Marcelo Bielsa set Olympique Marseille out in an asymmetric 3-3-3-1 formation against Olympique Lyonnais on Sunday evening, but it was not enough to secure victory.
SEE MORE:
(Video) Marseille 0-0 Lyon Ligue 1 Highlights: OM remain in title race despite late disallowed goal
Olympique Marseille news
Olympique Lyon news
Legendary Argentine coach Marcelo Bielsa received international acclaim at the 2010 World Cup for the innovative and unorthodox tactics he used when in charge of Chile.
The former Athletic Bilbao boss hasn’t been slow to experiment at Marseille this season since arriving in the summer.
What ought to be particularly commended is the way that Bielsa has sought to make the most of the players at his disposal. OM, after all, cannot afford the extravagant spending of their title rivals Paris Saint-Germain.
Against Lyon, Bielsa opted for a South American-style 3-3-3-1 formation.
However, the manager opted for an asymmetric approach with one wing-back, Benjamin Mendy, operating wide on the left and the other, Brice Dja Djedje tucking in closer to central midfielder Giannelli Imbula.
Similarly, in midfield, Florian Thauvin played wide on the right as is his wont, while Andre Ayew on the left remained closer to the centre of the pitch, trying to work closely in support with Dimitri Payet and Andre-Pierre Gignac.
The tactic worked insomuch as OM created 17 chances to Lyon’s 11, but it failed to guarantee the three points.