Analysis & tactics
Sub-phases of play - the list from Mentoring Analiza PRO and an action that is not on it
I describe every situation on the pitch with one pattern: our sub-phase vs what the opponent does. That is how I work in the staff room and how I teach in Mentoring Analiza PRO.
Below is the full list of sub-phases I use (in Polish, exactly as I use it in the course) - and an action from the Champions League which shows that even a good list cannot replace watching the match.
Why "sub-phase vs opponent"
The name of the sub-phase alone is not enough. A low build-up against 1v1 pressing looks completely different from a low build-up against a zonal defence - the solutions are different, and so are the clips for the team talk and the exercises in training.
When the whole staff speaks the same language, everyone knows straight away what we are talking about - in opposition analysis, in the team talk and at half-time.
The exception - high build-up vs man-marking
Look at point 7 in attacking: high build-up vs zonal defence. There is no "vs man-marking" version, because almost nobody defends like that close to their own goal.
In the Champions League match Barcelona - PSG I saw it probably for the first time at this level. PSG man-marked even in a low block.
👉 Download the clip with my analysis of this action (mp4, 7.6 MB)
What happened in this action
PSG man-mark - every defender has his own player, nobody stays in a zone.
Barcelona have 3v3 on one side. PSG do not shift to the strong side, so they have no extra player near the ball.
Two dragging runs take the defenders with them. Space opens up.
A player from the second line runs into that space. His marker is a step behind. Goal.
Takeaway
Against man-marking you do not look for a free zone. You create it yourself - with a run that drags a defender out and a run from the second line.
The list of sub-phases is a starting point, not a ready answer. I have been teaching this for years, and every match can still teach me something.
I send analyses like this every Thursday in my newsletter "Prosto ze sztabu" (in Polish). When you sign up, you get my webinar on live analysis and 20 minutes of live analysis of the Champions League final Inter - PSG.
Łukasz Pachelski - analyst coach of the Poland U-20 national team; from 2019 to 2025 Head of Analysis Department at Legia Warsaw.