Italy edged past their visitors the last time the two outfits met but were not so fortunate this time around. Thanks to a twist on an old ploy and an aggressive high press, Spain proved that there are chinks in Italy’s armor after all. Tactical analysis and match report by Emmanuel Adeyemi-Abere. In a game […]
The arrival of Thomas Tuchel at Stamford Bridge has shown us how a competent manager can transform a side deep down the dark abyss into Champions League winners. The call for better defenders has been answered by improving the defensive structure, the spaces on the defensive transition have been minimized by utilizing a better rest-defense […]
Manchester City and Liverpool’s duels are the premier fixture in the English calendar, and its latest edition failed to disappoint. Four goals, an array of tactical tweaks, and a typically high level of organization from both outfits made for a spectacle that tees up an exciting title race. Tactical analysis and match report by Emmanuel […]
For teams who aren’t in the upper echelon of football powers, the key to beating Bayern Munich lies in a happy medium between energetic pressing, strong defending and lethal finishing. Oliver Glasner’s Eintracht Frankfurt brought all of these elements to the Allianz Arena, and aided by Bayern’s poor finishing, took back a superb result that […]
Whilst Barcelona may have dominated possession throughout the match, they struggled to create meaningful chances or even test Atlético Madrid goalkeeper Jan Oblak. Their offense was one-dimensional, making it very easy for Diego Simeone’s men to shut them down in the final third and then capitalize through counterattacks. Tactical analysis and match report by Charlie […]
Expectations were not high for Juventus heading into this group stage encounter with defending champions Chelsea, but there was always the possibility of an upset given the talent level of the Italians. Sure enough, sluggish play from Chelsea gave Juventus a glimmer of hope in the first half, before the Old Lady took the lead […]
As defensive organizations continue to improve, depending solely on individual talent to break down deep defensive structures might not be viable in the modern game. It takes a unit to break down a unit; structured movements to break down a structure. The rise of Liverpool in the last couple of years was seen as a […]
A North London derby between two mediocre sides could have produced a tense affair. Luckily, Arsenal picked the ideal day to deliver a dynamic display. A mix of craft and incision left Spurs trailing in their wake, running riot in the first half hour of the game to take the bragging rights. Tactical analysis and […]
Without Marco Reus and Erling Haaland, Borussia Dortmund still had enough quality to eke out a result against a struggling Borussia Mönchengladbach. However, losing Mahmoud Dahoud to go down to ten men was too much of a stumbling block, as Denis Zakaria’s strike struck a fatal blow to Dortmund and gave Adi Hütter’s team a […]
Manchester City’s press has often found difficulties when up against Chelsea. However, after a cagey first period, City increased their control and nullified their opponents in a way which we had yet to see. Tactical analysis and match report by Joel Parker. Breaking through the world’s best defensive organization has been no easy task for one of […]