Beyond Borders
Tactical Analysis: A look at the Moroccan core behind Sevilla FC’s run to the Europa League final
UEFA B and El Gouna FC youth coach Omar Lasheen continues his tactical analysis series on players from the Middle East and North Africa, with this week’s spotlight on the Moroccan trio who have inspired Sevilla FC to their sixth Europa League final.
Youssef En-Nesyri, Munir El Haddadi, and Yassine Bounou have been instrumental this season in Sevilla FC’s return to the chase of European glory. The stage is set to showcase their talents in the battle against Antonio Conte’s Inter Milan.
This player analysis will look at the Moroccan trio’s main attributes after their trials and tribulations of loan periods and climbing up the leagues, culminating to the platform where they find themselves standing today – the UEFA Europa League final.
Youssef En-Nesyri – Sevilla FC Forward
Strength: Detecting Danger in Attack
After Youssef En-Nesyri’s January 2020 move from Leganes, a new threat has been added to the Sevilla front line. In terms of how Sevilla FC set up tactically, it is a team that plays with width in attack. En-Nesyri’s clever movement and his ability to attack congested areas as well as open spaces has helped him score six goals in relatively limited time since his arrival.
In offensive situations, En-Nesyri is able to make movements based on the amount of space given to him by the opposition. Especially in counter-attacks, he makes long strides into space, with his pace helping him run past opponents and getting himself into good goal-scoring positions in the penalty area.
As shown below, Sevilla are winning 1-0 against Roma, and are in a comfortable defensive position to deal with the Roma attack. As they recover the ball, they are able to play the first pass outside of the pressure, giving them an open ball and a big area of space to attack.
As the ball is played into the right wing, En-Nesyri starts to make a run from a deep position to get on the end of the attack. His ability to react quickly after Sevilla wins the ball combined with his physical speed, allows him to finish off the attack in 12 seconds after his team recovered the ball into their own half. Detecting the danger and responding to the moment coupled with his speed and direction of his movement allowed En-Nesyri to put himself into a position where he can score an open goal, putting the tie out of reach for Roma.
Strength: Defensive Aggression
Committing to Sevilla FC and head coach Juan Lopetegui’s philosophy, the team’s forwards are instructed to be the first line of defence. High pressing is a big part of Sevilla’s success this season and Youssef En-Nesyri has adapted quite easily to the physicality of the team’s tactical demands.
En-Nesyri shows his understanding of his defensive roles within the team structure keeping in line with the tactical principle of moving as the ball is moving. En-Nesyri shifts across, pushes up, and drops deeper in relation to where the ball, the opponent, the teammate, and the space is. His angle of approaching the opposition in a defensive situation should force the ball back, towards the touchline, or make an interception.
In this situation, Wolves are moving the ball along the back to their right central defender.
As the ball moves, En-Nesyri makes a high intensity run to congest the space around the Wolves defender and uses his body position, facing outside, to force him towards to touchline.
The ball is then played to the outside to the Wolves right wing-back, but En-Nesyri is able to maintain the action to ensure Sevilla recover the ball as high as possible. As the ball is transferred forward to the Wolves inside forward, En-Nesyri continues the defensive action and puts his foot in to make an interception as well as to delay the attack in search of help from his teammates.
As the ball progresses, En-Nesyri is supported by two players as he remains switched on to the situation until the ball is forced out for a Sevilla throw in, ensuring they recover the ball in the opponent half.
Munir El Haddadi – Sevilla FC Forward
Strength: Crossing
Munir El Haddadi’s case with FIFA is one that was going on for a few years. The Spanish-born Moroccan had a denied appeal to play for the Moroccan national team after representing Spain in a Euro Qualifier against Macedonia.
Although he does have the passing and moving qualities of a player who has come through the Spanish youth systems, Munir is very direct with his dribbling as well as with his final balls. His ability to make movements into dangerous positions allows him to approach the ball at an angle where he can play a dangerous ball.
In a team that focuses heavily on crossing in the final third, Munir’s role is well defined, providing the width as well as balls into the box for forwards to get on the end of. His speed of thought allows him to make crosses from unexpected positions before the opposition defenders can set themselves to defend.
Munir moves into the vacated space and anticipates the progression of the attack. As he receives the ball in a wide area, he quickly plays the cross in before the defenders are ready to mark and adjust their body positions. The angle at which he approaches the ball allows him to play a bent cross behind the opposition defensive line, creating a clear goal-scoring opportunity, tapped in by his teammate; only for it to be called inches offside.
Strength: Final Third Movement
Brought up in the Barcelona system, wingers like Munir El Haddadi are taught to make movements from outside to inside to be a threat on goal.
Munir’s ability to interpret the development of organized offensive situations allows him to adjust his runs to make contact with the ball at the appropriate time.
Depending on how Sevilla play, Munir is able to adjust his movement. As balls are played in wide areas, he is able to analyze the positioning of the opposition defenders around him. His quick decision-making in tight areas allows him to make the suitable movements to get to the ball ahead of the defenders in the box.
This season, Munir El Haddadi has scored 10 goals in all competitions, with seven coming from inside the penalty area, showing his willingness to move inside and make runs to get on the end of offensive moves by his team.
This is exemplified in the move below; the Sevilla midfielder, Munir’s teammate, is in possession close to the middle of the pitch. Munir starts his run from just outside the box. He identifies the space between the opposition defenders to detect the gap in which he can attack. He makes a diagonal movement, from out to in, to escape the attention of the defenders. Understanding the quality of his teammate, he is able to time his run to perfection and meet the ball at the correct body angle to put a powerful header into the goal.
Yassine Bounou – Sevilla FC Goalkeeper
Strength: Playing Out From The Back
Yassine Bounou has been Sevilla FC’s Europa League goalkeeper this season.
Sevilla are a team that like to play out of defence, circulating the ball and passing through the thirds to find spaces and to control as much possession as possible in all areas of the pitch. The advantage of doing that is that it gives more time and space to each player on the ball, making it easier to progress the attack more comfortably.
In that aspect, Bounou has been a great addition to the team. His range of passing and comfort on the ball makes it more difficult for Sevilla to be pressed and adds one extra player in their offensive moves. Bounou ranks in the top 10 for number of accurate short passes completed by a goalkeeper in the Europa League this season.
In situations where he was involved in Sevilla’s build up, he has shown bravery to be composed in possession of the ball, trying to help in ball circulation, while understanding the risk of a mistake.
An example of Sevilla playing out from the back is shown below as Bounou receives the ball, from an under-pressure defender, inside the six-yard box.
Bounou receives the ball on his back foot, opening up his body, allowing him to avoid the ongoing pressure.
Instead of succumbing to the pressure and hitting the ball long, he plays a simple ball on the ground to the Sevilla player in space, giving him time to put his head up and progress the attack in a comfortable manner.
Strength: Quick Off His Line
Yassine Bounou has caught attention in this season’s UEFA Europa League campaign, blocking shots from inside the box. The bravery he shows in charging towards the ball to congest the space around the attacker gives the attacker on the ball a smaller target to aim at, which makes it more difficult to score.
Bounou uses his physical presence to make himself as big as possible to close off the attacker’s options, which forces a block or minimal movements to make the save.
Manchester United (below) have a 4v2 just outside the penalty area, with Bounou starting on the six-yard line.
As Manchester United striker Anthony Martial approaches the penalty area, Bounou makes a quick decision to rush towards the attacker and spread his body to limit his options.
As a result, the ball hits Bounou and the chance is denied.
Conclusion – Sevilla FC In-Form Underdogs
Inter Milan should be favourites against Sevilla FC, like Manchester United were. But the team led by Lopetegui go into Sunday’s game on form, and unphased by the occasion. With the Moroccan trio in their side and ready for battle, it will be a match to look out for.
Let us know your thoughts on this analysis in the comments section and which players you’d like to see featured in this series…
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