Damaris & Patri – How these two No. 6s can decide the Women’s Champions League Final
How arguably the most important position on the pitch has such a monumental effect on a team. Damaris Egurrola & Patri Guijarro are prime examples of the case contesting in the UWCL final.
A big thank you to Carl Carpenter for his input and videos. Domagoj Kostanjšak, Om Arvind, and Scott Martin for their valuable input and advice.
When Damaris Egurrola came on for Olympique Lyon against Paris Saint-Germain for the final 20 minutes, it signalled an intent to control the game in a period of immense pressure and vulnerability.
Paris Saint-Germain were looking to mount pressure of attack after attack, with Lyon being 2-1 ahead on the night with the mercurial Marie-Antoinette Katoto capable of turning a game on her own. However, the presence of the Dutch midfielder brought a sense of calm and saw Lyon defend their lead to reach another final.
Her cameo was just a glimpse of the type of performances she’s produced this season and has arguably become an integral member of the starting 11 – if not the most integral.
This has arguably – alongside the performances of Patri Guijarro of Barcelona Femini – presented a strong case to perhaps call the No. 6 position the most integral one on the pitch. If you analyse every top team, their holding midfield player arguably opens up the pitch for the more creative attackers whilst being the manager’s brainchild on the pitch.
Take former European champions, pre-2021 Lyon, when the post was previously held by Saki Kumagai - Lyon’s water carrier - who did the bulk of the midfield work to enable Lyon’s more high-flying, creative midfielders to thrive and wreak havoc for the opposition. After her departure to Bayern Munich, Lyon were swift in buying Damaris Egurrola from Everton to become their new No. 6 and she certainly hasn’t disappointed since. Damaris represents a perfect case study of the position and how she influences the team.
Her elegance and intelligence on the ball are matched by her defensive acumen off it, without being the most agile or mobile player. Tall in stature, the midfielder has become a quiet contributor in Sonia Bompastor’s iteration of Lyon and will most certainly hold the key when facing Barcelona Femini in this season’s UEFA Women’s Champions League final.
What makes the No. 6 role so critical? What makes Damaris such an important player? The answer lies in the details, but first, what do we know about the role that Bompastor demands?
The current generation of teams all use some sort of pivot, whether it be a double-pivot or a sole one. The position is of paramount importance to managers now more than ever. The previous version of the No. 6 position was that of a limited midfield destroyer, whose sole job was to break up play and protect the back four. Now, that role has evolved into a hybrid midfield controller and playmaker. That means they’re tempo controllers with the technical proficiency in passing and the defensive steel to protect the back four.
In Bompastor’s interchangeable 4-3-3 / 4-2-3-1 there is a need for continuous spatial distribution. The team are able to maintain their shape and structure when positional rotations are in effect, and while there isn’t an exact requirement to play in a total football manner, having this sort of movement is needed for chance creation.
The free No. 8s are vital in combining with the inside-forwards and striker, with the glue and crux of their movements coming from the No. 6. Essentially her role allows her immediate network and connections freedom in and out of possession to operate in a more creative manner.
Damaris’ role is similar to the current profile of a defensive midfielder, but her skillset expands beyond what we already know. Schooled in the Spanish footballing philosophy, Damaris brings a technical calmness to Lyon’s French creativity. For every Amandine Henry foray forward or Catarina Macario mazy run, there’s a Damaris interception through viral positioning to allow their freedom to attack.
Bompastor’s philosophy plays on concepts that look to stretch the opposition and constantly move players into favourable positions but it’s the holding midfielder that holds the key to the system.
Damaris had a very good match, as did Amandine Henry who freed Macario and Horan offensively. Our midfield was perfect tonight. Over the two legs, we controlled things against a very good Juventus team who work well together.
Bompastor’s quotes after the second leg against Juventus further supports this notion. The defensive midfielder is tasked with freeing the two central midfielders by patrolling and protecting the back line whilst also being a creative fulcrum.
The fluid 4-3-3 caters for two central midfielders to float and play between the lines like No.10s, and the movement of the No.6 in possession undoubtedly creates a 2-3-5 shape. This creates an overload in the forward areas but still giving the No.6 a chance to protect the centre-backs through interceptions or delay the attack till the full-backs can track back.
What Damaris brings to Lyon is undoubtedly her ability to blend defensive acumen and intelligent ball control. A player that is capable of positioning herself in the right place to halt counter-attacks, press high when required, and dictate the tempo, depending on the game state. When Lyon need to recycle and keep composure, Damaris is their go-to outlet to allow them time to reset. Being able to play a short, composed pass to close the pressure valve becomes an extremely valuable asset to have. This is a highly undervalued skill that enables teams to have an insurance policy or safety net to change the pace of the game and stop opposing teams from gaining momentum.
The Dutch holding midfielder is a horizontal No.6, which essentially translates to a high volume passer. She stays central and can often be cover shadowed by up to two opposition attackers to block the central passing lanes. Capable of playing and receiving under pressure, Damaris’ positioning allows the No.8s and to some extent the full-backs space either side to receive and help to progress play. We know that Lyon like using wall pass combinations to progress in midfield which makes Damaris the perfect player to bounce the pass off of.
The example below sees Lyon go from a double-pivot to a single pivot through positional rotations. Damaris eventually receives a pass centrally from Griedge M’Bock that attracts pressure and opens up space for the other central midfielder to receive and progress in the right channel.
Protecting the midfield and defence is another paramount aspect of her game and while she’s known to shield the back four proactively, she knows when to step forward and press. Considering Damaris isn’t the most mobile midfielder, her decision-making prowess drips into her defensive acumen well. As far as Damaris’ heat map goes, there is a clear indication of how much ground she’s covered so far this season and why she’s been such a favoured player in this position.
Arguably, changing and controlling the pace of the game is one of the most underappreciated traits in the position. The role demands an ability to sense when to speed up or slow play down in order to gain an advantage via opening space by lulling the opposition to moving into unnatural positions. Ultimately, it’s the decision here that is the difference between gaining control or conceding a turnover.
Take this example against Guingamp, where Lyon are cornered from the throw-in with Macario playing the ball into Damaris who in turn decides the best course of action is to play it back to her centre-back. In this case, it gives Lyon time to reset but also forces Guingamp to step forward and continue their press. Because of Damaris’ capability to play under pressure, she attracts attention to play an inviting pass over the top. Though the opposing player was in close proximity, the No. 6 creates the illusion of having more time to find the next action. This creates an opportunity for Lyon to attack. Sometimes the best way forward is by taking a step back.
Even in situations that don’t have an immediate chance creation opportunity, Damaris is able to control the play by just being positionally aware. Knowing where and, most importantly, when to move creates good chances for ball circulation and a chance to slow play down to regroup, just like this passage here against Juventus.
Damaris constantly asks for the ball and rotates positions with Wendie Renard to create a movement of shape and force Juventus to adjust their press. If you look at it, Juventus are in a decent pressing situation, closing down the space between the lines and midfield. You see that Damaris wanted to play it forward when she first receives the pass, but understands the implications of making a quick pass forward and instead plays it short to her centre-back. This decision gives Lyon time to circulate possession and reset.
For all the importance of tempo setting, equally the No. 6 has to turn ball possession into direct chance creation. Not necessarily as the primary assist-maker, but a second or third assist becomes important. The pivot player needs to have some level of creativity and Damaris’ intelligence in identifying the right pass is at a high level. There are some questions about her accuracy and high-level consistency, but that will come with time and experience given that she is still only 22 years old.
Her passing is simple and that translates into her line-breaking passes. There are no flashy Fabregas-esque through balls but it’s the relative ease in which she finds opportunities to play them that stands out.
This pass in behind Saint Etienne’s defence is an example of her astute intelligence. The pass into Damaris was given acres of space to decide her next move. The quickness to play a long ball in behind towards the free run of Selma Bacha creates a relatively easy opportunity to cross and score.
Her lack of mobility is deceptive because though she isn’t an obvious quick player, Damaris’ ability to deter and stop counter-attacks is unquestionable. The Dutch pivot knows when to step forward or when to hold, and is seemingly always in good defensive positions. If you look at a team like Barcelona, the number of off-the-ball runs that derive from Aitana Bonmati and Alexia Putellas from the movements of Jenni Hermoso means the No. 6 needs to read the game and be impeccably placed to stop the supply.
More than most, there are plenty of examples of Damaris intercepting passes that shut down opposition build-up techniques but also equally put Lyon in high-pressing, counter-attacking situations themselves.
The interception she made against Paris Saint-Germain is particularly what Damaris does best. Press forward, get close, close the space, and either retain possession to pass or get it out of play. The one area Barcelona have displayed fragility is when pressing their central defenders. Teams have attacked Barcelona here in short bursts and have seen some success in creating chances. Given how wide their full-backs operate in the build-up, the space behind them becomes vitally important to exploit.
Take this example against Juventus, it seems like a simple duel, but Damaris’ positioning and anticipation enable her to gauge the trajectory of the ball and thus manages to win her duel with relative ease. She stops the attack and puts Lyon back on the front foot. These small details might seem very simple, but Damaris’ ability to carry out the simple tasks to a high degree is extremely underrated and is easy to miss.
There’s a different discussion about Lyon’s off-the-ball structure and line-up composition that could take advantage of Barcelona’s perceived weaknesses, which is a separate article, however, the point is that Damaris will need to be hyper-sensitive and choose her moments wisely to help the forward press and turn over Barcelona high up the pitch.
If they can stop Patri from receiving or if they limit the No. 6’s supply forward, then there’s a genuine chance of survival and success. Damaris’ positioning and most importantly, defensive composure and discipline will give Lyon their own Patri and control their out-of-possession play as much as their in-possession play.
Taking everything into consideration, it becomes increasingly difficult to replicate the skillset Damaris brings to the side and this was especially noticeable when she was suspended for the first leg against Paris Saint-Germain. Amandine Henry replaced the Dutch midfielder as the No. 6 and though she did a valiant job, there is a stark difference in the way Henry plays the role in comparison to Damaris.
The difference between Henry and Damaris and their actions on the pitch is reflective of their natural roles and tendencies when playing. The top two maps highlight Damaris’ ability to cover ground and successfully complete her action, whether it be a pass or tackle. It’s also interesting to see how much of an effect Damaris has in the final and middle thirds, which comes from her coordinated pressing technique.
The bottom-left quadrant is Henry’s game as a defensive midfielder against PSG and it’s clear how much more of her actions came in the defensive third. While this needs the context of the game state, at face value, she remained in her patrolling area without venturing too far forward.
The bottom-right map is Henry playing in her more natural right-sided central midfield position. Given that Henry is the favoured replacement as the No. 6, it highlights just how hard it is for Bompastor to replace Damaris. Sara Bjork Gunnarsdottir can be considered the next best alternative, but we can only expect to see the best of her next season.
It doesn’t come as a big surprise that Patri Guijarro is the best defensive midfielder right now and her contribution to Barcelona’s star-studded side cannot be understated. The role she plays in getting the best out of Putellas and Aitana is similar to Damaris’ role towards Macario and Henry/Horan. The hybrid touch/heat map is incredibly telling. Patri’s 117 touches are an indication of the influence she has over the game, but also that play ultimately runs through her. The concentration of touches and activity in the left defensive midfield region is similar to where Damaris makes her actions and is in line with the tradition of defensive midfielder tendencies.
Patri is a tactical genius and enhances Barcelona’s build-up patterns and structure. There is an in-depth explanation of Barcelona’s tactical structure and patterns of play here, however, her positioning to facilitate build-up and occupy players when it comes to marking and cover shadowing makes her a vital component. In the linked article, Om talks about an example of Arsenal trying to press and stop Barcelona's build-up but the dropping of Aitana to form a double-pivot next to Patri and thus their deep positioning is what pulls Arsenal’s central midfielders out of position to open up space in the forward areas.
This is the type of impact Patri has by just being in the right positions. Barcelona’s fluid movement and structure are a strong case for this but the effect she has on the side is the same nonetheless which can be seen in the example above.
The No. 6 is arguably the most important position for team success and given how much of a difference it makes in patterns of play, movement, and defensive shielding, having the right player there becomes vital. Using the Damaris case study, it’s obvious how her intelligence and skillset have become a core part of Bompastor’s tactical setup. Patri’s effect on Barcelona is obvious and teams without a recognised No. 6 have suffered.
There’s a point to be made in PSG’s case that since they aren’t using one, it’s limiting their transitions and therefore are heavily reliant on the attacking lineup to win games. Indeed, there’s a very high chance that the performances of both Damaris and Patri will decide the outcome of the UEFA Women’s Champions League Final, to be crowned the new ‘Queens of Europe’.
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