Why the Front Two Is Back in the Champions League

Three of the biggest teamsheets on Champions League Matchday 4 have something in common. Inter start with two centre-forwards at Feyenoord tonight, Atletico Madrid do the same at home to Bayern Munich, and Borussia Dortmund are set up with a pair up front against Real Betis on Wednesday.

The front two, written off as a relic of 4-4-2 football, is a live option again at the top of the European game. Three teamsheets, one pattern The clearest case is Inter.

Cristian Chivu's predicted side at De Kuip is a 3-5-2: Josep Martinez in goal, a back three of Yann Bisseck, Manuel Akanji and Carlos Augusto, wing-backs Andy Diouf and Federico Dimarco, and Pio Esposito alongside Marcus Thuram in attack. Atletico's predicted XI against Bayern is a 4-4-2 with Julian Alvarez and Kang-in Lee as the pair, and Dortmund's set-up for the Real Betis game puts Jobe Bellingham behind Fabio Silva and Serhou Guirassy in a 3-4-1-2.

Three coaches, three different leagues, the same basic decision: two players whose main job is to play against the opposition centre-backs. Barcelona's predicted side tonight is a 4-2-3-1 with Raphinha leading the line and Fermin Lopez behind him, Bayern have Harry Kane alone in front of three attacking midfielders, and Paris Saint-Germain's 4-3-3 at Villarreal has Ferran Torres between two wide forwards.

The front two has not taken over. It has become a specific answer to a specific problem, which is what makes its return worth explaining.

What a front two does to a back four The mechanism is simple. A single striker can be passed between two centre-backs: one engages, the other covers, and the defence keeps a spare man.

Two strikers remove the spare man. Each centre-back has his own opponent, so neither can step into midfield, drop off to cover a runner, or double up on the wide forward without leaving his partner one against one.

The pair then split the work. One striker plays on the last line and pins both centre-backs with the threat of a run in behind; the other drops a few yards towards the ball, receives with his back to goal and brings the midfield forward.

Inter's version is the clearest: Thuram runs the channels and stretches the pitch, Esposito plays closer to the centre-backs and links. Atletico's pair works differently, with Alvarez drifting wide to receive and Lee running beyond him, but the effect on the opposing back four is the same.