Setting up a one-on-one between your attacker and their defender, with space to work in. The opposite of crowded play. Teams with great dribblers want isolations because they back their player to beat the defender. You create isolation by moving other players away, stretching the pitch horizontally, or using off-ball movement to clear space. VinÃcius Jr. thrives in isolation situations.
Real Madrid's entire left-side attack is built around giving VinÃcius Jr. isolation. Clear the space, get the ball to him one-on-one with a full-back, and let him do what he does. Simple but devastatingly effective.
Robbie
Jan 15, 2026