A compare of tactics of the two 2015 Champions League finalists.

1. Champions League Finalists of
2015
Giuseppe Emma
(UEFA B Coach Pending)

2. Barcelona Fc
Founded in 1899, FC Barcelona is a civil society
of private law, with 105,000 members and
promotes the practice of professional and
amateur sport.
Football is the main activity of the institution and
the axis around which revolves the set of his
social and sporting activities. Regarded as the
best club in the world,

3. Juventus Analysis
● Quality of their game.
● 3-5-2/ 4-3-1-2
● Like Conte, Allegri initially used the 3-5-2 which
made Juventus play on the focus of ball
possession. As well as being in excess in
number in front.
● At the same time, 3-5-2 turns into 5-3-2 which
made Juventus defensively enough.
● By February 2015, he has changed the set-up
to 4-3-1-2. But the principles are always the
same.

4. The Italian Serie A
● The Italian Serie A is famous for its excessively
tactical game.
● Its overuse and abuse of tactical knowledge of
the players, and the importance of not
conceding goals to the opponent, rather than
trying to score it.

5. Juventus's style
● The principles which we can get from watching Juventus
matches are:
● Ball Possession (get in control of the ball by dominating the
midfield)
● Use a play-maker as the director of the game ( Juv has Pirlo
who displays great technical skills, team's personality, game
vision)
● Three DFS who are naturally center backs
● Two wingers who have great enduring skills and can act as
fullbacks as well as extra strikers.
● Good counter attack. The use of fast strikers like Tevez who are
also masters of 1v1 situations and passing skills, makes
Juventus counter attack fatal for opponents
● High Pressing without running too many risks. How?

6. Juventus Pressing
Principles of Juventus Pressing
● Go for the space, not for the ball. If you occupy
the space, the ball will come to you soon or
later.
● All Juventus means by their ideas of coaching
pressing is:
● Learn to get in control of space by zone
marking, rather than chasing the ball which
makes you let more space open in your own
half, as defensive line must step up to support
the high pressing line of the attackers

7. Analysis of Juventus- Real Madrid
● 4-3-1-2 against 4-2-3-1
● Aim of Juventus: High pressing, zone-
marking, counter attack
● Aim of Real Madrid: Keeping
opponents in front to avoid problems
behind, keeping possession, playing
wide to penetrate centrally.

8. High pressing of Juventus
● As Juventus played in front and pressed high
without looking for the ball but by covering
space, they got to catch the ball.
● As Real Madrid center backs had problems to
play the ball due to Juventus's cover of space,
they tended to lose possession quite often.
● As a result, Tevez caught the ball and
immediately counter attacked by exploiting 2v2
situations, displaying perfect 1v1 skills, playing
to the wingers who used to step up and support
attack.

9. 1-0
● If we analyze the situation which brought
Juventus to score the 1st
goal.
● We can see that Juventus's pressing line is set
on space which makes Juventus cover most of
Real Madrid's space. And they are not running
too many defensive risks, as they are not aimed
at getting the ball as quick as possible like
Barca do.
● After Juventus stole the ball, Tevez received
and shot. Although Casillas had initially caught
it, they scored.

10. Juventus's Pressing line

11. Juventus's Pressing Line
● As we can see, the two forwards are putting
pressure on the center backs. One steps
forward to put pressure on the CB who is
having the ball. While the other closes support.
● All team steps up to help the midfielders and
strikers to close space.
● While Barca wants to get ball as quick as
possible, Juventus must only close space and
wait for opponents to lose possession. By doing
so, they will run less risks.

12. Barca's pressing

13. Barca's pressing
● Whilst Juventus looks for closing space, so
opponents get pressure, and soon or later they
commit some mistake, Barca straight goes for
the ball.
● If we look at the image of the previous page,
you'll see the aim of Barca is to make the pitch
closer, all team steps up to encourage mistakes
of opponents and close passing.
● Barca's aim is to get the ball as soon as
possible.

14. Pros & Cons
● Juventus:
● Pros/ - Run less offensive risks. It is difficult for
opponents to counter attack, as space is well
protected and players are marked on their side
- Encourage mistakes. Opponents feel pressure
, as they find no peer to play the ball to.
- Game control. Although they haven't the ball,
by controlling space, you control the game of
your opponent.

15. Pros & Cons
● Juventus
● Cons/ - Less chance to get the ball quickly, as
you need to patiently wait for your opponent to
lose possession.
- No immediate shot or finish, as you need to
start the game again due to the lack of intention
to catch the ball in the final zone.
- Not secure against a team who plays
possession quite well.

16. Pros & Cons
● Barca
● Pros/ - Immediate shot or finish, as they get the
ball in the final zone.
- Pitch closer and high pressure for defenders
- Easy way of intercepting pass due to the small
format.

17. Pros & Cons
● Barca
● Cons/ - Easy for good counter attacking teams
to penetrate, as you need to step up and
fullbacks go forward to support pressing.
- Offside line may be useless if DFS must step
up to opponents half.

18. What made Juventus won and
achieved the Champions League
final
● Principles of Juventus game worked out. That
is to say.
● Maintaining possession.
● Exploiting forwards skills
● Exploiting wingers skills as fullbacks and wide
forwards
● Zone-marking
● High pressing aimed at covering space
● Individual qualities (Tevez and Pirlo)

19. Barcelona
The development of the FC Barcelona Football philosophy is
based on three fundamental principles:
1. winning the largest number possible of titles (League, Cup,
European super Spain, Champions League, the UEFA Cup,
UEFA Super Cup, Intercontinental Cup and Mundialito of
clubs)
2. WITH ATTRACTIVE FOOTBALL.
3. AND WITH THE GREATEST POSSIBLE NUMBER OF
PLAYERS TRAINED IN THE CLUB

20. Vision
THE philosophy of the FC BARCELONA is that the
team is most important
THE team is more important than any player
(individuality)
THE players have the obligation TO meet and defend
the IDEA of the CLUB

21. Principles of the game
Transition (from losing to winning the ball)
1.2 Having possession
1.3 transition (from having to losing the ball)
1.4 lost possession

22. Principles of the game

23. Principles of the game
1.1 Transition from losing to winning the
ball
The most important objective is that the opponent is not
yet organized positionally to create chances of scoring a
goal as quickly as possible.

24. Principles of the game
1.2 Possession the most important
objective is (many) scoring (many)
opportunities mark use the space and time
in relation to colleagues and opponents *
take possession of the ball as long as
possible

25. Principles of the game
1.3 Transition from losing the ball
* The most important objective is to organize as soon as
possible to prevent the otherwise create opportunities to score
goals

26. Principles of the game
POSSESSION LOST 1.4
Avoid the goals against
avoid the creation of possibilities of goal against * using
the space and time in relation to colleagues and
opponents,
using the qualities of the teammates and opponents

27. Game
1. Game
system
TEAM
General
system
System
specific

28. Principles of the game
2.1.1 Possession of the ball
make the best choice
- high movement of the ball for
perfect coverage of the pitch, using:
- set of positions

29. Principles of the game
2.1.2 Transitional (loss possession)
make the best choice, get the best
position, pressure on the ball for
perfect coverage of the pitch using: -
between the lines -1 to 1- 1/4-3/4
and 3/4-1-4 - 1-2 / 1-2

30. Principles of the game
- The system in general is necessary to always choose
this system, regardless of the style/system of the
opponent.
- The system in general is based on Barcelona vision of
the possession of the ball, but when we do not have, but
when we do not have, we adapt to the game system and
the qualities of the opponent.

31. Tactical qualities
Possessión
1. Speed - with ball - control without the ball
2. Game of positions - in a position to receive the back
3 pass. Choice - play in depth - retain possession of the ball
Tempo
1. Positioning
2. Communication - with their peers and with respect to the
opponent
3. Control of ways to defend - the goal - area (at the sides,
front and rear 4. In an attitude of thinking and (always) run

32. Author
Giuseppe Emma is a current UEFA B student in
Italy. And he took his FA Level 2, Youth Award
Module 1 & 2 in 2013.
He has been coaching for several years in Italy,
including one month internship with Harlow Fc,
Essex FA and Leyton Orient Fc and several
months as Campus Coach for elite clubs such
as Catania Calcio.
He is planning to move to the UK to coach
football there.
More info at giuseppe.emma90@gmail.com