During pre-season, Spurs have frequently found themselves controlling possession in central areas through their centre-backs.
In these moments, De Zerbi’s team will draw on familiar principles: keeping the ball under control, inviting pressure, attempting to advance through central areas and searching for attackers positioned in space further up the field.
Because De Zerbi’s methods proved so successful in 2022, other coaches have deliberately developed strategies to limit their impact.
Aware that his teams prefer to move the ball forward through the centre, opponents have prioritised closing off that route.
Opponents can adopt an extremely compact defensive structure, preventing Spurs’ centre-backs from easily reaching the holding midfielders. De Zerbi has therefore needed alternative solutions, such as drawing central defenders out of position or moving possession forward through the wide areas.
Spurs’ 3-0 pre-season victory over Hoffenheim provides a clear example of this approach.
Hoffenheim defended in a 4-4-2 mid-block with a notably compact shape. Their wide midfielders moved so far inside that they effectively operated as additional central midfielders, while the two forwards positioned themselves ahead of Spurs’ midfield pair to provide further protection through the middle.
When in possession, Spurs arranged themselves in a 4-2-4 formation, which has been their preferred structure in these scenarios.
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