Lyon squeaked past Lille to advance to the final of the last ever Coupe de la Ligue in large part thanks to a stunning strike from Houssem Aouar. Christophe Galtier’s side was the better club on the day, but were once again let down by a combination of a lack of finishing and insufficient final […]
An interesting tactical battle was developing at Stamford Bridge when David Luiz was dismissed after 25 minutes, and Chelsea subsequently took the lead. With ten men, Arsenal had next to no attacking output, but somehow managed to keep the game competitive, before Gabriel Martinelli capitalized on N’Golo Kanté’s slip to equalize. Arsenal sat back and […]
Barcelona might have had the ease of possession but the same could not be said on the chance creation front. Granada stood up and were counted as their aggressive medium block defense aimed to strangle the home side’s interplay in Barcelona’s fresh-faced system. Tactical analysis and match report by Peter Munnelly. Quite a lot has […]
Manchester United came to Anfield seemingly looking to replicate the game plan that earned them a draw against Liverpool earlier in the season, with a 5-2-1-2 system from which to counterattack Jürgen Klopp’s side. Liverpool grabbed an early lead through Virgil van Dijk’s header though, and limited United to very little on the counter. In […]
A lethargic Bayern struggled to break down Hertha Berlin’s new-look defensive shape throughout the course of the first half. However, the visitors came out energized in the second stanza and with brisk attacking moves, punctuated by pinpoint diagonal longballs, dispatched their opponents – eventually cruising to victory. Tactical analysis and match report by K.T. Stockwell. […]
Napoli had the ball, but Fiorentina ran the show for most of the game. The visitors happily spent large parts of the game in a low block and their solid defensive plan neatly exploited the issues in a flawed Napoli side. Tactical analysis and match report by Kareem Bianchi. When Serie A opened its gates, […]
Sevilla’s 4-5-1 defensive system created problems for Real Madrid’s attacking play. However, once Casemiro moved into a more advanced role, the hosts were able to create some opportunities that were good enough. The Brazilian’s brace rewarded Real Madrid with three valuable points, as their unbeaten record continues. Tactical analysis and match report by Joel Parker. […]
The game started in a promising fashion but quickly turned into a hard-fought affair with several turnovers and fouls. Schalke seemingly made use of this chaos and threatened Gladbach’s defense with counterattacks. Although failing to score before half-time, David Wagner’s side quickly took the lead right after the game restarted with two goals from fast […]
Real Madrid needed penalty kicks to decide a close game where both teams could not break down the opponent. In the first half, Atlético’s pressing game dominated, yet Real’s defense did not allow them to turn that control into shots. In the second half, substitutions caused the game to be played at a faster pace, […]
Aston Villa’s trepidation at going head-to-head with Manchester City proved prophetic as Pep Guardiola’s visitors demolished the home side in a stunning performance at Villa Park. Faced with a nightmarish injury list, Dean Smith could perhaps be forgiven for throwing in the towel, yet the manner of the defeat raises serious questions about the home […]