One could pardon passive followers of this clash for thinking it was a classic. While seven goals featured at the Allianz Arena, drama in the box made up for most of what happened out of it. Tactical analysis and match report by Emmanuel Adeyemi-Abere. We decided to make this article free to read. If you […]
As darkness descended on Camp Nou, the league champions lit the pitch. Two loanees dazzled on debut in a dominant display that showed how Barcelona might evolve with new qualities. Tactical analysis and match report by Emmanuel Adeyemi-Abere. Barcelona were finally back at the summit of Spanish football in May 2023, earning their first league […]
Erik Ten Hag tried to experiment with a 4-3-1-2 system for Manchester United as they faced Brighton & Hove Albion. After a slightly difficult start though, Roberto De Zerbi’s side were able to find tactical superiorities against United’s system by exploiting width, and the away side ultimately left Old Trafford with a convincing victory. Tactical […]
As the first few passing patterns emerged, Stefano Pioli appeared to make a big tactical gamble. Davide Calabria kept his inverted position and AC Milan deployed the box midfield against Internazionale. The result was a dysfunctional performance as Inter brutalized Milan in a way not seen in many years. Tactical analysis and match report by […]
After two comfortable victories before the international break, you could be forgiven for thinking everything was back to normal for Paris Saint-Germain, but OGC Nice were there to remind them of their problems. A game defined by two managers obsessed with pressing… and only one team that seemed to know how to implement that vision. […]
The Bundesliga was back with an absolute bang after the international break, as the much-hyped Bayer Leverkusen faced their toughest test of the season in the form of a trip to the home of the defending champions. Many were bigging up Xabi Alonso’s side as the most serious challengers to Bayern Munich’s throne this season, […]
Luciano Spalletti has opened his Italy account with a solid victory against Ukraine. The hosts looked in complete control in the first half, and even though Ukraine halved the deficit, they managed to maintain their lead until the final whistle, which is a marked improvement from their previous game against North Macedonia. Tactical analysis and […]
Ireland needed to win against the Netherlands to be in with a hope of qualifying for the Euros next summer. They came out with an aggressive press that unsettled the Dutch side, but were too slow to adapt to Ronald Koeman’s changes in the second half. Tactical analysis and match report by Nick Hartland. In […]
England had the majority of the ball in this match but struggled to create chances as Ukraine’s compact 4-4-2 system managed to hold them to a draw. Gareth Southgate’s flexible 4-3-3 shape showed some reasonable team tactical ideas, but slight structural issues and a lack of cutting edge cost England the points. Tactical analysis and […]
An important match marked the beginning of the first international break in 2023/24 for Georgia and Spain, who crossed paths in Group A of the Euro 2024 qualifiers. After an early slip-up against Scotland, the visitors needed to win to get their qualification campaign back on track, and that is just what they did in […]