Ruben Amorim's Tactics: How He's Making Sporting CP Unstoppable

Hi, my name is Miguel Teixeira and welcome back  to the channel. In today's video, we will dive deep into the tactics of Sporting under coach  Ruben Amorim, focusing particularly on the team's offensive dynamics. Sporting typically sets up  in a 1-3-4-3 formation, which can shift into a 1-3-2-5, depending on how far up the wing backs  push along the flanks.

In this image, we can see the beginning of Sporting's buildup phase, where  the team forms a 3+2 structure. The three Central Defenders initiate the possession circulation,  supported by the two Central Midfielders, who position themselves between the opponent's  first and second line of pressure. In this image, we can see how the opposing team attempts to block  Sporting's progression through the center.

The forward, along with Porto's Midfield three, forms  a diamond shape to create numerical superiority in this zone, aiming to neutralize one of Sporting's  main strengths. As a result, Sporting had to adapt, and in the initial stages of the buildup,  the team focused on exploiting the wide areas to create imbalances in the opponent's defensive  organization. Let's take a closer look at one of Sporting's common Dynamics after the ball is  played out wide.

Here, we frequently observe what I call "complimentary movements". These involve  a support movement and a breaking movement, creating confusion for the opponents about  which player and space to defend. In this case, the offensive midfielder moves to support and  draws the attention of the opposing for fullback, while the striker makes a run in behind to  exploit the space created.

As the play unfolds, the striker takes advantage of the uncertainty  created for the opposing fullback and successfully receives the ball behind the defensive line.  Gyökeres is particularly effective in these runs, using his pace and ability to hold up the  ball, allowing his teammates to advance into more attacking positions, thereby providing  sporting with continued offensive momentum. Now, let’s observe the same dynamic on the left  flank, but with a different outcome.

The wing-back receives the ball outside the opponent’s block,  and we immediately see the usual complementary movements between the attacking midfielder  and the striker. In this case, the striker's breaking run draws the attention of the opposing  defenders, causing them to drop deeper to protect the space behind them. This inside-to-outside  movement pulls the defenders away and creates space for the attacking midfielder to receive  the ball inside the opponent's structure, putting Sporting in a strong position  to attack the final defensive line.

Understand the opponent's concern in blocking  passing connections through their defensive structure. The opponent forms a diamond  with the forward and the midfield line, with the central midfielder on that side  stepping out to press Sporting's central defenders. Meanwhile, the wing-back positions  himself lower on the field to cover for the central midfielder who has stepped out,  thus protecting the central corridor.

Sporting again advances  down the flank but struggles to find the right timing to accelerate the  play. In such cases, the central midfielder or even the central defender on that side  becomes crucial in providing security support to the ball carrier. With the opponent  effectively closing down the central corridor, Sporting opts to quickly switch the play to find  advantages on the opposite side of the field.

After the ball reaches the wing-back,  we see a new dynamic on the flank, this time in higher areas of the field. This  time, it's the attacking midfielder who makes the inside-to-outside breaking run to exploit  the space behind the opposing full-back. This movement pulls the defender out of position,  and Morita, Sporting's central midfielder, gains the freedom to advance and provide  support behind the opponent’s midfield line.

Now, let’s see a new strategy from Sporting  to break down the opponent’s defensive block. Sporting circulates the ball, and when they  can’t find immediate solutions for progress, the team is comfortable maintaining possession  to tire out the opponent and look for new opportunities to speed up the play. This time,  when the central defender receives the ball, the wing-back stays high on the field instead  of dropping back.

We can observe what I call “opposite movements” on the flank: the attacking  midfielder drops towards the goal to attract the opponent’s pressure, while the wing-back  moves in the opposite direction to exploit the space created. These movements are crucial for  Sporting to create a 1v1 situation on the flank, particularly on the right side, where they utilize  a winger capable of exploiting these situations, either by cutting inside to use his stronger foot  or driving towards the byline to deliver a cross. In these last two clips, we’ll observe  two tactical variations used by Sporting when the team circulates the ball in higher zones.

First, let’s look at an example where  Sporting momentarily sets up in a 4+1 structure. One of the midfielders drops  deeper to join the defensive line, allowing the team to stretch the width  with the two outside center-backs. This movement forces Porto’s forward  and interior midfielder to step out and press the deep midfielder and central  defender, respectively.

This creates space for the wide center-back to receive  the ball and drive the play forward. As the center-back progresses with the ball,  we can clearly see the striker and opposite attacking midfielder maintaining a constant  threat behind the opponent’s defensive line. The goal here is to destabilize the backline and  simultaneously push them deeper into their own half, opening up space between their lines and  between individual defenders on the ball side.

When Sporting struggles to progress  offensively, we notice a consistent pattern the team uses to break down these lower  defensive blocks. The ball-side midfielder acts as an offensive cover for the ball carrier,  initiating a sequence on the opposite flank. This backward pass, which often signals to the  opponent to push their defensive block higher, also triggers the attacking midfielder to start  a breaking run.

This movement provides an option for the ball carrier behind the opponent’s  defensive line. However, as in this case, it can also serve to draw the center-back  or even the opposing full-back inside, freeing up space for the wing-back  to receive the ball on the outside. Now, to wrap up, let’s look at an example  where Sporting sets up in a 3+1 structure, with Morita pushing higher up the pitch  to join the two attacking midfielders as support options behind the  opposition’s midfield line.

When the ball reaches the wide center-back, we  can again observe "opposite movements" down the flank. The attacking midfielder moves closer  to the ball carrier, dragging the opposing wing-back and creating space in behind for the  winger to receive the ball in a 1v1 situation against the full-back. Double option for the  ball carrier: The striker makes a breaking run to attack the space between the full-back and  the center-back, while Morita accelerates to exploit the space between the lines and between  the center-backs, generated by the striker’s run.

Though the opponent manages to  block Sporting’s progression, the team remains calm, retaining possession  and settling in the opposition's half. After provoking once or twice down the  right flank, Sporting demonstrates its ability to escape pressure and quickly  switch the play to speed up the attack. Now, with the ball carrier in an open situation,  we see Morita again positioned between the lines, offering yet another solution in that space. 

At the same time, the closer proximity of players in this zone allows Sporting to  combine through the opponent’s block and accelerate the play. Also, take note of the  number of Sporting players in the final third, not only during the creation phase but  also when stepping into the box to finish the plays. And if you enjoy this type of  content, don’t forget to subscribe to the channel so you don’t miss anything!

Thanks  for watching, and see you in the next video!