---
title: "Italy used diagonal passes to pull Turkey apart"
date: 2026-10-18T13:38:08-04:00
categories: ["opinion"]
url: https://tacticsjournal.com/2026/10/18/italy-used-diagonal-passes-to-pull-turkey-apart/
---

# Italy used diagonal passes to pull Turkey apart

[Spielverlagerung](https://spielverlagerung.de/2026/10/18/szenenanalyse-warum-die-diagonale-leiter-so-effektiv-ist-sr):

> The reason this diagonal ladder worked so well against Turkey is that current defensive systems are not designed against diagonality. This becomes apparent when one realizes that Kökcü or Uzun and Elmali never scan diagonally backwards, but rather at the ball, frontally and laterally, and did not cover the space or opponents diagonally. (This was also a cause between Barcelona and Racing Santander. Funny that this occurs more frequently with diagonal shifts.) The players who are the key to this diagonal ladder do not appear in their decision-making because they were not perceived at all. Which can lead to wrong decisions. The lack of scanning also leads to the players behind them suddenly receiving a responsibility for the diagonal players, even though their starting position is not ideal for this (see Demiral and Raspadori). It can also lead to communication problems, like with Uzun and Elmali, who both then rush out towards Raspadori and no one feels responsible for Kayode anymore.
>
> So what helps is diagonal scanning into the back. Then the players know where their opponents are and can make better decisions. Or also coaching from the teammates who see the diagonal players.
>
> Another reason is that the diagonal ladder usually leads from one side through the center to the other side. Therefore, most opponents collapse towards the middle, including those originally far from the ball. As a result, the space originally far from the ball becomes even larger and through the counter-movement (the ball moves diagonally away from the center, the opponents diagonally into the center) the space develops faster and is thus bridged more quickly.
>
> That the diagonal shift could happen at all is thanks to another relationist aspect for Italy: extreme overloads. Modern systems are not prepared for these and do not know how to react to them. As a result, wrong decisions are made and/or a lot of space or a player becomes free somewhere. Due to the heavy overload of the left side, and the strongly ball-oriented movement of Raspadori, both was then the case for Italy.

This is my point. In order for diagnoality to become more widely adopted, teams have to win, and they are. And these relational principles will help elevate teams like Italy who have qualitative disadvantage.

They are outperforming our expectations because their opponents are not built to defend on the diagonal.

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