The space between the units

Watching Real Madrid against Real Sociedad the other night, one detail stood out before the first goal. Sociedad's midfield and defensive lines were too far apart. Five minutes before half-time, Valverde found Mbappe in that gap. One touch to escape the marker, finish in the top corner -3.

The full-backs were the real problem. Both Sociedad full-backs pushed high but didn't recover quickly enough. When Madrid transitioned, the centre-backs had to cover too much ground. The space between the defensive line and the covering midfielders became a passing lane Madrid exploited repeatedly.

That's what the first ten minutes expose. A back four that doesn't drop together, a midfield that doesn't squeeze. The warning signs are always there before the goal.

Watch the distance between defence and midfield before you watch the ball. That's where the game is decided.

Question: When you watch a match, do you track the full-backs' starting positions or follow the ball carrier?