By the end of the game, Olympique de Marseille were left to grimace and reflect. The season ahead looks as if it could be a long one for a club more used to chasing the illusion of success than facing the realities of their situation. AS Monaco, on the other hand, were left with hope […]

Como picked up where they left off. Despite a close margin in both goals and expected goals, Como were head and shoulders above a Napoli team with no sense of direction, even if they were afforded some late pressure.   Tactical analysis and match report by Joel Parker.  Two of Serie A’s Champions League representatives […]

Lille brought plenty of dynamism in possession, with constant runs in behind and drops, and took advantage of Paris Saint-Germain’s passivity to build a two-goal lead over the French champions. Until Vitinha stepped up as the hero, scoring a stunner with his left foot before setting up the equaliser for Marquinhos to head home. A […]

Atlético de Madrid produced one of their most tactically distinctive performances under Diego Simeone, using Alex Baena and Kang-in Lee as false reference points to manipulate Sevilla’s defensive structure and create space for their fastest attackers. Luis García Plaza’s side struggled to deal with the constant changes of position, and Atlético repeatedly exposed the spaces […]

Top-flight debutants SV Elversberg kicked off their inaugural Bundesliga campaign with a sensational, hard-fought 3-2 victory over Bayer Leverkusen at a packed Ursapharm-Arena an der Kaiserlinde. Vincent Wagner’s side staged a dream opening half, stunning the visitors with an 8th-minute opener from Lukas Petkov followed immediately by a 9th-minute strike from Cole Campbell. David Mokwa […]

Roberto De Zerbi’s side faced problems with and without the ball against Matthias Jaissle’s direct Newcastle outfit. Newcastle’s pressing unsettled Spurs, while their switching of play were a clear strategy throughout and eventually earned them their opening goal, setting them on the way to victory.   Tactical analysis and match report by Josh Manley. We decided […]

The game of football belongs to the players, but good management makes a difference. One new Premier League manager is receiving a rude awakening about the group he has taken over, and the other has been reminded to trust in his talent rather than being too smart for his own good. Tactical analysis and match […]

Two teams matching each other with intense and aggressive man-to-man pressure is usually a fun watch. It was no different on Friday night as the reigning champions Bayern Munich hosted Stuttgart for an exciting game filled with goals. After a close first-half performance, the visitors gradually opened more gaps in defence whilst Bayern regularly found […]

Sitting in a medium block against Barcelona is a one-way ticket to disaster. Edin Terzic didn’t learn his lesson from Barcelona’s 5-0 thrashing against Elche. In the end, Hansi Flick’s side created 4.06 xG in a game in which the Catalans underperformed in front of the net. Tactical analysis and match report by Achraf Lamdarhri. Barcelona […]

Real Sociedad’s carefully designed approach gave them control for periods in the first half, as Rino Matarazzo exploited Real Madrid’s narrow defensive structure and repeatedly created access through Mikel Oyarzabal’s movements between the lines. However, once Sociedad’s intensity disappeared and their key attacking connector left the pitch, José Mourinho’s side took control, turning an evenly […]