Women's Champions League Performance Insights: How Real Madrid countered Paris FC's defensive strategy
Friday, November 14, 2025
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UEFA Technical Observer Lluis Cortés delves deep into Paris FC’s defensive strategy and how Real Madrid ultimately unlocked it in a tight tussle.
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Paris were almost rewarded for a diligent and disciplined defensive display in the Spanish capital, but their hosts had other ideas, injecting dynamism between the lines to snatch a late share of the spoils.
For Cortés, the two-pronged protective approach from the Parisians stood out.
“Pressing high up the field in a bid to prevent Madrid from gaining traction while keeping one heel firmly on the ground ready to retreat into a 4-1-4-1 mid-low block as soon as the hosts did break through this; it was a very clear and disciplined defensive performance throughout, preventing any easy progression from goal kicks and forcing Madrid to find other ways through this first pressure.”
“The role of striker Lorena Azzaro was to steer the build-up towards one centre-back and then block the switch of play, preventing Real Madrid from easily changing the point of attack. As soon as the central pass was played, they triggered an aggressive press on the receiver, looking to regain possession and break quickly in transition.”
“Their compactness was another key factor," adds Cortés. "Paris kept very small distances between the lines, making it extremely difficult for Real Madrid’s midfielders to receive between the lines. On top of that, they showed excellent anticipation of Real Madrid’s passing options. Melween N’Dongala, in particular, read the game brilliantly, stepping in front of passing lanes and recovering several important balls.
“The video above illustrates well this 4-1-4-1 structure: a narrow, organised block, protecting the central channel, guiding play wide, and always ready to compress the space around the ball. This mix of clear pressing triggers, compact shape, and intelligent anticipation was what allowed Paris to defend their lead until the very end.”
Real Madrid's first-half midfield mobility: Finding solutions to Paris' defensive shape
In the first half, Real Madrid’s centre-backs struggled to reach midfield due to Paris’ tight defensive organisation, forcing them to seek alternative passing options. “One key response was to increase the mobility and rotation of their midfielders," says Cortés. "As shown in the video above, Sara Däbritz dropped to draw Sheika Scott out, creating space for Linda Caicedo to pull Kaja Korošec forward, which then allowed Däbritz to arrive untracked from the second line into the finishing area.”
Crucial rotations and movement
- Disrupted Paris' reference points
- Created temporary spaces behind the first pressing player
- Allowed Real Madrid to arrive in dangerous zones from the second lines
“In parallel, Real Madrid also used the wide channel as an alternative route of progression, especially because Paris clearly prioritised protecting the central lane. By combining midfield rotations with switches or progressions down the flank, Madrid gradually found ways to overcome the Paris block, even if it remained difficult for large periods of the first half.”
Real Madrid's second-half strategy: Increased dynamism and verticality
“Having found it difficult to progress through associative play in the first half, Real Madrid introduced more direct and vertical elements in the second half," says Cortés.
"They started to use longer, more direct passes from the back, not only to move the ball into the attacking third more quickly and compete for second balls, but also with a clear strategic intention – to push Paris’ defensive line deeper by threatening balls in behind, and to attract greater pressure from Paris’ midfield and forwards trying to prevent these long passes from the centre-backs.”
Indeed, Real Madrid coach Pau Quesada told UEFA: “In the second half the team was more dynamic, more direct. I'll take away the effort the players put in to get this point.”
This combination gradually stretched the Paris block, creating more space between the lines.
“In the second half, Real Madrid showed a much stronger intention to play forward immediately, rather than recycling possession," says Cortés. "The idea was to attack quickly before the Paris players who had been beaten could recover and restore their compact structure. They tried to exploit the brief moments of disorganisation that appear just after a line is surpassed.”
“The video above highlights perfectly this concept of accelerating the game after receiving in a favourable position between the lines. In our initial analysis of this match we spoke about the importance of Caroline Weir doing that, but here, it is Linda Caicedo who executes it brilliantly. Real were able to stretch the opposition more and utilise spaces in between the stretched units, allowing Caicedo to drop into the pocket, receive, and drive forward before Paris could react.”
Real Madrid's second-half approach
- More direct balls to stretch Paris vertically and contest second balls
- A clear forward mindset once the first line was broken
- Intelligent use of the pockets between the lines, capitalising on the spaces created by Paris’ attempts to adjust to the new level of verticality.
Coaching focus: Breaking down an organised defensive block
Lluis Cortés provides insight on how to break down an organised 4-1-4-1 block.
Use rotation to unbalance the midfield line
Encourage coordinated movements between the No6, No8 and No10 (or inside wingers): one drops to draw a midfielder out, another occupies the space behind, and a third arrives from the second line. The objective is to create spaces after forcing a jump from opponents and then attack the gap left behind.
Stretch the block vertically with mixed passing
Combine short build-up with occasional long or direct passes from the back. This dual threat helps to push the defensive line deeper (protecting the space in behind), and attract more pressure on the ball carrier, which opens pockets between the lines.
Attack quickly once the first line is broken
In positional games and small-sided formats, reward teams that play forward within 2-3 touches after beating a line. The key message: don’t allow the block to reorganise and exploit the brief moment of disorganisation immediately.
Prioritise central pockets, access via wide areas
Train patterns where the ball progresses initially down the flank (because the 4-1-4-1 protects the centre), but the final goal is to re-enter inside: from full-back to winger, then into the pocket for the interior or 10 arriving between the lines.
Design constraints that replicate the 4-1-4-1 ‘problem’
For example: 8vs8+GK where the defending team must stay in a compact structure, and the attacking team only scores if the move includes a reception between the lines and a forward quick action (pass or carry) after that reception.
Kris Van Der Haegen on Coaching challenges at the top level
Head of Coach Development for UEFA, Kris Van Der Haegen: “With the new league phase format, the teams face six different opponents instead of home-and-away group matches so coaches need to analyse and prepare for varied playing styles and strategies. That puts huge pressure on the workflow of scouting/analysis and tactical training.
“The combination of this variety of opponents with the domestic competition challenges teams to balance training load and recovery. For some, the intensity of this competition is much higher than their domestic games. The coaches need to consider the option of rotations within the team, making the balance between recovery and performance important to manage.
“Finally, we need to mention also the psychological pressure: the current competition’s visibility and commercial growth have increased the performance pressure significantly. Coaches are aware that they must manage player confidence and mental resilience to be able to meet the standards of expectations.”
Lluís Cortés led Barcelona to unprecedented success, including a UEFA Women's Champions League title in 2021. He has since continued to make his mark internationally as a progressive and sought-after coach and is currently in charge of the Saudi Arabia women's national team.
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