Rayo Vallecano Scouting Report

by Christian Bauer

Philosophy of the Game

They like to have much possession (average 59% per game).In their build up

phase their 2 CMs (mainly Trashorras) are dropping deeper to recycle

possession in their own half and to create three at the back to have an

numeral advantage. Their FBs then push higher up the pitch. The players

who stretch the opponent horizontal are changing from time to time because

they also act with overlapping runs from their FBs (especially on the right

flank with Arbilla or Tito) or constantly presence from them in the

defensive halfspaces to open direct passing options to their wide players

(taking nearly every time the man-marking opposition wingers with them).

Image 1

Characteristics of their Game(individual instructions)

-Falque is acting as highest players(with Larrivey) often searched by long

balls from the opposite flank (left footed) often with linear runs to the

ground line or diagonal runs to shot direct.

-Larrivey acts often with the back to the goal(wall player).

-Rochina is often cutting into the centre to open room who Arbilla could

exploit with his vertical runs. He is left footed and he cant deal very well

when it comes to finish with his right foot or when he is forced to move to

the ground line. Strong formation of pairs on the right wing(variable players

who stretch the opponent horizontal and sometimes vertical).

-Trashorras also helps out in the right halfspace with dynamic passes and

good supporting movements for balancing the attacking direction with fast,

flat and accurate passes to the opposite flank.

-Bueno mainly roams to the left wing to stimulate the triangle combinations

in the left sided areas.

Opponents chances

-Vulnerable when the opposition attacks through the wings with quick

overloads. Full Backs are very proactive when they close down their direct

opponent(mainly the opposition winger).General they stay often higher up

the pitch because of the opened defensive halfspaces (when Rayo act out of

their basic 4-2-3-1 defensive shape (Image 2)/ with the wide midfielders

pressing backwards in later stages of the game to create dynamic pressing

triangles to close down the formative spaces/not always good defensive

transitions when the opponents attacks are fast) so theres a gap behind them

which the CBs try to fill out with their movements into the lateral spaces. So

they open the centre or far post which the inside dropping FBs cant

always close down. Intuitive deeper positioning from Saul guez isnt

always very consequent.

-It is too easy to open the strategically most important room(the centre) with

short combinations in wide areas. The gap between the two CMs is often too

big because guez is easy to elicit from his basic defensive position as

deepest midfielder.

-Also vulnerable when it came to deal with late timed forward runs into the

room between the lines(often too passive in this situations).

-Have problems when it comes to handover the opponents offensive players

because they act with assignments( the left CBs is marking zonal the right

sided forward..etc). Interchanging and fluid movements are key factors to

make them problems.

Image 2

Offensive Organisations

-They come into the final third with direct passes among the sideline to their

Wingers. They act often through the left wing where Bueno helps to create

triangles for combinations in the left offensive halfspace. From this position

he also plays often horizontal/diagonal lay-offs to the on coming

movements either from Trashorras or guez. In this case Larrivey is

moving permanently among the backline to prevent on coming movements

from the opposition CBs and to start a run behind the defense if possible.

This potential danger helps them to push the opponents backline deeper

which opens the interspace between midfield and defense from which the

forward pushing Trashorras can play good through balls (2,4 Key Passes per

game).

-Larrivey is making often good precise lay-offs to his teammates who tries

to exploit the interspaces with vertical runs (guez,Trashorras).Also to

Falque, Bueno and Rochina who drop ahead of him to receive his balls. It is

important to force him to errors because he helps his team to gain room and

to came forward. In the game against Espanyol 14 of his 16 backward passes

were successful.

Image 3

In this picture you can see the triangle formation in the left halfspace (a few

seconds later supported by the forward run from guez).Ball far you can

see Larrivey as the focus point around the penalty area. Rochina also roamed

inside to finish(if possible) with his strong left foot.

-Good local situations in the penalty area when they attack through the

flanks. The ball far wide midfielder joins the centre regularly(with Larrivey

remaining also in it or trying to attack the near post, supported from Bueno)

to increase the chances for a successful header. Sometimes the wide

midfielders also drop deeper to give a passing option in the backward room

for a flat cut back (Image 4).

Image 4 blue lines: possible passing: either high crossing or flat cut back

red lines: possible movements

Defensive Organisation

Adaptive and flexible defensive organisation here are a few examples from

the matches against Celta Vigo and Real Madrid:

-Against Celta Vigo out of a 4-3-3 defensive shape to equalise an numeral

advantage which Celta had with Kron-Dehli dropping deeper in the build up.

- Against Real Madrid they acted often out of a situational 4-2-2-2

formation with the two CMs in high central positions to have the access on

the oppositions CMs (Illaramendi, Di Maria) and the wide midfielders in

wide deeper positions to have the access on their FBs(Carvajal, Coentrao),

the room between the lines was big opened but there were no players who

acted in this room or targeted it so it was just a "dead" non used area. They

focused on the access of the opposition players (either with the cover

shadow or a near positioning)so Real Madrid should have acted with more

fluid, room opening movements and more interchanging circles to cause

chaos in Rayo Vallecanos defensive structure (image 4).

General defending:

-They act out of a 4-2-3-1 defensive shape. Situational also out of a 4-3-1-2

starting from a 4-4-2 shape with Trashorras pushing out of it to come behind

the 2 forwards to equalise an numeral advantage in the oppositions half and

to throw a cover shadow behind good individual players/sometimes

supported by guez. In this situations they are acting with a high line near

to the halfway line. It leaves big areas in the right halfspace to cover for

guez when Trashorras can be outplayed. They usually press higher up the

pitch when the ball came into wide areas.

-They always try to stay very compact near to the ball. They are pressing the

opponent to the sideline to make use of the limited action radius. Opens ball

far rooms and sometimes even in the centre(when pressing out of a 4-3-3)

because of the proactive movements toward the opponent and the big spaces

guez has then to cover as the only leftover in the central zones(Image 5).

Image 5

Image 4

Attacking Corners

Taken by Trashorras from the right(often very accurate!) and Falque from

the left. They act with 6 players in the penalty area, out of a 1-1-4

constellation (Larrivey sometimes starting from a deeper position, constantly

searched with Glvez).The ball is usually sent into the near post with 3 or 4

players starting to get into these areas, other players try to stretch the

opponent and to make the targeted room less compact.

Image 6 corner from the right side

Image 7 corner from the left side

Defending Corners

Two banks of four with man-markings in the goal far line. Have problems

with their passive defending in the last position oriented row . Many

movements to lose the markers are important to cause them problems. In the

last line forward pushing movements towards the passive opponents could

be vital(with specific overload zones near to the edge of the goal/Image 6).

Image 8 defending of the opposition corners