Match Analyses: De Kuip, Rotterdam, 06.12.2017. 20:45

Referee: Michael Oliver

FEYENOORD FC

Coach: Giovanni Van Bronckhorst

Playing System: 4-3-3

NAPOLI

Coach: Maurizio Sarri

Playing System: 4-3-3

Feyenoord FC Defence

Feyenoord tried to play a very safe game when defending. They used a 4-4-1-1 formation in defence and wanted to make the pitch small for Napoli. They knew the passing style of Napoli and also knew their players’ qualities. After the sending off, the home team had to defend much more deeper waiting for the counter-attacks. They pressed the ball carrier in midfield most of the times.

Napoli Defence

Sarri’s team was quite conservative when it came to defending. They tried to push up as a unit but sometimes they left too much space between the lines. Usually there is a 8 to 12 metres distance between players in the Napoli’s defensive unit, but during this game it became bigger sometimes. Long balls and second balls weren’t very well defended by the away side.After losing the ball, Napoli players’ transitions were so much faster as the home team players. On the picture this is the scene right before the sending off of Vilhena (second yellow). Napoli lost the ball but the players near the ball changed quickly from attack to defence. This led to the interception and the possible counter-attack by the away team. 

Feyenoord FC Attack

Feyenoord FC Attack 1

Despite being down in right in the second minute the home team tried to play the way they can. They tried to base their style of play on possession and the players had plenty of passing options in their mind most of the times. This happened because of a well-structured build-up play and some well-composed and timed interchanging tactical movements.Feyenoord knew that Napoli can play either way: they can press high and defend in their own half as a unit, too. This is why Van Bronckhorst wanted his players to try to move the Napoli defenders out of their positions. The winger playing on the line and stepping back was a usual interchanging movements. As it happened, the attacking midfielder stepped into the empty space created by the teammate. If the winger on the ball could turn towards the goal, the two central defenders of the away team had a serious trouble.
If the home team couldn’t play the ball forward, they passed it back and quickly changed the point of the attack. This was helped by the goalkeeper, Vermeer who made 35 passes in total. As he isn’t the best with his feet, he often kicked the ball away from a dangerous area.

Feyenoord FC Attack 2

In the away team’s half, Feyenoord tried to be patient and tried to wait for the opportunity to get behind. We could often see Berghuis and Boetius are trying to get the ball at their feet. As soon as this happened the attacking midfielder should already have picked up his position next to the centre forward (Toornstra now). An overlapping movement was also typical. Napoli defended these situations very well, they had the qualitative superiority in almost every positions.This kind of attacks from Feyenoord mostly happened in the first 30 minutes. We could rarely see any crosses into the box in the first third of the game but then it changed and brought the equaliser for Feyenoord. The tall centre forward, Jorgensen scored with his head. After the first half, the possession was 49-51% in the favour of Napoli. Tight statistics in a tight game.

Napoli Attack 

Napoli Attack 1

Napoli had the lead after a well-executed free-kick combination in the early minutes. Everybody knew that Napoli had some key players missing, like Jorginho and Insigne. Sarri though fielded other players in the midfield who can play fast. During the game they had a 84% of passing rate and only a very few touches per player in the midfield. This brought them the huge superiority in the possession statistics of the second half and also brought them many successes in this year. From a quite well-organised defensive unit they launched counter-attacks in the middle of the game. By taking a risk at the back, they made advantage of it upfront. They had players that reacted quickly and who are physically strong. It was also organised though as they attacked every empty space in the opponent’s half to make the home team’s defenders make a decision of who to man-mark.

Napoli Attack 2

When they had possession they played with a centre forward who always stepped back between the lines to create the numerical superiority in midfield if needed. Zielinski, Hamsik and Mertens either played the role of the centre forward in this game, though none of these are a real number 9. We could often see the passing triangles and the third man concept in the attacking phase. This structural system is typical of Sarri’s Napoli this year. They then pass the ball until they find an unmarked man in a position he can play a killer pass from.

Summary

Feyenoord played such an intense game in the front of their own fans. This was the last game of the group and their only chance to please their supporters. This is why they fought until the last minute. And they did their best. In the 92nd minute they found the back of the net after a lucky corner kick. They totally deserved this win and this goal compensated the first goal of the game that they conceded from a spot-kick.
Napoli with Sarri plays such a spectacular football but the squad isn’t that deep in a qualitative point of view. All the players do their best and they are still in the race for the Serie A title as well as the Europe League.
Two great teams met in this clash and they didn’t disappoint the football fans. Playing such an attacking and possession-based football always has the danger of conceding after a free kick or a corner kick. This is the aspect these teams have to improve the most.