Table of Contents

• General Notes
• Offensive Play
  • Transition to Offense
  • Offensive Organisation
• Defensive Play
  • Transition to Defense
  • Defensive Organisation
• Set Plays
  • Set Plays for
  • Set Plays against
• Players
  • Goalkeeper
  • Defenders
    • Left Full Back
    • Left Center Back
    • Right Center Back
    • Right Full Back
  • Midfielders
    • Defensive Midfielder
    • Defensive Midfielder
    • Central Attacking Midfielder
  • Forwards
    • Left Winger
    • Right Winger
    • Center Forward
  • Substitutes

General Notes

• Team plays 4-3-3 formation

• Team is decently organized defensively. Nonetheless, the general team’s movement is slow and sharp low passes accompanied with 1-2 touch combination play should make the difference

• Special attention should be given to explosive wingers (Bolasie, Bakkali, Amuzu) who can be very dangerous in 1v1 situations (video 1)

• Team attempts to penetrate to the opponent’s penalty box mainly by long passes played by defensive midfielders to forwards

• Verschaeren is definitely a worth buying option. He is very fast and agile player who was only 17 at the moment of writing with the market price value of 1,00 Mill. € according to transfermarkt which is very low and will be surely higher in the future

Offensive Play

Transition to Offense

• Centre backs (Lawrence and Kara) do not support offensive players with counterattack on the wing and stay deep (figure 1). As a consequence a big space appears in central zone (tip: play direct vertical ball through the centre if winning the ball back after an unsuccessful RSCA’s counterattack on the wing)

• Players slow down potentially dangerous counterattack by playing wide and not in depth

• The ball is not moved out of zone immediately where it was won (tip: apply “Gegenpressing”)

Offensive Organisation

• Defensive midfielders often play long balls to running wingers (see video 2)

• Attacking players prefer to progress through the wings by short low passes followed by a cross into the penalty box instead of moving the ball into the central zone

• Bolasie and Bakkali change sides with each other (usually after a corner)

Defensive Play

Transition to Defense

• Players are entirely concentrated on the opponent who gets the ball after losing possession. They attack him by leaving their zones which can be exploited with 1-2 touches combination play right after getting possession in order to carry out a potentially dangerous counterattack (video 3)

• Players fall back quickly when losing possession in the middle third by making it very difficult for the opponent to carry out a counterattack (tip: use sharp vertical low pass in behind Anderlecht’s defensive line right after winning the ball in the middle third by taking advantage that Anderlecht has not yet been organised defensively, see video 4)

• Players do not apply pressure when losing the ball in the attacking third. Attackers behave very passively. Players who are far away from the ball area do not react at all when losing possession in the offensive third

• Team’s ball oriented movement is pretty agile

• When defending players apply pressure and try to create a numerical advantage when the ball is played to the side (tip: first play to the side and then again sharply to the central zone with further progression, see figure 2)

• Defensive players are confident and calm in the defensive third when being under light pressure

• Appiah is poor at 1v1 situation and this can be exploited when attacking through the left wing (video 5)

• Players apply light midfield pressing. Offensive pressing is rare

• Large distance often appears between Appiah and other players when defending on the right side (video 6, figure 3)

• Large distance often appears between both defensive midfielders (tip: play directly through the center, see video 7)

• Short distance free kicks: Kums directs the ball at the near upper corner (video 8)

• Corners from the left side: Milic in-swinging to the center of goal area

• Corners from the right side: Zulj to the near post

• Throw-ins from the right side: Appiah alongside and long if in the own defensive third and without risk and short to a free player when in the offensive or middle third

• Throw-ins from the left side: usually Milic without any pattern, can be both short or long to the penalty box. If the game has to be restarted quickly then Bolasie can perform a throw-in as well

• Medium distance frontal free kicks: well-prepared free kick where Zulj plays a high ball to the far post (video 9)

• Medium distance lateral free kicks from the right: Zulj plays long and directs the ball to the penalty mark area

• Long distance free kicks in midfield: one of defensive midfielders quickly restarts the game by playing long to the winger (video 10)

• Long distance lateral free kicks: Kara plays long to Santini

• Zulj can restart the game from midfield instantly by a long pass to either Bolasie or Bakkali

Set Plays against

• Corners and free kicks near corner flag area: zonal marking where all players near the goal area in the own penalty box, no players on posts, no players in midfield (figure 4)

• Long and medium distance lateral free kicks: very loose positioning with only one player in the wall (figure 5)

• Throw-ins: all potential ball receivers are marked

Players

Goalkeeper

Thomas Didillon #16

Strengths

• Plays really long with his strong left foot (video 11)

• Very good in positioning

Weaknesses

• Poor right foot

Other

• Always plays laterally long to the right to Bakkali when being chased (video 11)

• By goal kick can restart the game very instantly

Defenders

Left Full Back
Antonio Milic #44

Strengths

• Very good tackling skills

• Good crossing skills with his left foot

• Good at 1v1 situation

Weaknesses

• Weak in clearance: doesn’t go to the ball and waits until the ball comes to him (see video 5)

• Can be overconfident when dribbling (see video 12)

• Very bad right foot

Other

• Plays long and low to Bolasie, often imprecisely (video 13)

• Offensive minded player, willingly supports attackers in the offensive third

Left Center Back
James Lawrence #3

Strengths

• Very clever defender who is confident on the ball

Weaknesses

• Not a speed player

Other

• Often plays long vertical low ball to Santini or to one of defensive midfielders (video 14)

• Often uses feints (tip: anticipate here)

Right Center Back
Serigne Kara #2

Strengths

• Good in positioning

• Very good in headers

• Has a good field vision

Weaknesses

• Lost his duel to the opponent when the latter run forward for a cross ball. This lead to a goal conceded (video 15)

Other

• Very aggressive and rough player (video 16)

Right Full Back
Dennis Appiah #12

Strengths

• Very fast player who supports team’s attacking actions

• Good in heading

• Able to play a decent pass with his left foot

Weaknesses

• Has problems when playing a cross ball

• Has some positioning and tactical weaknesses when defending at 1v1, nonetheless he is very fast (tip: set at 1v1 against him in a small space area, see video 17)

• If under pressure plays simply long and imprecise

Other

• Always tackles if somebody outruns him with the ball (tip: anticipate he tackles you from behind)

• Doesn’t use shoulder checking when defending (see video 18)

• Often plays long vertical low pass along the side line

Midfielders

Defensive Midfielder
Sven Kums #20

Strengths

• Quality long passing skills

Weaknesses

• Poor ball protection skills

• Plays long ball in a rush and imprecisely when under pressure (video 19)

Other

• Tackles easily in the own penalty box (tip: pretend for a foul here, see video 20)

Defensive Midfielder
Peter Zulj #27

Strengths

• Excellent long pass with his left foot (video 21)

Weaknesses

• Loses the ball when under pressure (video 22)

• Commits tactical mistakes during defensive positioning (video 23)

• Commits fouls when trying to win high ball

Other

• Often restarts game by a long diagonal pass

Central Attacking Midfielder
Yari Verschaeren #51

Strengths

• Young, fast and extremely agile player (video 24)

• Excellent dribbling skills

• Decent left foot

Weaknesses

• Yet slightly nervous. More confidence should come with age

Other

• Often directs the ball to the side with his first touch if there is a free space available (see video 24)

Forwards

Left Winger
Yannick Bolasie #11

Strengths

• Very confident on the ball with quick feet (video 25)

• Able to croos with both feet (video 26)

• High speed player

• Very determined in his attempts to steal the ball from his opponent

Weaknesses

• Shields the ball by turning his back to the opponent which is technically incorrect. Player should be positioned sideways to the opponent when protecting the ball with the arm holding the opponent off (video 27)

• Commits mistakes when being with his back to the opponent and playing directly with one touch (too nervous here, doesn’t meet the right decision, see video 28)

• Doesn’t keep the ball close to his foot when dribbling (tip: win the ball at the moment when he lets the ball to go away enough from his foot, see video 29)

Other

• Tends to shoot from long distance if there is such a possibility

• After a corner can change sides with another winger (Bakkali or Amuzu)

Right Winger
Zakaria Bakkali #99

Strengths

• An explosive player with good dribbling skills (video 30)

Weaknesses

• Often holds the ball for too long

• Avoids using his left foot when necessary (video 31)

• Too many inaccurate long passes

Other

• After a corner can change sides with Bolasie

Center Forward
Ivan Santini #19

Strengths

• Tall and very good in headers

• Has good field vision and plays good passes in free space behind defensive line

• Very good first touch when receiving long ball

Weaknesses

• Protects the ball with his back to the opponent (tip: push him slightly when trying to win the ball)

Substitutes

Winger
Francis Amuzu #40

Strengths

• Very fast player with excellent dribbling (see video 1)