Tactical trends for Euro 2024 – and their likely impact going forward

It’s hard to know where to rank Euro 2024 in the pantheon of European Championships, although the 51 tournament matches yielded a relatively modest total of 117 goals at a rate of 2.29 per 90 minutes.

One thing’s for sure; however, we saw some interesting tactical trends develop during the competition. These included the way in which sides sought to overcome their opponent’s high press, as well as the wider popularisation of the so-called “box midfield” and more defined attacking shapes.

In this latest Betinireland sports column, we’ll explore these unique tactical trends in more detail while asking how likely they are to impact the ‘Big Five’ leagues during the 2024/25 season.

Playing Over the Press

This trend was evident throughout the group stages, as teams sought to navigate their opponents’ high press by playing more direct passes into wide and more advanced midfield positions.

Switzerland certainly adopted this tactic during their 1-1 draw with Germany in Group A, while Slovakia effectively bypassed Belgium’s high press when defeating them 1-0 at the Deutsche Bank Park in Frankfurt.

Tournament champions Spain were also more direct than usual at Euro 2024 . To this end, they averaged less possession per 90 than you may expect (58.15%) while attempting 392 long passes over the course of their seven matches. Some 281 of these found their mark for a long pass completion rate of 71.68%, with La Roja more than happy to hit their wide players early when countering a high press.

This tactical trend may also play out during the upcoming club season, especially in high-octane leagues like the EPL and La Liga where aggressive pressing is commonplace. Certainly, sides may be encouraged to adopt a more direct style when playing from back to front in order to exploit the vulnerabilities that exist in high-pressing shapes and systems.

The Return of Classic Wing Play

As most elite-level club sides have sought to adopt a high-pressing style, they’ve become increasingly compact (both vertically and horizontally). This means that space only really exists behind an opponent’s defensive line and out wide, and teams were increasingly inclined to leverage this trend during the Euros.

Once again, Spain offered a relevant example here. More specifically, they often encouraged at least one of their wingers to hug their respective touchline while their full-back provided support on the inside. Typically, Lamine Yamal would hold his position on the right as Dani Carvajal made underlapping runs, while Nico Williams drove inside from the left as Marc Cucurella offered support on the overlap.

This provided balance and helped Spain to effectively target space out wide, creating multiple outlets when in possession of the ball. It also heralded the return of classic wing play, which has been partially lost in an age of inverted wingers and fullbacks.

Spain also made a total of 165 runs into the attacking third during the tournament. This was part of a wider trend, too, as sides looked to exploit the space behind high defensive lines with penetrative and well-timed darts. This not only created a direct threat behind but also stretched defensive shapes and generated more space between the defence and midfield.

Heralding the Box Midfield

Going into Euro 2024, Europe’s top teams have created clearly distinguishable attacking and defensive shapes. Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City have blazed a trail for others to follow in this respect, with their 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1 defensive shape transitioning into a 3-2-2-3 when they’re in possession of the ball.

This is usually achieved by the inversion of one full-back to play alongside a single pivot while two attacking midfielders advance into the half spaces behind a front three.

There are variations of this tactic, of course, but the key objective is to create a layered ‘box’ midfield shape that generates central overloads. This creates a more fluid system that makes it easier to progress the ball through the lines, with players like Michel Aebischer (Switzerland) and João Cancelo (Portugal) inverting regularly from their wide defensive positions during the Euros.

Interestingly, Cancelo was able to complete 20 dribbles and nine runs into the attacking third, largely from central positions during the tournament. He also recovered 16 balls in key areas, highlighting the flexibility he was able to offer the team both in and out of possession.

As this trend was already prevalent prior to the Euros, it’s likely to continue into the 2024/25 season. However, it’s likely that sides will experiment with new attacking shapes and variations, potentially with both full-backs inverting and defensive midfield pivots dropping deeper into the defensive line.

The Last Word - Honourable Tactical Mentions

Euro 2024 also saw a growing number of teams go man-for-man during the defensive phases of the game. In fact, man-for-man orientation was a key theme studied by UEFA's performance analysts during the tournament, with this most prominent when sides adopted a fluid starting formation of 3-4-2-1.

In Serbia’s tournament opener against England, for example, this shape enabled the side to press their wing-backs high and go man-for-man in the attacking third (especially in the second half). They also went man-for-man at the back and adopted the box midfield, creating a numerical advantage in the middle of the park.

This shape also encouraged teams to deploy overlapping centre-backs when they were in possession of the ball. This contributed to wider overloads, and this may also become more commonplace throughout the 2024/25 campaign.

Overall, Euro 2024 was a fascinating football tournament, especially from a tactical perspective. It appears as though we were already on the cusp of a tactical evolution going into the competition, with club sides innovating to help them counter the popular high press and exploit space in wide areas.

The European Championships saw a number of associated tactical trends emerge and evolve, and this process should continue in 2024/25. This will certainly be interesting to watch as the season progresses!

✒️ Lewis Humphries – Football Betting Expert

Lewis Humphries is an experienced sports writer and tipster from the UK. He writes regularly about football events and other competitions, regularly delivering expert match predictions and betting insights. Lewis doesn't just stick to sports; you can also find plenty of casino gaming content. He's reviewed some of the world's leading online casino platforms while creating blog posts and landing page content for various sports betting brands.