Flamengo won thanks to a ridiculous piece of skill by Gabigol, even though their game plan might have been a lot worse than what Santos had drawn up. The tactical side of this match supported a well-known thesis about Brazilian football. Tactical analysis and match report by Erik Elias. Number one versus number two is […]
After years of suffering from unrealistic expectations, Inter have put their faith in Antonio Conte. There is plenty of hope around the club to make the step Suning Holding Group has been chasing for years. In this piece, we analyze how Conte has sculpted Inter to resemble his ideas. Written by Kareem Bianchi. Eight years […]
The remarkably star-studded managerial class of this season’s Campeonato Brasileiro recently lost its most famous member in Luiz Felipe Scolari. Big Phil was sacked when Palmeiras sat third in the league and had some of the best defensive statistics in Brazil. A look at the numbers reveals an extreme case of flawed decision making. Written […]
The fourth meeting in eleven months between the Netherlands and Germany yielded six goals and yet another fun game. Before half-time, Germany were in control of the match, having scored the opener and wasting several moments to double their lead. They would rue their wastefulness, as it gave Koeman the opportunity to alter his tactics, […]
Juventus dominated the entire first half, with Higuaín scoring a highlight goal that seemed to break Napoli’s will. Ronaldo appeared to have sealed the victory in the second half, but Napoli fought back through set pieces and the brilliance of Zielinski and Lozano. Just when the game looked destined to end in a draw, Koulibaly […]
Real Betis were able to take the lead early on at the Nou Camp in one of their few attacks throughout the game. Barcelona initially found it tough to break down a compact Betis side, who defended increasingly deep once they were ahead. Eventually Barcelona found a way through with two Antoine Griezmann goals either […]
A seven times Champions League winning club Including Europan Cups got traded as the pledge in an unpaid loan. To an American hedge fund. AC Milan’s recent history sums up a lot of football’s current problems. Roughly a year into the new ownership, however, most of the turbulence seems over and this fallen giant may […]
During the first half, Athletic’s defensive scheme easily stopped Barcelona’s rigid and disjointed possession game, reducing them to only two shots. In the second half, Rakitić’s entrance and the shift to a 4-2-3-1 formation improved Barcelona’s buildup, which allowed them to control the game. As the match looked set for a well-deserved draw, however, Aduriz […]
Atlético Madrid are betting their future on the performance of their new signing, the young João Félix. In this article, we attempt to explain why Atlético needed a Griezmann successor so badly, why Félix could be that successor, and what tactics can Simeone and his staff use to build a good collective structure around him. […]
Tactical issues on both sides made for a rather open game between Manchester United and Chelsea. In the end, United were able to take advantage of transition moments to get ahead in the game, even though the two teams were often fairly even. Tactical analysis and match report by Josh Manley. There have not been […]