Champions League Performance Insights: Drifting wingers and deep defences
Monday, May 4, 2026
Article summary
UEFA Technical Observers Erik ten Hag and Edin Terzić shine a light on the tactical features that may come to the fore again in this week's semi-final second legs.
Article top media content
Article body
Can lightning strike twice? Football fans around the world will be hoping so when the UEFA Champions League semi-finals reach their conclusion this week.
The first leg between Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern München produced a record number of goals in a Champions League semi-final match, and in the following article the UEFA game insights unit, working with UEFA Technical Observers Erik ten Hag and Edin Terzić, will delve into the attacking concepts which led to that nine-goal spectacular – and leave us looking forward to the second instalment in Munich.
We will also examine the excellent defensive organisation from Atlético de Madrid and Arsenal which leaves their tie finely poised at 1-1 as the teams prepare to reconvene in London.
To start with the Paris vs Bayern tie, a central theme identified by the UEFA game insights unit was the menace created by each team's front three – and how they achieved that. As displayed above, those six players between them accounted for 11 goal involvements and their influence did not end there, as will be explained.
Drifters hit right notes
A key attacking feature noted by Ten Hag was the way that the wingers drifted, with Désiré Doué offering a prominent example in the first video.
Paris coach Luis Enrique has spoken of his ambition "to find 20 players who can play everywhere", and right-winger Doué certainly ticked that box with his movement around the pitch. As Ten Hag highlighted: "Sometimes he goes all the way over to the left side, giving the opposition a problem to solve."
In the first clip, we see Doué drift to the left, creating a 2v1 with Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and leaving Bayern left-back Alphonso Davies with no point of reference. "You give your opponent a big problem if they defend man v man and both your wingers end up on the same side," said Ten Hag of a ploy we will also see Bayern's wide attackers produce in the next video below.
Davies' response in the third clip is to follow Doué into a central area as Paris counterattack with a 3v3. "It's completely one against one in big spaces," said Ten Hag. "You create even bigger spaces with the drifting action of Doué."
"You're disrupting your opponents' back line and taking them into positions where they may not be as comfortable."
"A clash of two similar ideas" was how Bayern coach Vincent Kompany described the first leg, and his attackers were highly impressive too. Indeed, they had more shots on target than Paris (8-5) and recorded a higher xG (3.06 to 1.90) during the game.
Like Paris, Bayern had wingers who drifted, albeit in their case it was more often with the ball. Luis Díaz played a leading role by carrying the ball 371 metres, and he is seen doing just that in clip one above, in a sequence that ends with him winning the penalty for Bayern's first goal. Clip two shows the Colombian carrying the ball again, before Michael Olise takes over with one of eight successful first-leg take-ons.
As Ten Hag reflected, players drifting causes a problem for defenders as "the references are not clear". This is evident in clip three as Olise drifts inside and becomes free as Nuno Mendes, his direct opponent, drops back into his left-back position – and the Bayern man capitalises on that freedom to score.
Kane the connector
The final Bayern clip highlights the role of Harry Kane, a player who stood apart by dropping off as his fellow Bayern forwards looked to run in behind. "Kane isn't a dribbler or a ball carrier, but instead he's a connector, a passer and an amazing finisher," explained Ten Hag.
The English forward's passing ability is highlighted by his fabulous ball for Luis Díaz's goal and, as the graphic at the top shows, Kane was the only one of the six forwards who played a through ball in the first leg – three in all.
Ten Hag's ways to beat a man v man press
• Drifting, with both wingers on same side
• Play vertical with runs in behind/counter-movements
• Play one-twos, with third-man options
• 1v1 actions
Atlético and Arsenal's low blocks
The UEFA game insights unit saw a wholly different approach from Atleti and Arsenal in the other semi-final, with two teams who prioritised balance. Both seemed confident to defend in a low block at times, as reflected by the graphic below.
The quality of their low-block defending is measured by the next graphic, which shows the scant opportunities afforded their opponents when the teams sat back. None of these efforts forced a save, and the fact that Arsenal's five attempts had a combined xG value of 0.22 underlines the quality of Atleti's deep defending, which may well be in view again in London on Tuesday.
UEFA Technical Observer Edin Terzić noted that Atleti focused on defending central areas – i.e. the width of the penalty box – and forcing Arsenal to attack in the wide corridors. "You see Atlético in the central area with all their players," he said, referring to clip one below. "There's no pass through, there's no pass in behind. They only allow the pass around them."
Whereas Atleti defended with a back five, Arsenal had a back four, and a key point in clips two and three is the support that centre-backs William Saliba and Gabriel received from holding midfielders Martín Zubimendi and Declan Rice – crucial given how both Julián Alvarez and Antoine Griezmann looked to drop between the lines then attack the box from deeper positions.
"Often they were in a situation where they had no clear, direct opponent and it can be really challenging without that reference point," said Terzić.
In clip two, Zubimendi follows the runner, while in the last clip we see Rice mark Alvarez as Saliba stays back to support Ben White. "Declan won time, but the centre-back won the ball because he never lost his position," said Terzić.
Coaching reflection – How to defend in a low block
Edin Terzić reflects on lessons for coaches from the strategies analysed above.
Given the challenge posed by the fluid attacks operating in elite football, Terzić proposes a three-pronged approach for defending in a low block:
1) Three-point view – "You need to maintain constant awareness of the ball, the opponent and your team-mates to ensure optimal positioning."
2) Proactive communication – "Constant verbal exchange between defenders and midfielders to manage player handovers and track runners."
3) Midfield support – "Holding midfielders dropping deep to pick up attackers between the lines, allowing centre-backs to stay in position."
More like this