Arsenal vs Sporting tactical analysis: Champions League job not done yet for the gunners after one goal win in Lisbon
Portuguese coach Pepa breaks down the tactics of the Champions League quarter-final between Arsenal and Sporting, analysing the first leg and looking at the reasons why the team from Lisbon could still cause the Gunners problems in the return match…
Arsenal's 1-0 win over Sporting in Lisbon puts them in control of their Champions League quarter-final but there is work to do on Wednesday evening at the Emirates Stadium.
Pepa is a Portuguese coach who has worked at the top level in his home country and in Brazil. Here, he assesses the key tactical aspects of the first match and looks at why Rui Borges' Sporting side could still cause an upset in the second leg.
What happened in Lisbon?
"From a tactical perspective, the match between Sporting and Arsenal at Alvalade was, in my view, a game between two excellent teams, very competitive and intense, without many clear goal-scoring opportunities, but with very interesting tactical and technical aspects.
"Looking at Arsenal, they are a top-level team, leaders of the Premier League and with a remarkable Champions League campaign in which they have 10 wins and a draw from their 11 matches.
"I would highlight, in the moment without the ball, their ability to maintain structural compactness in a 4-4-2 shape, with no issues in adopting this behaviour in deeper areas, closing central spaces effectively.
"I would also highlight their recognition of pressing triggers, which often result in near man-oriented pressing behaviours, with players who are very strong physically, allowing them to recover the ball high up the pitch.
"They recorded 19 defensive actions in the opponent's half, while Sporting had seven, which clearly illustrates the difference.
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