Long renowned for his metronomic passing and ability to control games through midfield possession, Xabi Alonso has carried those principles into his managerial career. As head coach of Bayer Leverkusen, Alonso’s tactics revolve around dominating the ball and dictating territory. But how does he implement this possession-based philosophy? The secrets lie in two key build-up structures – diagonal positioning and the “ladder” progression.
Ladder Structure
The diagonal foundation is the launch pad for Leverkusen’s patient circulation of the ball. By staggering and spreading their positioning diagonally across the pitch, Leverkusen’s players are able to access more passing lanes and drag opposing defenses out of their rigid shapes. This stretches the field horizontally and creates freedom for the ball carrier.
Once stretched diagonally, Leverkusen progress through a “ladder” sequence of passing combinations. One midfielder will receive the ball from a defender, drawing the first line of the opponent’s press. If pressured successfully, that central player simply plays a short backward pass. This activates a diagonal run forward from the initial passer, now providing a new option ahead of the ball. The sequence continues with third man runs, diagonal balls, and switches of play – climbing up and across the “ladder” structure.
Diagonal Ladder
The “diagonal ladder” build-up presents a moving series of passing options that forces the opposition to shift laterally and track multiple threat points simultaneously. If a defender over-commits or loses their marker, new passing lanes emerge through the gaps. The geometry expands the ranges the opposing team must cover defensively.
There are shades of the pioneering work done by Henrik Rydström at Malmö FF, who popularized these positional rotations and archetypal passing patterns years ago. Alonso seems to have adopted and evolved these concepts to torment Bundesliga defenses.
Conclusion
Through disciplined concentration on angled positioning and systematic passing sequences, Bayer Leverkusen are able to strangle games and patiently probe for openings. With Xabi Alonso at the helm for another season, guiding this controlled build-up, don’t be surprised to see more Bundesliga titles heading to the BayArena.
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