LaLiga · Manager José Mourinho · Nominal 4-2-3-1 (Opta team sheet)
Sample: last 5 league matches — v Malaga 4-0, @ Real Betis 0-1, v Rayo Vallecano 4-1, @ Elche 3-2, @ Atletico 1-2
Build-up2-2-4
Progression3-2-4
Final third1-3-2 / 8
Rest defence3+2 / 2+2
In possession
attack → · shapes are phase snapshots, not formations
IP · 01
Build-up
2-2-4
MEDIUMSTRONGLY INFERRED2-man first line in 2/5 · per match: 2-4, 2-5, 3-5, 1-5-3, 7
First line: Rüdiger and Konaté; Cucurella and Huijsen next.
Own-third passes / match 155.6long 12%goal kicks short 83%
IP · 02
Progression
3-2-4
MEDIUMSTRONGLY INFERRED3-man first line in 3/5 · per match: 2-5-1, 5-3-1, 3-3-4, 3-3-3, 3-5-2
4 on the highest line (Júnior, Mbappé, Bellingham and Güler).
Middle-third passes / match 234.4into final third / match 45.8
IP · 03
Final third
1-3-2 / 8 · 3 box
LOWINFERRED2-man first line in 2/5 · per match: 2-3-3, 5-2, 8, 2-2-3-1, 8
2/5 lanes occupied, width from Júnior. Box presence: Mbappé, Júnior and Bellingham.
Box touches / match 41.2crosses 9.8shots 18.2
IP · 04
Rest defence
3+2 / 2+2
MEDIUMSTRONGLY INFERRED3+2 in 3/5, 2+2 in 1/5 · game-state dependent (players shift 11.1m on average when trailing)
Across 141 sustained final-third attacks, Cucurella, Huijsen, Konaté, Rüdiger and Valverde took the ball outside the final third (pooled 4+1). Per match: 3+2, 2+2, 3+2, 4+2, 3+2 — 5 behind the ball in 3/5.
Opp. fast-break shots / match 1.0opp. shots 14.6
Out of possession
positions = where each player makes his defensive actions
First engagements high: Júnior 22%, Bellingham 18%, Güler 15% of the team's actions in the final 40%. Line structure: insufficient evidence (defensive actions sit where the ball is; no tracking).
PPDA per match 16 / 13 / 13 / 22 / 21high regains / match 12.4actions in final 40% 20%
Deep defending led by Cucurella 18%, Huijsen 18%, Konaté 13%. Formation: insufficient evidence.
Def. actions in own third 54%per match 54.8
OOP · 04
Rest offence
2 HIGH
MEDIUMMEASURED19 outlet balls in the sample
Outlet after a deep regain: Júnior 33%, Mbappé 24% of the balls played out beyond halfway.
Deep regains / match 29.6played beyond halfway ≤3 passes 13%
Transitions
the first seconds after the ball changes hands
TR · 01
Defensive transition
HYBRID
MEDIUMINFERREDpooled 241 losses · mode agrees in 3/5 matches
Hybrid (inferred from thresholds): 37% of losses won back within 5 s, opponent reaches their half within 10 s after 13%. Per match: hybrid, aggressive counterpress, retreat-first, hybrid, hybrid.
Losses (front 60%) / match 48.2won back ≤5s 37%tactical foul ≤5s 1%
TR · 02
Attacking transition
CONTROLLED
HIGHINFERREDpooled 205 regains · style agrees in 4/5 matches
Controlled (inferred): first pass forward 36%, long 9%. Forward receptions: Júnior, Mbappé and Bellingham. Per match: hybrid, controlled, controlled, controlled, controlled.
Regains → final third ≤10s 16%shot ≤15s 1%
Involved — median spot of his actions in the phaseOccupation zone (25th–75th pct)Rarely involved — overall positionForward receptionsLoss not won backLoss won back ≤5s
Tactical phases · Real Madrid1 / 2
Tactical phases · 2026/2027
PHASES OF PLAY
Set pieces · Tactical summary
Real Madrid
Sample: last 5 league matches — v Malaga 4-0, @ Real Betis 0-1, v Rayo Vallecano 4-1, @ Elche 3-2, @ Atletico 1-2
Set pieces
goal at the top · corners shown from the right
SP · 01
Corners for
CENTRE
MEDIUMMEASURED
Deliveries: near post 34% · centre 59% · far post 7%; 19% played short.
Corners / match 7.2shots from corners 16goals 0
SP · 02
Corners against
1ST CONTACT 67%
MEDIUMMEASUREDmarking scheme: UNVERIFIED
Win the first contact on 67% of corners against. Event data can't show the marking scheme — the dots show where they clear it.
Corners against / match 4.4shots conceded / match 2.0
SP · 03
Free kicks for
CROSS
MEDIUMMEASURED
Of 25 free kicks in the final 40%: 12 crossed, 5 short, 2 shot direct.
Set-piece shots / match 5.0from these FKs 6
SP · 04
Free kicks against
8 FACED
LOWMEASURED
8 opposition free kicks in the final 40%; 2 led to a shot within 12 s.
Set-piece shots conceded / match 2.6
Involved — median spot of his actions in the phaseOccupation zone (25th–75th pct)Rarely involved — overall positionForward receptionsDelivery → shot / contact wonNo shotOpp. delivery
Tactical summary
phase map · confidence · evidence
Phase
Structure
Recurrence
Confidence
Evidence
Game state
Build-up
2-2-4
2-man first line 2/5
MEDIUM
STRONGLY INFERRED
consistent across game states (max avg shift 7.9m)
Progression
3-2-4
3-man first line 3/5
MEDIUM
STRONGLY INFERRED
game-state dependent (players shift 10.3m on average when trailing)
Final third
1-3-2 / 8
2-man first line 2/5
LOW
INFERRED
consistent across game states (max avg shift 7.7m)
Rest defence
3+2 / 2+2
5 behind in 3/5
MEDIUM
STRONGLY INFERRED
game-state dependent (players shift 11.1m on average when trailing)
High press
PPDA 16.8 · formation n/a
pooled
LOW
MEASURED
not tested
Mid block
insufficient evidence
pooled
LOW
MEASURED
not tested
Low block
insufficient evidence
pooled
LOW
MEASURED
not tested
Rest offence
2 high
19 outlet balls
MEDIUM
MEASURED
not tested
Defensive transition
hybrid
3/5 matches agree
MEDIUM
INFERRED
not tested
Attacking transition
controlled
4/5 matches agree
HIGH
INFERRED
not tested
Set pieces
corners mostly centre
36 corners
MEDIUM
MEASURED
not tested
Match sample
opponent context from the Opta feed
Date
Opponent
H/A
Score
Pass share
Nominal (Opta)
Opp. PPDA
Reds for/against
Game-state minutes
2026-08-30
Malaga
H
4-0
57%
4-2-3-1 v 4-4-2
21.9
0/0
level 20′, leading 77′
2026-09-04
Real Betis
A
0-1
58%
4-2-3-1 v 4-2-3-1
22.1
0/0
level 88′, trailing 17′
2026-09-12
Rayo Vallecano
H
4-1
56%
4-2-3-1 v 4-2-3-1
10.2
0/0
level 14′, leading 85′
2026-09-15
Elche
A
3-2
44%
4-2-3-1 v 4-5-1
10.6
0/0
level 33′, leading 65′
2026-09-20
Atletico
A
1-2
40%
4-2-3-1 v 4-4-2
9.8
1/0
level 56′, trailing 42′
Limitations
No tracking / freeze-frame data: positions are where players take part on the ball, not off-ball spacing.
Out-of-possession formations cannot be read from event data (actions sit at the ball) — reported as insufficient evidence.
5 matches: game-state splits compare player displacement; late-game (75'+) splits are too small to report.
Corner in/out-swing and marking schemes are not in the feed (UNVERIFIED).
Transition labels are threshold classifications calibrated on a small set of teams.
Sources & method
Opta event data (every on-ball event, x/y, qualifiers)
Match data: fixture list, crest, club colour, manager
Shapes = median on-ball location per player per phase; lines by optimal 1-D k-means
Confidence = agreement of single matches with the pooled structure + sample size
