It is a rare opportunity, almost a “perfect storm”, to match its enormous significance in one game (duels between Red Star and Partizan are inherently important), the fact that both teams are in shape (sports theory from the tradition of the Eastern, mostly Soviet) Europe, where this term comes from in its current use, explicitly forbids grading the form – there is no good and bad form, only “form”, and Red Star and Partizan demonstrate just that perfectly) and that the two teams play in different, and somewhat complementary styles.
The latter is especially interesting. Since the arrival of the current professional staff, the Red Star has been trying to be the protagonist on the field, which it was not like during Vladan Milojević’s coaching. This, of course, does not mean that the red and whites were not successful then, on the contrary, but they came to that success in a different way.
The star now plays with much more controlled possession, spends less time in transition moments and pays much more attention to standard situations that we call entering the game, the structure in possession in the middle zone (where he spends most time in the Super League, due to opponent’s choice) and playing behind balls, ie a setting that neutralizes counterattacks or quick attacks of the opponent.
The simplest and most austere, Dejan Stanković’s team very often opens the attack with three players in the first line, which occurs after different rotations within the basic formation. This habit also helped them in Europe when the basic formation would contain three central defenders, which in several ways contributed to defensive stability, which has been demonstrated many times this season in the Europa League.
Partizan, which is in a spectacular series of triumphs, is a team that, although also very successful in continuous attack, is perhaps the best in those moments when the game stretches a bit, when the tempo of the match (“tempo” in football is the frequency of changes of possession, the term “rhythm” means the speed of the flow of the ball) increases so much that the structure of the opponent has a smaller role, and the individual characteristics of the player gain in importance. The sets of attributes of Partizan players clearly require that.
One of the segments of the game where black and whites are especially impressive is the synchronization of depth attacks, in the second or third phase of possession. Recognizing the triggers for the race, and then recognizing those zones that are most vulnerable in the opponent’s block, is something that brought Aleksandar Stanojevic’s team to an extremely high level. The number of goals scored by Partizan, according to this segment, which is, for many within the profession (and here we add some of the best coaches in Europe in this and several previous seasons), one of the essential ones, is appropriately large.
Where the two rivals are very good, and what both of them pay a lot of attention to, there are interruptions. Without going into too much detail, which in the right measure would probably not be possible within a text of this form, it is only necessary to draw attention to these elements as a factor that could decide the winner of this duel.
It was Milan, scouting the Red Star before their first duel, noticing the same, who modified the defense of the frontal break in order to prevent one of the characteristic actions of Zvezda, otherwise very, very successful.
In the end, this 164th “eternal derby” will be the third played without an audience. Regardless, the heat and energy will certainly not be lacking. How could it be … But it is an environment in which he prepares matches through a training microcycle, recovery after the previous one. The match and the best possible preparation of the strategic commitment and the tactics by which it will be achieved are gaining at least a little more importance.
Yes, “heart on the field” is something that fans like to hear and then see, but “eternal derbies”, and not a small number of such examples in the past, win the knowledge of football players and the preparation of their coaches much easier and more convincingly.
And when that is the case, the atmosphere is much bigger and more beautiful …
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