![]() ![]() This requires them to be aggressive yet also disciplined, as they are the only wide defensive options. Without their contributions, the attack can't maintain any numerical superiority in attack and falters more often then not. Without the two strikers up front, much of the supplementary attacking burden in the 3-4-2-1 falls on the wide players: the wingbacks. The two withdrawn strikers are the most critical piece of the attack, for as one shifts wide, the other tucks in behind the main striker to maintain midfield superiority. It's a formation that requires squads to rotate and be tactically maleable. The 3-4-2-1 is a much more demanding tactical formation, using two withdrawn strikers/CAMs behind the main striker. ![]() The formation was strong in the age of the 4-4-2 with it's numerical supremacy in midfield but dwindled in use as the 4-2-3-1 evolved, eliminating it's chief advantage and attacking it's biggest weakness (lack of width). This formation is almost entirely offensive and extremely strong against a 4-man backline, occupying the main centerbacks and opening space for the CAM. The former uses an attacking midfielder behind a two striker set. While the defensive phase of the game relies on the 3-man backline and the 4-man midfield(including 2 wingbacks), the offensive side of the game has featured several different main archetypes over the years the 3-4-1-2 and the 3-4-2-1. The formation naturally struggles against the classical 4-3-3, but with such a possession dominant side like Bayern Munich, the man advantage in midfield can actually be a blessing worth the sacrifice. The formation is extremely strong though the midfield, but like most 3-man backlines, its gains that strength by sacrificing width. The classical 3-4-3 archetype has been around for several decades. With a full healthy squad the 3-4-3 allows Bayern Munich an almost endless range of versatility and flexibility that, while powerful in it's own right, the 4-1-4-1 didn't allow. Pep Guardiola used a 3-2-2-3 variant both legs against a woeful Manchester United before ultimately rolling out the 3-4-3 against Borussia Dortmund in the DFB Pokal final. Early attempts last winter ranged from unique to downright awful (in the case of the Red Bull Salzburg friendly). However, in the last 6-9 months we've seen the beginnings of a transition from that 4-1-4-1 to a system using a 3-man backline. It's what lead Real Madrid to buy him for close to €30M just after the World Cup final even though he only had one year left on his contract. It's exactly this reason that he was considered one of the best central midfielders in European football. That systems was built directly around the biggest strengths of Toni Kroos namely his ability to distribute, shuttle, and playmake up and down the spine of the side. Last season, Pep Guardiola started out the gate with a 4-1-4-1 system. ![]()
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