A two goal lead and a red card did not signal comfort for Liverpool in Spain, but with the backing of the Anfield crowd, this contest turned out to be one-sided. On a nigh-on perfect night for the hosts, they coasted into the Round of 16, leaving their guests in a heap of trouble. Tactical […]
After a week of uncertainty, Ole Gunnar Solskjær changed his team’s formation, away to a Tottenham Hotspur team in dire need of a convincing performance. Manchester United ran away 3-0 winners, but did this rotation result in the tactical masterstroke that one desired? Tactical analysis and match report by Joel Parker. Poor defeats to close rivals, […]
PSG are making a habit of faltering over the line, but here it came with an added twist. Lille’s 4-4-2 setup set the tone for the first half, only for Mauricio Pochettino to make several adaptations that handed the Parisians a victory and a new system signaling how things could fall into place. Tactical analysis […]
A chaotic crowd produced a raucous atmosphere befitting the tradition of Le Classique, but the action was much milder. Marseille may have had a cuter approach to their play on the ball, but neither side could deliver a decisive punch, giving the Parisians further leeway at the summit. Tactical analysis and match report by Emmanuel […]
Recent contests between the two royal red houses of English football have failed to produce the spectacle neutrals crave. This duel was an exception, but it came at the cost of one side’s dignity. Swept away in a brutal first half, Manchester United paid the price for their lack of direction, begging the question of […]
With both team’s flirting with midtable mediocrity, three points were important to claw towards expectation, which would leave the other red-faced. Arsenal exposed Aston Villa’s structural issues for all to see, a first-half rout enough to seal a big win. Tactical analysis and match report by Joel Parker. A quarter way through the Premier League […]
Fifteen minutes into this contest, Liverpool were odds on to run riot over the hosts. But the stardust of Atlético Madrid’s brightest talent, their growing threat on the break, and an array of officiating decisions came together to produce a dramatic five goal spectacle that pushed Jürgen Klopp’s men to the final whistle. Tactical analysis […]
Jesse Marsch’s RB Leipzig represented a banana skin fixture for Mauricio Pochettino’s high powered Paris Saint-Germain, but it turns out that very few games are unwinnable when you count Kylian Mbappé and Lionel Messi as starters. Leipzig did well enough in spots to merit their lead, but they are yet to display the kind of […]
A topspiel with a heavy favorite ended with a more lopsided scoreline than predicted as Bayern Munich pummeled Gerardo Seoane’s Bayer Leverkusen at home. The hosts fielded a lineup that was far too open and made too many mental mistakes, which simply cannot be allowed against an offense as potent as that of Julian Nagelsmann’s […]
Manchester United’s trip to the King Power Stadium would see a clash of two talented outfits in desperate search of a win. Yet, if the away team had hoped to catch Leicester City off form, they were sorely mistaken. Familiar flaws allowed the hosts to show flashes of their old selves before pulling away at […]