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Recently, set-pieces have become a crucial aspect of the game at any level of football, so many innovative tricks have been implemented.

One of the most crucial steps in new-style corners is blocking goalkeepers to prevent them from claiming the ball, especially when the targeted area is inside the six-yard box.

Hence, every analyst, coach, or even football fanatic has been researching the details of the methods of efficiently blocking goalkeepers.

In that analysis, we have explained the different tactics of blocking to make blocking goalkeepers (and zonal defenders) efficient without committing fouls.

However, not much interest was put on the reverse, which is how defending teams can protect goalkeepers from blocks.

Definitely, the individual abilities of the goalkeeper matter a lot in this case, but various techniques can also help the goalkeeper, as can tactics related to the defensive scheme itself, which we will show in this set-piece analysis.

In this tactical analysis, we will examine the various blocking techniques and tactics that can help goalkeepers avoid being blocked, claim the ball, or win a foul against the blocker.

Olympique de Marseille will return to play in the UEFA Champions League after two seasons without doing so.

A second-place finish in last season’s Ligue 1, which Les Phocéens had not achieved since 2022, brought them back to Europe’s top competition.

After a turbulent path within the locker room, Roberto De Zerbi once again demonstrated his value as one of the leading figures in the generational change of coaches.

With his firm hand and the flexibility of his positional and attraction-based game, the Italian brought fresh ideas to a tournament that stands out for its physical rigour and the large number of duels that usually dominate on the pitch.

Before arriving at Marseille, De Zerbi had already drawn attention in Europe with his time at Brighton & Hove Albion, Sassuolo and Shakhtar Donetsk, where he had combined organised pressing with quick transitions and flexible positional play.

That experience allowed him to experiment with complex possession structures and off-the-ball movement, which he now seeks to implement and refine at Olympique de Marseille.

After a good pre-season, Marseille have not had the expected start to the league: two defeats against Stade Rennes and Olympique Lyonnais overshadow their only victory against Paris.

However, the team does not seem to have lost its identity: there is a high volume of movement, while attraction runs and overlaps both inside and outside seem to flow on the pitch.

Although some pieces still need adjusting on the board, De Zerbi’s team still seems to operate effectively.

They have already faced teams with five-defender lines in the first three matchdays, such as Rennes and Paris FC.

Through positional structures and rational occupation of space, they play with patterns that favour flexibility and organic runs.

In this article, we analyse some of the behaviours and dynamics that De Zerbi’s Olympique de Marseille show on the pitch, even if they are not fully polished.

Michael Olise scored the opener for France as they defeated Ukraine 2-0 yesterday!

Check out our Olise scout report at Bayern Munich last season.

Breel Embolo scored two for Switzerland as they cruised past Kosovo with a 4-0 victory last night.

In 2022/2023, we appreciated the Swiss forward’s game with this scout report!

Yasin Ayari got on the scoresheet for Sweden as they were held to a 2-2 draw by Slovenia.

We scouted the Brighton & Hove Albion man at AIK back in 2022!