The gap a substitution can create 🧠

Napoli against Milan last season showed how a striker change alters the whole shape. Giovane came in for Højlund and could not hold the ball with his back to goal, so Conte pushed McTominay higher as a second striker. That moved Milan’s midfield line deeper and opened the half-space between their left centre-back and wing-back.

Look at where De Bruyne received the ball in the second half. The passing lane into Giovane’s feet was gone, but the lane behind Milan’s back three appeared instead. Milan’s midfield could not cover both.

A substitution changes the shape before it changes the score.

Question: When a striker cannot hold the ball, does your team push a midfielder higher or keep the shape and play wider?