In part 1, I highlighted the well-working set-up of Spalletti’s Napoli in possession. Since, I took a deep-dive into this teams approach, here is part 2, dealing with different offensive principles. Part 3 will conclude my analysis of Napoli and explain the approach defensively as well as in the transition moments.
To quickly recap from the first part. Napoli’s special trait is their focus on dribblings by their midfielders. Zielinski, Anguissa and Lobotka not only have a good to great first touch but possess different dribbling skills which come into play offensively as well. Moreover, the strong overload on the ballnear side allows them to quickly move the ball and break opponent’s lines.
Ballnear Overload
Speaking of the ballnear overload. This example against Lazio is emblematic for Napoli’s strong focus on the ballnear side. Both Anguissa and Zielinski moved towards the right side providing passing options for Di Lorenzo and Lozano. Due to the massive overload on the ballnear side, Napoli’s offensive player can move freely, attacking the space behind or dropping deeper without risking to destroy the structure for a good ball circulation.
Moreover, the overload forces the opponent to shift massively towards that side, destabilizing the defensive block and creating space on the far side. Out of those scenes, Napoli aims to attack diagonally or find a way towards the baseline.
Usually, the structure is not as extreme as above but resembles more the set-up against Monza. Again, Angussia, usually the right central midfielder, comes over to the left side. Here, Stanislav Lobotka also joined the crowded space close to the ball. The positioning allows Napoli to stretch the defence, occupy the last line and still have enough players between the lines.
Here, for instance, Zielinski receives the ball wide, looking for Mario Rui between the lines. Notice how both Osimhen and Kvaratskhelia occupy the last line. This gives the Polish playmaker multiple options to continue. Most involve attacking the space between the lines diagonally. For one, he could look for a quick pass to Rui between the lines. Since both Osimhen and Kvaratskhelia occupy the ballnear defenders, the defence would be forced to communicate and one player has to leave his man to press Rui. In turn, space is created which both offensive players can exploit.
Alternatively, Zielinski could look for Osimhen as a wall-player. Both Rui and Kvaratskhelia could move off-ball to offer immediate passing options in dynamic situation. The Georgian, for instance, could curl towards Osimhen receiving the layoff pass and then attacking the defence. His prolific long-range shooting would be an immediate threat either for a shoot on goal or a pass to the striker. Alternatively, Osimhen could look to involve Rui. The leftback might make a run behind the defence. Using the third-man principle the former Lille striker could bring Rui in a great position to score.
But not only the immediate break-through options are worth mentioning. The positioning of Angussia and Lobotka not only allows those attacks to happen but also serve as a secure port. Both midfielders can be found when the defence contracts allowing Napoli to switch using the inverted Di Lorenzo. Besides, in case a ball is lost, three Napoli players are there to safeguard the offence and stop the counter-attack immediately.
Those overloads also allow for the ultimate passer to attack. Zielinski could move the ball wide only to then attack the space left by Milan’s right-back. In case Kvaratskhelia can’t play the throughball, he still has to passing options in Anguissa and Raspadori to penetrate and exploit the space created by Zielinski’s run.
Triangles and Movement on the wing
Those dynamic movements are an integral part of Napoli’s play on the wing. In part 1, I briefly mentioned the triangles formed by fullback, central midfielder and winger. There are generally four spaces of which at least three should be occupied at all times. At least one player should provide width, one should stay high while the third player can either be wide or in the centre providing a diagonal passing option for the centre-back. The last position can also be filled by Lobotka or the ballfar central midfielder.
The triangle, however, is never static but interchanges position freely. Since so many teams these days defend man-oriented, movements are key to create space and time for single players to be free or have a step ahead of their defenders to become free through a clever dribbling.
Against Ajax, they often used movements like the one above to create space for the fullback. Here, Zielinski drops taking Alvarez with him. Simultaneously Kvaratskhelia moves inside taking the right-back with him which opens space for Olivera in which he can move dynamically. Since, all this happens outside of the view of the right winger, he would be late reacting to a run by Olivera.
Within those triangles one player usually has the task of creating space by providing a run. In this scene against Napoli, Mario Rui receives the ball out wide and hopes to move the ball inside. In a static situation, only a pass to Kvaratskhelia would be an option. Even though the Georgian is a great dribbler, it would have been fairly easy for Lazio to defend. Therefore, Spalletti’s team uses a three-man combination. The winger would attack the space behind the fullback who stepped up to press Rui. Consequently, the back-four has to drop creating more space in front of it.
This space can be used by Zielinski to receive the ball and turn towards the last defensive line. The technical abilities, especially, the clever first touch of the Polish midfielder would bring Napoli in a dangerous situation. Alternatively, Rui could still pass to ball to Kvaratskhelia who would face a 1vs1 versus the centre-back which is probably an advantageous duel for Napoli.
Double Occupation of wingzone
The fact that the wingers create space by providing a run or being in a position which marks a defender is a common tool used by Napoli. One can observe that the team varies whether the wingers remain wide or move inside. In particular on the left, Kvaratskhelia stays wider because he is a good 1vs1 player. This is also true for Politano on the right while Lozano is more dangerous in the halfspace.
The wide positioning of the wingers allows for different options to progress. Based on the triangle mentioned above, the fullback can attack the abandoned space with the ball or using a quick one-two. Alternatively, the central midfielder can attack the opened space. Particularly on the left, Zielinski often moves forward to exploit the space. He can then function as a passer or dribbler penetrating spaces in the centre or forcing the defence to drop. After releasing the ball, he is super dangerous in attack the spaces around the penalty spot.
Having the wing occupied with two players also stretches the opponent further leaving space in the halfspace for the central midfielder to exploit. Alternatively, leaving the halfspace unoccupied allows the offensive team to flexibly use it. For instance, when the fullback and winger play a quick one-two. But keep in mind, that the passing angles are rather unsuited to a well-working possession game. Since the winger receives the ball with the back to the opponent’s goal close to the sideline, the opponent can more effectively close the space. Therefore, the runs or support movements need to be timed perfectly to gain an advantage by occupying the wingzone with two players.
Another aspect of the behavior of Napoli’s wingers worth mentioning is their ability to pin the opponent’s defensive line. When Lozano moves into the halfspace, he usually positions between fullback and centre-back, always ready to attack the space behind. Moreover, Osimhen is between the centre-backs but always slightly towards the ballfar centre-back to create more space and hamper the ballnear CB’s ability to observe him at all times.
The threat of all three players attacking open space forces the back-line to stay giving Napoli’s other players more space to use. Especially, the fullback benefit from it. Since against the strong midfield most opponents close the centre, Di Lorenzo on the right and either Rui or Olivera on the left receive a lot of space which they attack using dribblings. A common move on the right for instance, is Lozano starting inverted and Di Lorenzo penetrating with the ball. The Mexican then moves wide to receive a pass and drag a defender with him while Di Lorenzo attacks the opened space. This underlapping run brings the captain into good crossing positions constantly.
Role of the strikers
We’ve now covered the roles and qualities of Napoli’s midfielders and wingers. But what about their strikers? I briefly talked about them in the last part but what to highlight their different skillsets and the subsequent effects on Napoli’s approach.
Their first choice striker is Victor Osimhen. The former Lille striker is a crafty yet lean striker who possesses great feel for open space behind the defensive line. His runs are well timed and he has great body strength and control to keep balance even if pressured by a defender at full speed. His off-ball runs are a constant threat for every opponent and help Napoli tremendously. For one, against an aggressive, high pressing team like Liverpool, chips behind the defence are a useful tool for Spalletti’s side. In this particular sequence, Liverpool tried to press Napoli aggressively on the wing. Victor Osimhen’s run guarantees that the team from Naples can still create a big chance. What makes his runs outstanding is his positioning before. He always drifts towards the blind side of the defender only to then use curved runs to accelerate without being offside.
Not only are his runs good for Napoli to get him in scoring position, by the way, he is a great finisher, just look at his goal against Mourinho’s AS Roma, but they also create more space for his teammates. Since defenders don’t want to leave too much space for Osimhen to exploit, they are cautious in stepping up to press, leaving the players between the lines more time to control the ball and create. Or the defence drops deeper altogether giving Napoli more control of the game in higher zones.
With Raspadori in the mix, it’s quite different. The former Sassuolo striker acts as a de facto false nine, constantly leaving his position to create an overload in the centre. Again, this has two effects on the defence. If they follow Raspadori, they will leave a whole in the last line. Since Napoli has smart wingers, Zielinski who provides clever runs and midfielders capable of passing the ball precisely into that space, stepping out of the line is a risk.
However, simply letting Raspadori drop creates an overload for Napoli in midfield, thus also an advantage for Spalletti’s side. Teams will deal with the challenges of both strikers differently. Spalletti has the luxury to choose from one of the two depending on the opponent.
Using dribblings of the wingers
A yet unmentioned aspect of Napoli’s attack is the use of dribblings of their wingers. More specifically, the creation of situations in which their wingers can use dribblings to create dangerous chances. Generally, the fact that they are technically gifted to turn with the ball brings them in good environments during the build-up phase. In particular, Hirving Lozano displays his great skills when he is able to turn with a defender on his back. Thereby, the Mexican transitions Napoli’s build-up into a dangerous offensive play.
In contrast, Kvaratskhelia likes to start his dribblings facing the opponent. The Georgian possesses a wide repertoire of slinky moves to unbalance a defender. In fact, those movements could best explain the comparisons to a young Lionel Messi. Similar to the Argentinian, Kvaratskhelia focuses a lot on the balance and the intended movement of the defender to attack the completely other side. With small body feints, the winger is able to cut diagonally towards the goal while protecting the ball with his body. His quick acceleration and ability to change direction constantly brings him in good scoring positions.
By having off-ball actions such as runs by Zielinski, Napoli aims at creating the necessary space for Kvaratskhelia to attack. Besides, off-ball movements, it can also be the creation of pressure by the midfielders, either through short passes or quick dribblings. Here, Kvaratskhelia starts the action on his own. By moving the ball to Lobotka in a tight space, pressure is created, and Ajax aims to conquer the ball. As a consequence, space opens elsewhere and Lobotka immediately exploits it by sending the ball back to Kvaratskhelia who can attack the goal. Creating the necessary situations for the winger will be crucial for Napoli going forward. If they manage to bring Kvaratskhelia into dangerous situations constantly, not only the team but also the young player will be extremely successful going forward.
Behavior in the box
The last aspect I want to touch is the occupation of the box. I’ve never written on this topic in any of my blog post but discussed in it in my German online course which I hope I will be able to publish next year in English as well. Generally speaking, there are three main areas which a team should occupy in the box.
One player should always attack the near post, while another should speculate on the long post. I would argue that attacking the near post at full speed is always beneficial. Either you score the goal or create space for your teammates. The beneficiaries of this space creation are the players occupying the space around the penalty spot. These can be players who arrive late in the box or wait while the rest of the defence drops towards their own goal.
Another aspect is the movement on the blind side of the defender. Players on offence in general, but in the box in particular, should create situations in which the defender can’t observe the ball and the attacker simultaneously. This forces him to check his shoulder costing valuable seconds if the ball is played at the right second.
Napoli follows those principles even though with only a few players in the box, way less than Bayern does under Julian Nagelsmann. It’s usually the striker attacking the near post while the ballfar winger waits on the far post.
Last but not least, both fullbacks and Lobotka secure the space around the box which is crucial to prevent counter-attacks from unfolding. Therefore, it is beneficial if the centre as well as the halfspaces around the box are occupied. But more on their counterpressing in part 3 of this series.
Conclusion
I hope you liked the second part of the analysis on Napoli under Luciano Spalletti. A fun team with very nice execution of group tactic movements. Especially, their well-connected structure on the wing and in the halfspace makes them a dangerous side which can created chances through multiple ways. Certainly, a big task to stop this team.
But I have good news. Even though they concede relatively few goals and their attack looks frightening, I found a few aspects in the defence set-up which the teams in the Champions-League knock-out stage will know to take advantage of. More on that in the third part of my analysis on Napoli.
One more time . Excellent