Escape and change direction with a drag-back. Drive at the defender, drag the ball back under the sole as he commits, push it off to the side, and accelerate into the space.
The player drives at a defender, drags the ball back under the sole as the defender commits, then pushes it off to the side in a V and accelerates away. Emphasise driving at the man first, a sharp sole drag, and the change of direction out of it. Practise both directions. Rotate the roles.
Reversing direction is quicker than going around, and the sole of the foot is the quickest way to reverse. That is the whole logic of the drag-back, and it is why it belongs early in a young player's education, well before the moves designed to beat someone.
It is worth being clear with players that this is an escape rather than a beat. A drag-back does not take you past anybody. It takes the ball away from a defender who has committed forward, and buys the time and space to find a pass or attack a different side. Sold as a way to beat a man it disappoints, because the player finishes facing backwards. Sold as a way to get out of trouble, it becomes one of the most used skills a midfielder owns.
Technically, the sole has to be on top of the ball rather than in front of it, dragging it back sharply while the body turns. Players who reach for it with the toe scoop the ball rather than pulling it, which lifts it and slows everything down. The ball should stay flat on the ground and close to the foot.
The part coaches skip is what happens straight after. Dragging it back leaves the ball behind you and your body between the ball and the defender, which is safe but static. The push out to the side, tracing a V, is what turns safety into progress. Without it, the defender simply steps around and the escape has bought nothing.
Save it to your private drills, then change the animation, adjust positions, swap equipment, or drop it into a session block. Or start from a blank pitch and build your own.