Rohit Kumaran

Chelsea’s buildup vs. Palace’s 5-3-2 featured a shift from inverted fullbacks to a 4-1 / 2-3 structure. Cucurella stayed wide, providing stability, while the midfield rotated to create overloads. A conservative approach, balancing control and progression against a defensive block 

Palace buildup in a 3-4-2-1 vs. Chelsea’s aggressive press. The press trigger is the wingbacks receiving the ball, prompting m2m duels. Acheampong tasked with tracking Eze’s deep movements creates an intriguing battle to watch in this matchup. 

Palmer and Enzo switch roles in the second half to disrupt Palace’s modified press by altering passing lanes and overload dynamics. However, the recurring use of this pattern, seen previously against Fulham and Ipswich, risks predictability. 

Gasperini’s team selection raised a few eyebrows with Scalvini replacing Ederson, it is now evident as to why.

Scalvini acts as the primary receiver during buildup, with De Roon positioned slightly higher (staggered pivot) to stretch Inter’s press and create passing lanes. 

Atalanta have shifted away from their aggressive m2m press to a more compact setup.

Inter’s buildup counters this by having Mkhitaryan &amp; Barella drop into the backline, to stretch Atalanta’s press and create passing lanes. Dimarco tucks in as a LB with Dumfries providing width. 