The importance of marking in the defensive phase

In modern football, the ability to quickly identify potential threats in the defensive phase is crucial, especially in the first third of the pitch. A recent example of poor danger awareness occurred during the Milan derby, when Inter scored in stoppage time, capitalizing on a defensive misjudgment by Chukwueze.

The Milan winger lost sight of Zalewski, focusing solely on the ball and failing to notice his opponent’s movement into the penalty area. This mistake allowed the Inter player to remain unmarked and act as a rebound option. Analyzing the play, it is clear that Chukwueze should have tracked and challenged Zalewski otherwise, the Inter player was free to execute a technically simple assist for the decisive goal.

This episode highlights the importance of marking and tactical awareness in defensive situations-key elements that can make the difference between a solid and a vulnerable defense.

This analysis was created with the dynamic graphics of YouCoach's newest video analysis software, which allows tactical details to be highlighted clearly and intuitively.

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