When the full-back is too high

Inter’s shape in the Champions League quarter-final first leg against Bayern Munich gave us a clear warning inside the first ten minutes. Dumfries and Dimarco were starting very high, almost level with the wingers. That left the two central defenders exposed against Bayern’s transitions.

Watch the space behind the full-backs when Inter lose possession. That is the lane Bayern will try to hit. The defensive line had no cover on the sides. It only takes one misplaced pass for Musiala or Sane to run into that channel.

In the first half, Bayern targeted that gap three times. The second goal came from a simple switch to the far side where the full-back had not recovered.

Inter adjusted after 25 minutes by dropping the full-backs five metres. That single change closed the passing lane and stabilised the match.

Question: Does the full-back positioning in the opening minutes change your view on how a match will develop?