The space between the units

Watching Olympiacos against NEC Nijmegen in the Champions League qualifiers tonight. The first ten minutes will tell you a lot about how this tie is going to be played.

Olympiacos likes to compress the pitch when they don't have the ball. Their front three stay narrow, forcing the opposition centre-backs wide. The space they leave is always between the full-back and the centre-back - that's where NEC will try to play.

NEC's build-up from the back depends on their full-backs pushing high. If they get caught too far forward, Olympiacos will look for the diagonal ball into that space. The team that controls that half-space will control the tie.

Watch the full-back positioning in the opening exchanges. That tells you more than any possession stat.

A well-organized team removes passing lanes before it needs to make a tackle.

Question: Where do you see the key space being exploited in these Champions League qualifiers?