Six of the last eight league winners used a back three
The shape is being used to build possession rather than defend: teams playing three centre-backs completed more passes in their own third than any other formation last season.
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Six of the last eight domestic league winners across Europe's top five leagues lined up with three centre-backs for the majority of their matches, according to formation data.
The pattern in the passing numbers suggests the shape is being used to build possession rather than to defend: teams playing a back three completed more passes in their own defensive third than teams in any other formation last season.
The trade-off is width. The same teams relied on wing-backs for almost all attacking width, and the sides that struggled with the shape were the ones whose wing-backs could not sustain it for ninety minutes.