Portugal INGENIOUS Euro 2024 Tactic

Portugal has used not one, but two tactics at the Euro 2024. And both were efficient for them.

Ok, maybe not so much against Czechia.

Portugal topped their group, but mainly due to the late goal against Czechia and the result they obtained against Turkey.

However, Portugal’s game improvement match after match.

Against Slovenia we have seen a good Portuguese team, but tactically, they seemed to not be flexible, playing with the same instructions, no matter what happened.

Against France, though, they have played the best game at the tournament. In my opinion.

And Vitinha seemed to be the heartbeat of the team. Linking the defence and the attack.

Let’s not overlook the fact that two extraordinary players may have ended their stories with the Euro tournament. Cristiano Ronaldo and Pepe.

Cristiano Ronaldo has been more static than I was used to see him play for Portugal. But let’s be fair – whether he likes it or not, age takes a toll.

But what he did great for Portugal and helped his team was drawing opponents onto him. And often, two of them. Which created spaces for his teammates to exploit.

And Pepe… honestly no words.

He defended very well at times, giving confidence to his teammates, which encouraged a more expansive play from Ruben Dias.

I used to think that Roberto Martinez is not a great tactician when he was managing Belgium and I used to say that the players he had at his disposal helped him.

I stand corrected.

Robert Martinez showed, at least me, that he has tactical principles he encourages his team to follow and that he understands his team’s strengths and weaknesses and uses them to his team’s advantage.

In the 4-2-3-1 tactic, the goalkeeper is a sweeper keeper. Diogo Costa was not needed as a passing option during open play. So, the duty assigned to him is a defend one.

The back four is made of two wing backs on attack duty and two ball playing defenders. The wing backs play a crucial role in this formation, as both Nuno Mendes and Joao Cancelo dribbled on their flanks, adding extra players in Portugal’s attacks.

I would assign a stopper duty to Ruben Dias mainly because when he was in possession, he went up the pitch, helping the passing game. I know the duty does not require him to do so, but taking more risks may help the play do this in the game.

A defensive midfielder on defend duty and a roaming playmaker as the two defensive midfielders.

Joao Palhinha had the crucial role of holding the back line together with Pepe, especially in the game against France.

This provided his line teammate and the wing backs to move freely, overloading their opponents final third.

Vitinha was the team’s heartbeat, as I mentioned. He truly was the link between defence and attack. And this was more noticeable in the game against France.

Advanced playmaker is the role assigned to Bernardo Silva. On support duty. He was a false winger, occupying the flank only to drag the opposing full back onto him.

As Joao Cancelo overlapped, Bernardo Silva drifted inside, being the passing link when Bruno Fernandes was not available.

An attacking midfielder role, on support duty assigned to Bruno Fernandes. Bruno Fernandes has been quiet during his team’s games, in my opinion, but he was important to the passing game.

Being there for either Vitinha, Joao Palhinha or Bernardo Silva to receive the pass and move the ball forward, creating dangerous opportunities.

Rafael Leao was an engine on his flank, tormenting his opponents with silky dribbling and extraordinary acceleration.

An inverted winger on attack duty was assigned to him, as his starting position was on the flank, but he always looked to dribble inside, cutting in the opposition’s box with the ball and then either cross for one of his teammates or shooting himself.

His movement also provided Nuno Mendes the opportunity to overlap often.

And for Cristiano Ronaldo I chose a deep lying forward on attack duty, even though a target forward role seems more suitable for him.

But in Football Manager 2024, the target forward role does not seem to play too well, in my opinion.

Cristiano Rolando dropped deep to get the ball, dragging one or two opponents at times onto him, creating channels for Rafael Leao or one of the attacking players to run into.

As mentality, positive.

In possession, fairly wide attacking width, play out of defence, shorter passing directness and a slightly higher tempo. And whipped crosses.

In transition, counter-press, counter and distribute the ball to the defence. As Diogo Costa chose the way he distributed the ball, I let him to the same in the game.

Out of possession, high press and a higher defensive line. Trigger press more often and prevent the goalkeeper short distribution.

In the 3-4-3 or 3-4-2-1 formation, the positions change (obviously) but the approach remains the same. The formation emulates the game against Czechia, as against Georgia, Portugal fielded more or less the second team.

Diogo Dalot appeared in the starting XI, replacing Joao Palhinha.

The goalkeeper is a sweeper keeper on defend duty. No change here.

The back three is made of two ball playing defenders on defend duty and one libero on support. Ruben Dias took up a more familiar role, as he sometimes plays in a similar tactic at Manchester City.

And Nuno Mendes was told to stay wider.

Diogo Dalot was assigned a wing back on support role. Going up the field gradually, when his team was in possession.

While Joao Cancelo was assigned an inverted wing back role, on attack duty. He had moments when he drifted inside, taking up a midfielder or advanced midfielder position, overloading the midfield area in the opposition’s final third.

A roaming playmaker role for Bruno Fernandes and a box-to-box midfielder one for Vitinha. Bruno Fernandes roamed from his position in the game against Czechia, linking up play where needed.

Vitinha was the second engine of the team, providing a more defensive option when his team was defending or under a counterattack.

But when his team was in possession, he went up the pitch, providing a passing option and overloading the final third of the opposition.

The front three keep the roles from the 4-2-3-1 formation.

As mentality, positive.

In possession, fairly wide attacking width, play out of defence. Shorter passing directness and a slightly higher tempo. And whipped crosses.

In transition, counter-press, counter and distribute the ball to the defence. Again, we let the goalkeeper to choose the distribution type.

Out of possession, high press and a higher defensive line, trigger press more often and prevent the goalkeeper short distribution.

As said, Portugal did not play bad at all during the tournament. They did start quite underwhelming against Czechia, but to me they seemed like they upped their game gradually.

It was an upset on their part against France and it means an end of an era, but I am glad they held their heads high.