their hooves, Lyon gained the upper hand in the middle of the park, where, apart from the midfield three of both teams, it was Shaqiri’s presence that tipped the scales.

Logically, however, Hancko and Haraslin had less to do, so Vrba instructed this pair somewhat unorthodox instructions. Most of the time, the wing defending falls to the wing-back, while the opponent’s offensive wing-back is put in charge of the defensive wing-back, just as it was done on the right side of Sparta’s defence.

However, it was the opposite at Letná. Hancko took over the young, highly-placed Gusto, and Haraslín was withdrawing just towards the centre of the pitch, where he was trying to counter the visitors’ outnumbering while shrinking the field very effectively. The higher position also allowed him to transition quickly in case of a counterattack.

However, Haraslín was in charge of the pressing for Gusto, who was only passed to his Slovakian partner when Lyon moved further forward mainly through the central areas.

Minchev was in the role of attacking forward, chasing down Lyon’s stoppers virtually non-stop. Hložek and Sacek took charge of the more withdrawn midfielders, Pavelka chased the operating Aouar in the midfield.

The solution to the problem on the left side had its drawbacks, however, which were especially evident at the end of the first half. With almost all of Spartan’s players defending in person, it wasn’t exactly the most difficult for the French side to stretch players.

Hancko, in particular, was often far away from the tracking pair and formed a big gap that Pavelka and the trackers failed to fill. Pesek didn’t handle his returns much either, so the defensive four were usually alone in the line against an opponent of at least the same size, which is certainly not easy to defend.

Second half

Both coaches entered the second half with more changes. Hancko and Haraslin had already split the Shaqiri – Gusto pairing more traditionally, which offered more defensive stability. On the other hand, they didn’t let up with their high pressing.

And that’s even though there was a good opportunity to do so! Lyon regrouped into a 4-3-3 formation with one retractable midfielder instead of the two that Hložek and Sacek defended in the first half. So there were three options for Sparta to change the pressing.

In the first option, Minchev could continue to chase the stoppers while Hložek would take care of the more withdrawn midfielder, which was usually either Mendes or Guimaraes. In the second, more defensive option, Minchev would move to block passes towards one of the aforementioned pair and the other two midfielders would be hard to reach by Hložek and Sacek.

And then there was a third option. The most offensive one, which Vrba chose. Hložek would pull himself up to Minchev’s level and push the stoppers. From behind, they were mostly complemented by Sacek. With Pavelka in the middle of the pitch, that left two players.

Combined with the arrival of the great Paqueta, Lyon’s individual quality was then evident, as the home team’s attacks were successful and they were virtually unstoppable in the crosses. Still, the goals scored were avoidable, especially as all of them were preceded by individual errors in the second half.

In the 53rd minute, Guimaraes managed to take out three Spartans together with a single pass. The right-back then got away from Haraslin as well, where the first bad decision of many came. Hancko decided to continue his active pressing and tried to replace Haraslin.

But he was tackled and Lyon got into a 3 on 3. But even there the Flyers got a second chance when Shaqiri slowed the game down and Pavelka made his return. The Swiss international sent him to the shop for his skirt.

Then, after a few passes in the box, Sparta’s defence was completely unhinged and nobody even looked at the back post of the lurking Ekambi. Wiesner at left-back, Celestka off the defensive line, and Pavelka and Pesek standing at a respectful distance just watched from a respectful distance to see how their teammates would (not) cope with Lyon’s offensive power.

Before the third goal, Pešek misjudged the situation again, not trying to plug the hole left by Sacek’s run on the right wing, but again rushing forward without thinking.

ČT Sport