The Full-Back and the Space Behind

I watched the first half of Real Madrid against Atalanta in the Super Cup. The match told me more about full-back positioning than any highlight reel could.

Carlo Ancelotti started with Dani Carvajal and Ferland Mendy high, almost as wingers. Atalanta's wide players stayed deep, waiting for the ball over the top. The space behind Madrid's full-backs was enormous.

Look at the distance between the full-back and the centre-back. When it stretches, the covering defender has to step out. That opens the corridor for a runner from midfield. If the full-back stays narrower, the passing lane to the winger disappears.

Within the first ten minutes, Atalanta had two clear chances from that exact area. The pre-match read was wrong for those first ten minutes, but the shape exposed it quickly.

A full-back too high without pressure on the ball is a space waiting to be used.

Question: In your last match, where was the space behind the full-back coming from?