#3-5-2-formation

#3-5-2-formation

Ever since the early part of preseason, it became apparently that Massimiliano Allegri not only wanted to use a 3-5-2 system, but that he saw Leao as the spearhead for it. He foresaw a deadly pairing in transition with Christian Pulisic, notwithstanding the arrival of a natural centre-forward.

"His style is intense," George Boxall, a football journalist based in Marseille, where Tudor managed between 2022 and 2023, tells BBC Sport. "The players do a hell of a lot of running. There's lots of intensity, lots of pressing. "He is a really strong personality and he could be a good appointment for Tottenham if they feel they need an electroshock."

"It's one of those things when it works better than something else," Bijol told BBC Radio Leeds. Having one formation makes it easier for our opponents, so now it makes it harder for everyone to prepare for us."

As La Gazzetta dello Sport (seen below) report this morning, Chivu is planning 'two pincers against the sprinters' tonight. The Romanian has drawn up a preventive control for Rafael Leao and Christian Pulisic's counter-attacks. On the right side of the defence, Manuel Akanji will receive assistance from Carlos Augusto, while on the other side, Federico Dimarco will sacrifice himself to help Alessandro Bastoni in duels. This certainly isn't a guarantee of success, but it should stop too many 1v1s happening.