Roma faced FC Bayern in their respective fifth fixture of the UEFA Women’s Champions League, and the game ended with an entertaining 2-2 draw that does not really serve both teams a lot. At the same time, the draw can be considered a lot more positive for Bayern than Roma since they were losing the game until the final minutes. However, Bayern are more experienced in UWCL and have more valuable players in their team.
It is true that the game took place at Stadio Tre Fontane and not in Germany. Yet, Bayern’s performance in this match was not convincing enough as they risked losing the game if not for their excellent abilities in the air in the final minutes. This means that the Munich-based side need to review their performances and aim at improving their defensive and attacking organisation to achieve better results even when playing away games against tough teams.
On the other hand, we can say that the Italian side learned last season’s lessons in the UWCL and used their recent European experience in a positive way since they were able to challenge Bayern until the last minute of the game and were even very close to winning the match. We can also stress the fact that Roma were not poor defensively as they did not concede a lot of dangerous chances from FC Bayern and resisted their powerful attacking players throughout the match.
Both conceded goals, however, could have been avoided, yet what was very impressive from Roma was their ability to threaten Bayern a lot in this match thanks to their crucial passing inside the final third and often accurate finishing. This match represents a further confirmation that Roma are actually becoming more powerful and readier for challenges against some of the top European teams, which means that they are also capable of winning the Serie A title this season as well if they keep up their excellent level of performance.
In this tactical analysis article, we will be focusing on Roma’s attacking performance and how they were able to disturb the Bavarian giants’ defensive line. In addition, we will be exploring Bayern’s attacking performance and tactics and how they exploited Roma’s few defensive errors. But first, the analysis will begin by introducing both team’s formations and line-ups.
Line-ups
Roma started this match using the 4-1-4-1 formation with Camelia Ceasar as a goalkeeper, Elisa Bartoli, Moeka Minami, Elena Linari, and Lucia Di Guglielmo in defence, Saki Kumagai as a defensive midfielder, Laura Feiersinger and Manuela Giugliano as central midfielders, Emilie Haavi and Evelyne Viens as wingers and former Milan’s Valentina Giacinti as the team’s striker.
On the other hand, Bayern played according to the 4-2-3-1 formation with Maria Luisa Grohs as a goalkeeper, Giulia Gwinn, Glódís Perla Viggósdóttir, Tuva Hansen, and Katharina Elisa Naschenweng in defence, Sarah Zadrazil and Georgia Stanway as central midfielder, former Chelsea’s Pernille Harder as an advanced playmaker, Linda Dallmann and Klara Bühl as wingers and Lea Schüller as the team’s striker.
Roma’s convincing attacking performance
This game witnessed one of Roma’s most convincing attacking performances, especially considering they were playing against a very powerful team. The attacking players Haavi, Viens and Giacinti were accurate and dangerous in most of their actions as they shot ten times in this match, with six shots being on target.
They also won 34 out of 70 offensive duels and were always dangerous inside the final third. The Serie A Femminile side were also good enough in counterattacks as they often relied on short, quick passes to reach Giacinti. The latter would also search for passing options whenever she does not find shooting possibilities.
Working on limiting Giacinti’s mistimed or unnecessary shooting attempts and instructing her to provide more passes was a fruitful decision in this match. It helped Roma have more possession and avoid losing attacks without threats on Bayern’s goal.
For example, this counter-attack was launched by Giugliano and reached Giacinti, who looked for a possible shooting trajectory but was faced with defensive resistance. She, therefore, opted to pass to Viens and moved towards the middle of the penalty box to receive a cross, knowing that Grohs was not easily able to save this attempt.
These movements without the ball were key to breaking Bayern’s defence as Giacinti was often dynamic in this match and moved a lot without the ball to create space for herself at the back of her markers.
Moreover, the team succeeded in applying positive high pressing during this match, and it is fair to say that Roma’s first goal was scored thanks to Giugliano’s excellent pressing on Harder, obliging her to provide a wrong pass and exploit it by providing an assist to Giacinti who finished the action with an outstanding shot from distance.
The Italian side had some other critical opportunities after scoring the first goal and conceding Bayern’s first goal but failed to finish well. Giacinti and Giada Greggi missed some of the most important chances for Roma as Grohs was also attentive enough to save some of these opportunities.
Giugliano’s attacking participation was remarkable during this match as she scored the second goal in the game’s final minutes after creating the first goal action.
In this action, Giugliano’s advancement towards the box to create numerical superiority inside the box and act like a striker was fruitful for Roma as she received the cross and finished it well, stressing her attacking addition once more with an excellent half-volley finish.
It should be pointed out that the German side’s defensive organisation in this action was very poor as well since they left two Roma players without marking inside the box. The defenders supposed to apply tight marking were very distant from both Roma players, which gave Giugliano the freedom to move without issues, coordinate her body, and shoot without disturbance.
Bayern’s exploitation of aerial duels and set-pieces
Bayern’s performance can be considered a bit worrying even though the team reacted well during the final minutes and saved the team from a more negative result by scoring the equalising goal in the final minutes. Nevertheless, Bayern are capable of playing better football in attack and of defending better since they have a powerful squad and a lot of key players in both phases.
With five shots on target and only four accurate crosses out of 19, the German team’s attacking performance could have been more impactful as it needed more concentration in terms of passing and finishing, too. Moreover, it is true that the reliance on crosses and set-pieces was fruitful in the end. However, alternation between crosses from the wings and passing combinations inside the box would have confused Roma’s defence even more and perhaps created more goalscoring opportunities for Bayern.
The team preferred relying on Schüller only for headers and avoided providing passes into space for her, as they also avoided penetrating from the wings and shooting. Having excellent dribblers and passers with extensive experience like Bühl, Dallmann, and Harder could have been exploited a lot better as these players can provide plenty of options in attack.
Alexander Straus will definitely need to think about ways to alternate the team’s attacking methods and use other plans in addition to those involving crosses. This being said, we cannot neglect the fact that Bayern were extremely dangerous in the air and exploited the fact that Roma’s defensive line were poor in aerial duels. As a result, Lea Schüller was successful in exploiting this defensive issue by scoring the team’s first equalising goal at the 87th minute, following an accurate cross from Harder using her left foot.
Also, Bayern had some concrete chances to open the score in this match. Still, it failed to do so despite Roma’s big defensive mistake during this action when they left a player like Harder unmarked inside the box, letting her receive a cross and shoot with her left foot. Fortunately for the Italian club, Ceasar was attentive enough to this shooting attempt and was, therefore, able to save it miraculously.
Bayern’s belief in their abilities and determination to avoid losing was embodied in their last-minute goal action. This goal highlights the team’s experience in dealing with complicated situations even though Bayern was not having their best day. Schüller succeeded in converting a free-kick into a goal thanks to her excellent jump and accurate header once again, stressing on her abilities in the air and exploiting the half-chances she had in this match.
Conclusion
Roma gave away a precious win at the last minutes of the game due to their poor set-piece defending and confusion inside the box, which is something that requires a lot more work for Roma in order to avoid such situations in the future. At the same time, the team still have a margin of progress in attack in terms of finishing and exploiting goalscoring chances in a more clinical fashion.
No one can deny that Roma have already progressed a lot in terms of attack, finishing and playmaking. Yet, a lot more work will be needed in order to be even more dangerous in front of goal, especially when playing games against formidable defences obliging the opponent to get only one or two goalscoring chances per game.
On the other hand, Bayern will need to address their attacking plans, try to alternate their actions, and work on new ones to surprise and confuse their next opponents and be unprecditable without neglecting their reliance on headers and crosses. At the same time, some defensive positioning issues will need to be addressed as well to avoid conceding goals due to poor marking in the upcoming games.
Also, misplaced passes inside the team’s own half in UWCL games is something that should not be repeated for Bayern, as these wrong passes can automatically lead to conceding goals, exactly like what happened following Harder’s wrong pass in this match.
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