Surviving the scare of a first leg stalemate, Barcelona expected to learn from the error of their ways and make an assault on a spot in the final four. However, their visitors have caught the bug for European football, putting on a display to stun the Spanish support into submission. Tactical analysis and match report […]
David Moyes had never progressed past the quarter-finals of European competition: but a brutal bashing of a disjointed Olympique Lyonnais has put West Ham United into a European semi-final for the first time in forty-six years. Tactical analysis and match report by Joel Parker. UEFA’s B competition has always been filled with intriguing match-ups, lo and […]
After a tense first leg where Manchester City just about managed to breach Atlético Madrid’s resolute defense, the two teams went at it again. The second leg turned out to be even scrappier, especially towards the end, but City just about managed to hold on to their 1-0 aggregate lead and advance to the semi-finals. […]
Liverpool were the better team in most aspects here, as Benfica’s tactical approach was fairly unsuitable on both sides of the ball. However, the away side were clinical in front of goal and Liverpool never really kicked into top gear in the game, which meant that Benfica were able to score three times at Anfield, […]
If adversity is the real test of character, then this tie was where Thomas Tuchel’s managerial star could shine. His changes brought Chelsea to the brink of a fairytale comeback, but one should never count out the stardust of the old guard before the referee blasts his final whistle. Tactical analysis and match report by […]
In a match that could have seismic implications for North London’s top-four battle, Brighton scored two stunning team goals and negated Arsenal’s usual passing precision to record their first win in eight games. The result represents a damaging defeat to Mikel Arteta’s men and hands the initiative over to arch-rivals Tottenham. Tactical analysis and match […]
Everton picked up three huge points at home to Manchester United, with Anthony Gordon’s deflected strike the only goal of the game. This was a game devoid of quality, with Manchester United falling even further back in the race for a top-four finish, whilst Everton opened up a four-point gap between themselves and Burnley. Tactical […]
Duking it out for the top spot in the league, Manchester City and Liverpool went toe to toe at a critical juncture in the narrative. What manifested over the 90 minutes was a thrilling contest. An equal split of the four goals might not have produced a winner at the Etihad Stadium by the final […]
Four years on from Fiorentina executing Napoli’s Scudetto dreams, they may have just done it again. Napoli failed to capitalize on early momentum, and structural issues off the ball paved the way for their opponents to provide a crushing blow, in the race for the Serie A title. Tactical analysis and match report by Joel Parker. […]
Tottenham Hotspur visited Aston Villa on a pivotal day in the Premier League’s top-four race. Chelsea’s statement win over Southampton seemingly made it clear that there was only one spot to fight over, and after both Manchester United and Arsenal slipped up, Tottenham had the chance to strengthen their bid for Champions League football next […]