Two of the Bundesliga’s Champions League contestants clashed on Saturday in what might have been the weekend’s Topspiel on paper, but never promised to be an overly exciting game considering both teams’ recent performances. Ultimately, we did see a lot of goals between Borussia Dortmund and Union Berlin, but both sides’ showings left a lot […]
Manchester City returned to winning ways, and it was indeed a challenging battle against an in-form RB Leipzig side. Pep Guardiola essentially went back to his tried-and-true system and the players who were instrumental in achieving the treble last season. This approach bore fruit, partly due to the contributions of substitutes Julián Álvarez and Jérémy […]
The second matchday in the UEFA Champions League’s group of death saw a fixture that was partly a football match and partly a geopolitical meeting. On the pitch, it did not turn out to be much of a contest as Paris Saint-Germain were completely overrun by a brilliant Newcastle United performance. Tactical analysis and match […]
This clash would have been one of the most compelling the Champions League could offer only a few months ago. However, the new campaign has already brought challenges to the door of both camps. All the same, enough of their strengths have remained in tact to produce the goods. Tactical analysis and match report by […]
An early top-of-the-table clash between some unusual suspects saw the two teams that started the weekend in first and second collide in a hard-fought affair. Neither Nice nor Stade Brestois excelled, but they showed exactly why so many teams have struggled to break down their defenses. Tactical analysis and match report by Nick Hartland. The […]
The recurring narrative for Bournemouth this season continues, as once again, a top -six team effortlessly picked apart their hybrid pressing system. In this instance, Arsenal emerged as the winners, securing a commanding result against a Bournemouth side that struggled to pose a threat in attack and committed numerous defensive errors. Tactical analysis and match […]
The flexible passages of Atalanta Bergamo once polarized a competition dominated by Juventus. Two entities attempted to figure one another out, but as the game progressed, thoughts of this fixture’s magnitude in yesteryear would cast a harsh reality. Atalanta and Juventus need to do a lot more in order to battle for the crown. Tactical […]
RB Leipzig aspired to be the first side to beat Bayern Munich three times in a calendar year in almost two decades. At the halfway point of this duel, that ambition was on the way to becoming reality. That feat might not have come to pass at the final whistle, but this fixture was even […]
Tottenham Hotspur’s possession game faced up against Liverpool’s pressing and transition play, and it looked as if Liverpool were having the better of things early on. A red card for the away side changed things though, and Spurs dominated much of the game afterwards. They struggled to find the winner however, even later on against […]