Alright so today I got super curious about how UD Las Palmas lined up against Alaves – saw some weird changes online after the game and just had to dig in. Started my morning coffee routine while pulling up video highlights and fan forums on my tablet. Noticed folks arguing about player positions so I grabbed my notepad.
First Steps: Spotting the Odd Stuff
First thing I did? Rewatched last week’s formation. Las Palmas always plays 4-5-1, right? Stable lineup. But today… wham. Saw Kirian Rodriguez playing much higher than usual. Like, way up front almost beside Munir. Sketchy pens down arrows all over my paper. Marked where players kept popping up on the screen like whack-a-moles.
Three main changes jumped out at me:
- Midfield super crowded – Cardona sitting deeper like a third center-back sometimes
- Sarabia kept drifting wide left even though he’s supposed to be central
- Fullbacks barely crossed halfway line – totally glued back
Checked my scribbles against pre-match reports. Nope, coach definitely switched things quietly. Classic “don’t announce changes until ball rolls” trick.
Trying to Make Sense of It
Got stuck on why they’d risk this. Counterattack setup? Maybe. Noticed Alaves kept hammering long balls towards the wings early on. Made me think Las Palmas was trying to smother those runs by packing central areas. Like building a human wall where Alaves loves to attack.
Tested this stupid theory:
/https%3A%2F%2Fsportsmole-media-prod.s3.gra.io.cloud.ovh.net%2F25%2F08%2Fsandro-ramirez.jpg)
- Paused clips whenever Alaves moved forward
- Counted how many yellow shirts clogged the middle
- Yup – always 4 or 5 bodies flooding passing lanes
Total lightbulb moment scratching that down. Changed my whole angle for the rest of the analysis.
Connecting Dots & Calling BS
Kept seeing fans complain about “no attacking play”. Dug deeper. Actually found moments where Las Palmas deliberately slow-played from back. Like painfully slow. Goalkeeper holding ball 10+ seconds every goal kick. Purposeful? Had to be. Strategy screamed “protect the point at all costs”.
Wrote up conclusions while rewatching key defensive stands:
- Midfield trio formation looked like triangle tip-down instead of flat
- Zero overlapping runs from defenders – literally none
- Even strikers tracked back beyond halfway line constantly
Honestly felt like watching park-the-bus tactics but sneaky. Not flashy but probably effective for one point. Left my notes messy with coffee rings but captured the vibe. Might not please attack fans but hey – got results.