Vitória’s defensive organization made this game an uneventful affair from an attacking point of view, as Arsenal were often stuck in their u-shaped circulation and unable to make breakthroughs. Eventually Arsenal took the lead from a Shkodran Mustafi set-piece header, but were unable to hold on as Bruno Duarte secured a late equalizer for Vitória. […]
The twists and turns of another intense affair between these two sides seemed to be heavily influenced by Gladbach’s defenders and the aggression they did, and did not, showcase throughout – turning their press from impeccable to exposed. Marco Rose made several changes along the way, whichhelped to establish firmer control for the home side, […]
A game-changing refereeing mistake in stoppage time proved decisive for the visitors, but were they worthy of their point? In a game so precisely planned out by each coach, defensively speaking, it was hard to separate the two sides, as highlighted by the manner of the two goals. Tactical analysis and match report by Peter […]
Dortmund dominated possession in the first half but failed to create dangerous situations, while Inter used their only real chance to take the lead. Dortmund’s good possession game improved even more in the second half and caused Inter serious problems, but eventually their defense was good enough to retain the lead. In the end, a […]
Scrappy and competitive, this game decided to open up after half-time. A top performance from Clément Grenier was unable to help Rennes to three points, after a quality goal scored by Ciro Immobile made the difference. Tactical analysis and match report by Tom Quartly. A sparsely populated Stadio Olimpico was the location of Thursday night’s […]
In a match filled to the absolute brim with high quality chances, it is a bit of a mystery how there was only one goal prior to the eightieth minute. In the leadup to a devastating end, Adi Hütter’s approach was as clever as it was naïve, given the subsequent gap in quality in each […]
For forty-eight minutes, the Europa League Final was a fairly dull affair, with both Chelsea and Arsenal’s pressing games suffocating each other’s buildup. Then, Giroud scored and the floodgates crashed open, allowing Chelsea to capture the Europa League trophy by the half hour mark. Tactical analysis and match report by Om Arvind. Judging causality in […]
Game states and a fantastic Arsenal striker constantly getting in good scoring positions were the largest factors in this Europa League semi-final. Initially, Valencia applied themselves well to this match, and managed to score the opener. However, they failed to maintain the efficiency of their early attacking, and fell victim to an onslaught. Tactical analysis […]
The Europa League semi-final clash between Chelsea and Eintracht Frankfurt was characterized by stalemate. Both Maurizio Sarri and Adi Hütter struggled to put their teams in the driver’s seat, forcing the tie to go down to penalties. Kepa Arrizabalaga held his nerve after Azpilicueta missed, allowing Eden Hazard to bury the winner and create an […]
Valencia manager Marcelino surprised by deviating from his usual preferred formation for this Europa League semi-final. Rodrigo Moreno was the focal point of Valencia’s attack in a lineup packed with nominal central defenders. Initially Valencia dominated the home team, but the attacking prowess of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette helped Arsenal seize the day in […]