Manchester City’s tie with Paris Saint-Germain renewed a duel between two of the game’s great minds, offering an absorbing spectacle. The Parisians stifled City’s 4-2-2-2 offensive shape while posing threats from all sides, but a familiar narrative reared its head to turn the contest around. Tactical analysis and match report by Emmanuel Adeyemi-Abere. Falling short […]
Barcelona came into this game looking to punish their rivals for dropping points the night before. But the contest was far from plain sailing. Facing a high 4-4-2 press from the home team, their issues in the buildup phase and a shock setback set the tone for a tight duel where a superstar had to […]
For eighty minutes, Manchester City had brutalized and controlled Tottenham Hotspur, both on and off the ball. The winning goal may not have been as pretty as some of their earlier attacks, but a return to flexibility and fluency comes at a great time for Pep Guardiola’s men, who can add more than the EFL […]
Real Madrid came into this game hungry for the three points, but even that seemed insufficient to satiate the home team. Drained of energy, their 4-3-2-1 press looked jaded from the off while their attacking enterprises struggled to put up a sustained threat. Alterations from the sideline hoped to turn the tide, but an all […]
A mistake from an opponent, a wonderfully weighted pass in behind and Erling Haaland – sometimes, scoring a goal is just about the combination of the three. Wolfsburg found that out the hard way in their second encounter with Borussia Dortmund this season, though manager Edin Terzić made a number of good decisions in setting up […]
A match that stood symbol for both teams’ domestic campaign. The hosts’ buildup continued to lack the desired result, as Arsenal offered very little end product or balance. Though Everton tinkered, another ugly win continues to keep them in contention for European football next season. Tactical analysis and match report by Joel Parker. Arsenal and Everton […]
Coming into this final off the back of a defeat to their rivals, Barcelona hoped to make up for the wrongs of last week. They did not disappoint. At the heart of it all, a fresh-faced magician inspired his teammates to deliver a clinic worthy of his younger look, rolling back the years with a […]
Despite the single goal and few scoring chances, this battle between top four chasing sides offered ample entertainment. In a game with plenty of space being offered by both teams defensively, it took a late, and somewhat fortuitous, goal to see Atalanta walk away victorious. Tactical analysis and match report by Julian Chingoma. Juventus find […]
This weekend’s Topspiel saw the Bundesliga’s first and third placed teams square off, and it did not disappoint as the two sides delivered in fashion. While Bayern were forced to reckon with Wolfsburg’s intensity, the efforts of youngster Jamal Musiala in the first half proved sufficient in seeing off their opponents, who remained in third […]
In a slow and methodical FA Cup semi-final, deep buildups and counterpressing came to the forefront. Though neither team had dominated the shot count, Chelsea were more efficient in bypassing Manchester City’s pressure, to secure another trip to Wembley, thanks to the work of the front two. Tactical analysis and match report by Joel Parker. January’s […]