The final round of Bundesliga fixtures before the winter break kicked off with a battle of the Borussias, as Dortmund visited Gladbach. Neither of them were not where they would have liked to have been at this stage of the season, and midweek defeats certainly did not help their respective causes. Both teams’ inconsistency meant […]
Barcelona fans were among those celebrating Rayo Vallecano’s win over Real Madrid on Monday night, not just because their arch-rivals were defeated but also because it meant they would end the round of fixtures at the top of the table. Just a day later, they faced a tough test to consolidate their new table position […]
High tempo and routes through pressure were characteristics associated with Graham Potter’s Brighton and Hove Albion. Yet his Chelsea team were ill-equipped in stopping such qualities from shining, to reward Roberto De Zerbi with his first win as a Premier League coach. Tactical analysis and match report by Joel Parker. The season of Brighton began […]
As we crossed a third of the way in the 2022/23 season, two sides that were exceeding expectations faced each other to kick off the thirteenth round of fixtures. Second-placed Lens hosted newly-promoted Toulouse, who started this game in the top half of the table. It was by no means an easy victory for the […]
Benfica extended their unbeaten run to twenty games and have knocked out Juventus on their path. Roger Schmidt’s side dominated Juventus and secured the victory despite a late scare in the closing stages. Tactical analysis and match report by Rahul Madhavan. Benfica have certainly been impressive under the guidance of Roger Schmidt. The Portuguese giants have […]
Barcelona’s pressing in the previous match between these two teams was their best aspect, but this time the decisive moments in the game saw Bayern beat the press to go ahead in the first half. From there, things were fairly simple for the away side, as Barcelona were unable to break them down. Tactical analysis […]
Adaptations behind the first line of pressure saw two attacks cancel each other out, but how frantic final minutes can see law and order crumble. Graham Potter made a pivotal first-half substitution to blunt the visitors’ control, Erik ten Hag made a curious second-half change to stop the hosts in the transition. Nevertheless, smart coaching […]
The pressure has not ceased for Xavi, but at least he got some respite. His men made light work of a tricky task to set the preparatory tone for what will be a crucial fixture in their campaign. Tactical analysis and match report by Emmanuel Adeyemi-Abere. High expectations put on pressure as soon as plans […]
Manchester City was geared to attack Liverpool’s defense at pace, but if anyone wants to match their chaos, they rarely come out on the other side with points. Jürgen Klopp’s new 4-4-2 structure was the perfect platform to connect on the direct and spin behind a disrupted City backline. Tactical analysis and match report by […]
The ‘Group of Death’ reunited two giants of the European game in a contest whose second half was one for the ages. An exhibition with six goals aligned with Xavi’s risks that befitted the big stage, but even his staunchest backers could struggle to bear the consequences of the outcome. Tactical analysis and match report […]