UEFA Europa League Tactical Analysis: How Spurs raised their game against AZ Alkmaar
Friday, March 14, 2025
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UEFA Technical Observer Justin Cochrane examines Tottenham Hotspur's UEFA Europa League round of 16 second leg success against AZ Alkmaar.
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Two goals from Wilson Odobert helped Tottenham Hotspur advance to the UEFA Europa League quarter-finals with a 3-1 win against AZ Alkmaar, coach Ange Postecoglou having known he and his side had to do things differently after the first leg.
"We were just lacking a bit of aggression in everything we did," said Postecoglou following the 1-0 defeat in Alkmaar. "We were a little bit hesitant with the ball, hesitant in our pressing and we can’t be that way." UEFA Technical Observer Justin Cochrane explains how Spurs raised their game.
Spurs' aggressive press
A Lucas Bergvall own goal was the difference in the first leg, with Spurs' only shot on target coming from substitute Odobert after 88 minutes. That flash of hope from Odobert was a sign of what was to come in the second leg.
In the first video we see how Spurs forced a mistake which led to their opening goal, with James Maddison, Heung-Min Son and Dominic Solanke pressing aggressively, forcing a pass backwards, then being ready to react, win the ball and set up Odobert. Solanke's role cannot be underestimated. His presence makes the defender doubt whether he should pass back to the goalkeeper, and he turns away and tries to play long – a route that is blocked by Son.
"Spurs' pressure forced errors and created opportunities," said Cochrane. "They are constantly looking to press forward and put AZ under pressure. They play on the front foot, they attack, they are aggressive. They also have flexibility in how they build up."
AZ were alive to what Spurs were doing and looked to bypass the pressure by hitting longer balls, yet the English side still managed to force mistakes. In the second part of the video we see how Spurs regain the ball in the middle of the field and attack quickly.
Inverted full-backs
In the second video we see how Spurs invert their full-backs Pedro Porro and Djed Spence while in possession, looking to control and overload the central areas. We see both full-backs move in towards each other and pass between each other.
"The full-backs are often narrow which creates more passing options and makes the opposition close the inside, opening up passing lanes for the wide players to go one-on-one," explains Cochrane, highlighting an example shown in the video.
"The narrow full-backs also create central overloads. Once the ball goes wide, there is often a run into the half space from an inverted full-back or the high No8 if the full-back is lower. The full-back who goes inside must be technically good and able to operate in tight areas. They need to be offensive. The problem they face is the distance of their recovery if the ball has been lost."
When full-backs invert, how does that affect the other players?
"The centre-backs no longer have an easy pass to a full-back and can sometimes pass straight to a winger,” states Cochrane. "The other midfielders fill the spaces, but there is not a clear pattern. In the Spurs v AZ game, Maddison (who also scored) and Bergvall often dropped into the spaces and looked for a forward pass."
Heung-Min Son's Impact
In the third video we see how Son influences the game. Spurs were structured so the narrow full-backs, Porro and Spence, allowed the wingers to flourish in one-on-one moments, mainly down the left side via Son, who would look to cut inside and shoot or combine with the full-back. Here, Son first cuts inside with speed and shoots on target. In the second part, Son receives the ball on the back foot, while keeping the forward momentum and running at opponents.
"Son is a very good player who knows when to run at players or run behind," says Cochrane. "He is dangerous in one-on-one situations and is a good pressing player."
With their aggressive pressing, inverted full-backs and Son, Spurs won 3-1 on the night and 3-2 on aggregate.
"We made it more nervy than we needed to," said Postecoglou. "It was a big night for us and I couldn't be happier with the way the players handled it. We looked strong, we looked dominant and threatening in the final third – all the things we want to be." Spurs will play Eintracht Frankfurt, who beat Ajax 6-2 on aggregate, in the last eight.
Message for coaches
"In addition to the above attributes that are needed, a full-back must have the ability to receive and play in tight spaces between lines – to play like a midfielder – a key attribute for playing as an inverted full-back," says Cochrane. "The timing of runs forward into the half space is also important, while recovery runs are too. A player has to get back into position if the ball is turned over. We saw Spurs' full-backs doing all three of these."
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