Bayern’s midfield overloads proved unsettling for Diego Simeone’s side, as they surrendered a little too much. But, ultimately, each side’s finishing qualities proved to be the deciding factor; while Atléti’s inability to score showed itself as tame and tepid, Bayern racking them up was sparkling and sensational. Tactical analysis and match report by Peter Munnelly. In […]
Ajax made some tweaks to their usual system to deal with the threat posed by Liverpool. Their 4-3-1-2 arrangement against the ball was fairly successful in limiting Liverpool’s attack, but they conceded through an unfortunate Nicolás Tagliafico own goal. Going forward, Ajax were much more direct than usual, and the quality of attacking game deteriorated […]
After keeping Bayern at bay with some smart pressing, PSG missed the chances they created in the first half. The second half was a lot more even and eventually tilted Bayern’s way, as PSG could never recover from a Kingsley Coman header, meaning Hansi Flick’s machine continued their remarkable run and won the biggest prize […]
Olympique Lyon looked the brighter of the two sides in the opening minutes, but a superb strike from Serge Gnabry initiated a period of Bavarian domination that rarely looked in danger of being stopped. Lyon had plenty of half-chances including a few excellent opportunities to reflect their performance in this game, but wayward finishing from […]
Leipzig took up a relatively passive defensive scheme which helped PSG to take the initiative from the start. PSG’s own possession play was strong, as they were able to outplay Leipzig in deeper areas and find suitable roles for the front three. PSG were 2-0 up by half-time, and the more aggressive setup taken by […]
An over-conservative approach by Pep Guardiola prevented City from having the necessary impact his strategy required, eventually crumbling to a mix of individual mistakes, structural dilemmas, and Lyon’s clinical finishing. Tactical analysis and match report by Kareem Bianchi. After convincingly knocking out Real Madrid in the Round of Sixteen, Manchester City were given the luxury […]
Bayern Munich entered the game with an aggressive style of play, and their high defensive line looked like it might be exploitable early on. Once Bayern got into their pressing game though, they steamrolled Barcelona, who gave up easy turnovers in their own half. Barcelona’s defensive play was similarly shambolic, allowing Bayern to rip through […]
The absence of Timo Werner proved to be no problem for Julian Nagelsmann’s outfit – their ball dominance and outright control over Atlético Madrid eventually rewarded them with the goals needed to get into the semi-finals. Tactical analysis and match report by Peter Munnelly. If a month’s gap felt like a long time for Atléti to […]
Carried by a big Neymar night, PSG managed to give a good response to Atalanta’s notorious 3-4-1-2 system. Despite the Italians taking the lead in the first half, the French side managed to turn the table after Mbappé’s entrance and went for a very dramatic finish. Tactical match report and analysis by Simon Piotr. Atalanta […]
The score line was all Barça needed, but the performance that came along with it left much to be desired. While Napoli’s own spells of possession and control of the ball at times put Setién’s side, who are normally renowned for such, to shame, theirs was just as ineffective through large stretches of the encounter. […]