Full-back positioning: the first pass tells you everything

Watched the opening minutes of Inter against Genoa last weekend. Look at Dumfries. When Sommer has the ball, he's already high and wide on the right. That tells you something about Inter's plan. They want to stretch Genoa's back five early.

The consequence: Genoa's left wing-back is forced to choose. Step out to cover Dumfries, and the space behind opens for Darmian to run into. Stay compact, and Dumfries receives the ball in space with time to cross. Either way, Inter created a structural advantage before the ball left the goalkeeper's foot.

Now watch the full-back opposite. If the right side is pushing forward, who covers the space behind him? Against Genoa, Acerbi shifted across. The distance between the two centre-backs widened, but it was controlled. That's the detail. Not the cross. Not the shot. The position before the pass.

Watch where the full-back stands when the goalkeeper has the ball. The attacking intention is already there.

Question: Where do you look first when a team builds from the back? The full-back or the pivot?