We provide an in-depth analysis of our next opponents — Stade Malien — in the CAF African Champions League round of 16, and why they are so hard to beat at home. Horoya are a team characterized by organized defending with plenty of men behind the ball mixed with ruthless, fast counter attacking football.
Stade Malien do play some entertaining football at times, albeit when not under pressure. They become predictable however when chasing a game and tend to sit deep, absorb pressure, and then break at devastating pace.
The biggest question mark concerns Stade Malien's counter attacking style. Sitting with eight men behind the ball is nothing new, of course. But the question is, what can Zesco United to to stop it.
The core principles behind Stade Malien’s tactics are as follows:
The default posture of the Stade Malien team is to sit deep in a narrow, compact 3-5-2 formation in order to prevent the opponent from creating scoring chances. Three centrebacks permanently crowd the penalty area, with the wing backs in full back positions when the team does not have the ball, making it very difficult for opponents to play them through the middle. When in possession of the ball, the wingbacks join the attack and overlap with the wide men.
Stade Malien only breaks the shape to press the ball when the odds of success are high and the cost of failure is minimal. (And even here it might be better to say that the whole team moves together, causing the shape to temporarily change, rather than saying that the shape “breaks.”)
When the ball is won, it is played forward quickly because fast attacks can catch opponents off balance and turning the ball over in the attacking third is less costly than turning it over in your own defensive third or in midfield.
Every player in the team assists defensively and sacrifices individual expression for the sake of the system.
At home, Stade Malien have an aggressive pressing style in wide areas and in defined situations in central areas. They know how to lure opponents into traps, press on cue, and then use the pressure to create scoring chances.