Adrien Rabiot Excels in New Attacking Midfield Role for Marseille
Roberto De Zerbi’s decision to reposition Adrien Rabiot further up the pitch has proven highly successful for Olympique de Marseille in recent weeks. The French midfielder has found the net four times since the beginning of the year, contributing significantly to Marseille’s impressive 5-1 victory over Saint-Étienne. This performance serves as further evidence that De Zerbi’s tactical approach is having a positive impact on the club.
Rabiot, formerly of Juventus and Paris Saint-Germain, demonstrated his newfound attacking prowess by making a well-timed run to the back post and heading in Marseille’s fifth goal against Saint-Étienne. This goal exemplifies Rabiot’s adaptation to a more offensive role in De Zerbi’s 3-4-2-1 formation, with three of his five goals for Marseille this season coming from headers.
When asked about his recent goal-scoring form, Rabiot credited coach De Zerbi’s tactical instructions. “The coach encourages us to make attacking runs and be present in the box, especially for headers, knowing my capabilities,” Rabiot explained in a post-match interview.
De Zerbi recognized Rabiot’s potential to excel in this new role, capitalizing on his height (1.91 meters) and excellent positional awareness to make late runs into the box. This tactical shift has addressed a previous weakness in Rabiot’s game, as he had once admitted, “Defensively, I’m solid, but I don’t score enough headers.” Now, it has become one of his most effective offensive weapons.
Rabiot’s repositioning allows him to operate in a more fluid offensive midfield role, supported by the hard work of teammates like Pierre-Emile Højbjerg and Ismaël Bennacer in deeper positions. This tactical setup creates passing lanes and disrupts the opposition’s defensive structure, a strategy De Zerbi successfully employed during his time at Brighton.
The change in Rabiot’s positioning not only increases his goal-scoring opportunities but also creates more space for Marseille’s other attacking players. This was evident in Amine Gouiri’s long-range opener against Saint-Étienne, facilitated by Rabiot’s run to draw defenders away.
Rabiot expressed satisfaction with the team’s progress, stating, “We’re seeing improvement match by match. We’re patient in our play and managing to score. This is what the coach demands, and we’re happy. Everyone is capable of scoring, everyone attacks, everyone defends.”
While Marseille’s recent performances offer reason for optimism, the club still faces challenges in closing the gap with league leaders PSG. However, with experienced players like Rabiot, Bennacer, and Højbjerg adapting well to De Zerbi’s tactics, Marseille has become a formidable force in midfield, enhancing their prospects for Champions League qualification next season.