Download Spalletti’s unbeatable Napoli tactic for FM24 – fluid 2-3-5 build-up, Osimhen threat, and title-winning results!
Recreate Luciano Spalletti’s title-winning Napoli tactics in FM24 with a
flexible 2-3-5 build-up, dominant press and explosive Osimhen.
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In 22/23, Napoli were simply so much better than most in Italy, as they
won the Scudetto for the first time in 30 years in a historic campaign where the
club challenged on all fronts and were close to qualifying for a Champions
League Semi-Final!
Victor Osimhen was fantastic in the 22/23 season, scoring 31 goals in 39 appearances in all competitions and his unique profile was crucial for Spalletti’s side’s build-up. From goal-kicks, Napoli would prioritise building up play from the back, with ‘keeper Meret usually opting for shorter distribution to the centre-backs.
When Napoli had the ball, they’d prioritise shorter passes in order to retain possession. This control of possession would begin in deep areas as Napoli would play out of defence. Napoli would try and play through the centre if the opportunity was there, however, they were also happy to focus in the wider areas if they could create situational overloads towards the flanks.
Of the two centre-backs, Rrahmani was the least progressive in-possession and least aggressive out-of-possession. When Napoli had the ball, he’d usually opt for shorter, simpler passes, although he could go more direct towards Osimhen if the team were being pressed too aggressively.
Kim Min-Jae, on the other hand, was far more assertive when Napoli didn’t have the ball and would regularly step up and close down the opposition attacker, using his immense strength and tenacious nature to off-balance an opposition attacker and regain possession.
As aforementioned, both full-backs would advance slightly to form a 3-3-2-3 formation from goal-kicks. However, the left-backs movements beyond goal-kicks were different to the right-back’s, as the left-back (mostly Olivera) would hold a deeper and narrower position, sometimes forming a back-three with the two centre-backs.
Lobotka’s role in this system was relatively fixed and disciplined as he would have to protect the back-four when out-of-possession and offer himself as a simple passing option when in-possession. I was tempted to select the ‘Deep-Lying Playmaker’ role on the ‘Defend’ duty, however, I felt the role’s lack of positional discipline when out-of-possession was sub-optimal for what I wanted to recreate.
Zambo Anguissa’s role in this system was a quintessential ‘box-to-box’ role, as he could drop deeper at times to aid build-up or move higher to support attacks. In this position, Zambo Anguissa would, at times, drop deeper alongside Lobotka to offer another central passing option.
Zielinski was the most creative of the midfield three. When he would receive the ball, he would drive with the ball forward and decide whether to play in a team-mate or take a shot on himself. Zielinski’s role was a classic Mezzala role – he’d position himself in the half-spaces and, when Kvaratskhelia dropped deeper and wider to receive, he would make a flexible run into the channel beyond, creating separation between himself and the Georgian.
Politano’s role in this system was also quite flexible, as he could hold the width on the right at times but could also move inside and roam from his position. Additionally, when the Italian would receive the ball, he’d often try and create for his team-mates. Therefore, I felt this role was suitable, with the added instructions:
Kvaratskhelia was outrageously good in 22/23, scoring 14 goals and assisting
17 goals in 43 games in all competitions. In this system, his role created
ideal conditions for his incredible dribbling ability to come to the fore as,
as previously mentioned, he could drop deeper to receive the ball in an
attempt to draw the opposition right-back higher.
Osimhen was Kvaratskhelia’s partner in crime and the pair was simply
unstoppable at times, as the former scored 31 goals in all competitions. In
this position, Osimhen would lead the line and constantly make runs
in-behind.
In the league, we were phenomenal as we won the league UNBEATEN! 38 games. 33
wins. 5 draws. 0 losses. In our 38 games, we scored 124 goals (averaging 3.26
goals per game) and conceded just 16 goals (averaging 0.42 goals per game).
We made it a double by winning the Supercoppa Italiana following a 2-4 win
over Lazio in the final! On our way to the final, we overcame Fiorentina 4-1
in the Semi-Finals.
We secured a famous treble by winning the Coppa Italia, defeating Inter Milan 1-3 in the final! On our way to the final, we beat the other side of Milan in AC Milan over two legs (7-4), Juventus, Atalanta, Lecce and Cesena without conceding a single goal until the semi-finals.
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22/23 is a season that will live long in the memory for Napoli fans as they experienced their club win the league after 30 long years of pain. A tactically flexible side that caused their opposition so may problems, they were a great watch that season and were ultimately rewarded.
In this article, I’ll be providing my brief analysis of Spalletti’s system at
Napoli, before showcasing my recreation of their tactics on Football Manager
2024 and demonstrating the tremendous results said tactics achieved in
testing. First, let’s have a look at the core principles of Spalletti’s
system.
A lot of responsibility was handed by Spalletti to Napoli’s full-backs to situationally position themselves in accordance with their team-mates to form Napoli’s build-up shape.
Flexible 2-3-5/3-2-5 Build-up
A lot of responsibility was handed by Spalletti to Napoli’s full-backs to situationally position themselves in accordance with their team-mates to form Napoli’s build-up shape.
This could consist of both full-backs advancing slightly higher and narrower
to form a 2-3 build-up shape or one of the full-backs (usually the left-back)
dropping deeper than his full-back counterpart and forming a back-three with
the two centre-backs.
This flexibility in their build-up shape made Napoli difficult to track at
times and could open various passing angles to progress through. Additionally,
if Zambo Anguissa dropped deeper to support Lobotka in midfield, this could
create deep overloads, providing Napoli with another outlet as a means of deep
progression.
This deeper movement by Zambo Anguissa could also allow one of the full-backs
to move higher and create a 2v1 situation with their side’s winger against the
opposition full-back.
The Osimhen Catch-22
Victor Osimhen was fantastic in the 22/23 season, scoring 31 goals in 39 appearances in all competitions and his unique profile was crucial for Spalletti’s side’s build-up. From goal-kicks, Napoli would prioritise building up play from the back, with ‘keeper Meret usually opting for shorter distribution to the centre-backs.
When this was the case, Osimhen’s electrifying pace in-behind meant the
opposition centre-backs weren’t comfortable going man-to-man against him,
meaning both would remain in his proximity. This, however, meant the
opposition would be a man short in their press in-turn leaving a Napoli player
free in build-up – the initiative would be Napoli’s, meaning Napoli could
easily progress through the build-up phase following one or two positional
rotations leaving a man free.
Additionally, Osimhen could use the opposition centre-backs’ fear to his
advantage and force them back, creating space between the opposition’s lines
of press – space that could be occupied by Zielinski or a winger moving inside
from the flank.
On the other hand, if the opposition centre-backs were brave enough to go
man-to-man, Osimhen’s height, aerial ability and freakish strength could be
put to good use with Meret going long towards him from goal-kicks – again,
Napoli hold the initiative.
Either way, Napoli hold the initiative creating a ‘Catch-22’ for the
opposition.
Let’s Break Down the Tactic
In Possession
When Napoli had the ball, they’d prioritise shorter passes in order to retain possession. This control of possession would begin in deep areas as Napoli would play out of defence. Napoli would try and play through the centre if the opportunity was there, however, they were also happy to focus in the wider areas if they could create situational overloads towards the flanks.
When Napoli had possession, they could play a lot of through balls to try and
release Osimhen into the channels, allowing him to have a one-on-one with the
opposition ‘keeper. Finally, when Napoli progressed through build-up and into
the final third, they’d remain patient in their attacking ventures.
When Napoli would lose the ball, they’d immediately initiate an aggressive counter-press in an attempt to regain possession. If they won the ball back, whether from a counter-press or in deeper areas, Napoli would look to use Osimhen’s pace on the counter and attack quickly with numbers.
In Transition
When Napoli would lose the ball, they’d immediately initiate an aggressive counter-press in an attempt to regain possession. If they won the ball back, whether from a counter-press or in deeper areas, Napoli would look to use Osimhen’s pace on the counter and attack quickly with numbers.
From goal-kicks, Meret would prioritise shorter distribution to the
centre-backs. However, if the opposition’s press was too intense, he could go
long towards Osimhen*.
When Napoli didn’t have the ball, they’d press high and try to force turnovers from the opposition. A key part of their press was forcing the opposition inside with the wingers marking the opposition full-backs in the opposition’s deeper build-up.
Out of Possession
When Napoli didn’t have the ball, they’d press high and try to force turnovers from the opposition. A key part of their press was forcing the opposition inside with the wingers marking the opposition full-backs in the opposition’s deeper build-up.
To recreate this, I first tried the ‘Trap Inside’ team instruction, however, I
found this to be inaccurate and self-destructive defensively in-game. Instead,
I’ve used certain Opposition Instructions to recreate this – to make said
Opposition Instructions more effective, I lowered the ‘Trigger Press’ by one
notch.
Napoli’s high-press would be supplemented by a very high defensive line that
could drop deeper if Napoli’s high-press was unsuccessful/broken. Finally,
Napoli were very aggressive in the tackle, as reflected by the ‘Get Stuck In’
Team Instruction.
*Fun Fact: In-game, I’ve found that selecting ‘Distribute to Centre-Backs’ can actually lead to longer distribution to the striker if your ‘keeper feels he cannot access the centre-backs. This is something to keep in mind when creating your own tactics.
*Fun Fact: In-game, I’ve found that selecting ‘Distribute to Centre-Backs’ can actually lead to longer distribution to the striker if your ‘keeper feels he cannot access the centre-backs. This is something to keep in mind when creating your own tactics.
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Meret’s responsibilities in this system were fairly balanced. When Napoli had possession, he would move slightly higher to support Napoli’s deep build-up. On the other hand, when Napoli didn’t have the ball, he would hold a higher, more aggressive position and could sweep up loose balls in-behind the high defensive line. Therefore, I felt this role was perfect. No additional instructions.
Both full-backs in this system would hold a slightly higher position from goal-kicks being in-line with Lobotka in the midfield line, creating a 3-3-2-3 (inc. GK) formation from goal-kicks. On the right side, Di Lorenzo was the more attacking of the two full-backs and could move higher at times and provide the team’s width on the right-side when Politano would move narrower.
Opposition Instructions
Player Roles
Sweeper Keeper – Support
Meret’s responsibilities in this system were fairly balanced. When Napoli had possession, he would move slightly higher to support Napoli’s deep build-up. On the other hand, when Napoli didn’t have the ball, he would hold a higher, more aggressive position and could sweep up loose balls in-behind the high defensive line. Therefore, I felt this role was perfect. No additional instructions.
Wing-Back – Support
Both full-backs in this system would hold a slightly higher position from goal-kicks being in-line with Lobotka in the midfield line, creating a 3-3-2-3 (inc. GK) formation from goal-kicks. On the right side, Di Lorenzo was the more attacking of the two full-backs and could move higher at times and provide the team’s width on the right-side when Politano would move narrower.
From this position, he could provide situational overlaps and would regularly
cross the ball in, looking to utilise Osimhen’s outrageous aerial ability in
the penalty area. Therefore, I felt this role was perfect, with the added
instructions:
Central Defender – Defend
Of the two centre-backs, Rrahmani was the least progressive in-possession and least aggressive out-of-possession. When Napoli had the ball, he’d usually opt for shorter, simpler passes, although he could go more direct towards Osimhen if the team were being pressed too aggressively.
When Napoli didn’t have the ball, Rrahmani was more patient and calculated in
engaging in tackles/duels, waiting for the right moment to try and win
possession. Therefore, I felt this role was best-suited, with the added
instruction:
Ball-Playing Defender – Defend
Kim Min-Jae, on the other hand, was far more assertive when Napoli didn’t have the ball and would regularly step up and close down the opposition attacker, using his immense strength and tenacious nature to off-balance an opposition attacker and regain possession.
When Napoli did have the ball, Kim Min-Jae’s impressive ball-playing qualities
came to the fore as he was statistically elite at progressing the ball both
through line-breaking passes and adventurous carries forward – qualities that
would secure him a summer move to Bayern Munich. Therefore, I felt this role
was perfect, with the added instructions:
Wing-Back – Defend
As aforementioned, both full-backs would advance slightly to form a 3-3-2-3 formation from goal-kicks. However, the left-backs movements beyond goal-kicks were different to the right-back’s, as the left-back (mostly Olivera) would hold a deeper and narrower position, sometimes forming a back-three with the two centre-backs.
He could also move a little higher to form a 2-3 rest defence. Finally, his
role was vertically flexible and he could situationally move higher and
provide overlapping/underlapping runs. Therefore, I felt this role was
optimal, with the added instruction:
Defensive Midfielder – Defend
Lobotka’s role in this system was relatively fixed and disciplined as he would have to protect the back-four when out-of-possession and offer himself as a simple passing option when in-possession. I was tempted to select the ‘Deep-Lying Playmaker’ role on the ‘Defend’ duty, however, I felt the role’s lack of positional discipline when out-of-possession was sub-optimal for what I wanted to recreate.
Saying this, there is a version with a DLP – De within the download file that
you can use – I used it for games against much inferior opposition.
Ultimately, I felt this role was most ideal. No additional instructions.
Box To Box Midfielder – Support
Zambo Anguissa’s role in this system was a quintessential ‘box-to-box’ role, as he could drop deeper at times to aid build-up or move higher to support attacks. In this position, Zambo Anguissa would, at times, drop deeper alongside Lobotka to offer another central passing option.
If he received the ball in these deeper positions, he could put his strong
ball-carrying abilities to good use and progress the team forward through
marauding ventures forward.
On the other hand, he could move higher and wider to try and receive the ball
outside of the opposition’s defensive block, in-turn drawing out an opposition
midfielder – from here, he could use his good vision and passing ability to
try and fashion out chances for his teammates.
Finally, both central midfielders in this system were quite aggressive
out-of-possession and would quickly close down central opposition players.
Therefore, I felt this role epitomised Zambo Anguissa’s role at Napoli, with
the added instructions:
Mezzala – Attack
Zielinski was the most creative of the midfield three. When he would receive the ball, he would drive with the ball forward and decide whether to play in a team-mate or take a shot on himself. Zielinski’s role was a classic Mezzala role – he’d position himself in the half-spaces and, when Kvaratskhelia dropped deeper and wider to receive, he would make a flexible run into the channel beyond, creating separation between himself and the Georgian.
This movement would ask questions of the opposition’s defensive shape and
particularly the opposition right-back, who’d have to decide whether to follow
Kvaratskhelia deeper or hold his position to track Zielinski’s run in-behind.
Finally, as aforementioned, both central midfielders were very aggressive out
of possession and would close down the opposition often. Therefore, I felt
this role was perfect, with the added instructions:
Inverted Winger – Attack
Politano’s role in this system was also quite flexible, as he could hold the width on the right at times but could also move inside and roam from his position. Additionally, when the Italian would receive the ball, he’d often try and create for his team-mates. Therefore, I felt this role was suitable, with the added instructions:
Winger – Support
If successful, Kvaratskhelia would be in a position to drive at the opposition
right-back and create chances and, from this position, he was given full
licence to do whatever he felt would create the best chance for himself/his
teammates.
He could carry the ball forward and take on his man and could go on both the
outside and reach the byline, or the inside and create a chance for his
teammates/himself. He was also given complete freedom positionally and wasn’t
restricted to just holding the width. Therefore, I felt this role was most
ideal, with the added instructions:
Advanced Forward – Attack
To get into ideal positions to make said runs in-behind, Osimhen could roam
from his position and, when he would receive the ball, he would shoot often.
Finally, if Osimhen received the ball further away from goal and with his back
to goal, he would distribute shorter passes to link-up play. Therefore, I felt
this role was perfect, with the added instructions:
Results
Serie A
Domestic Cups
We secured a famous treble by winning the Coppa Italia, defeating Inter Milan 1-3 in the final! On our way to the final, we beat the other side of Milan in AC Milan over two legs (7-4), Juventus, Atalanta, Lecce and Cesena without conceding a single goal until the semi-finals.
READ NEXT: Hansi Flick’s Barcelona Invincibles Tactic - FM24 Recreation
Conclusion
22/23 is a season that will live long in the memory for Napoli fans as they experienced their club win the league after 30 long years of pain. A tactically flexible side that caused their opposition so may problems, they were a great watch that season and were ultimately rewarded.
If you want a taste of this dominant tactic, make sure to download the tactic
using the link attached to this article and follow FM Blog and myself (@AshtonGgmu) on our respective socials. I hope you have enjoyed this article, and I wish
you much success with this tactic on your saves! Thanks for reading!
