The first half saw Liverpool on top but Chelsea were able to hold on with their passive 4-5-1 defensive shape and occasional transition attacks through Timo Werner. Andreas Christensen’s sending off just before half-time changed the game though, as ten-man Chelsea were unable to cover space defensively. Two Sadio Mané goals wrapped the game up […]
After keeping Bayern at bay with some smart pressing, PSG missed the chances they created in the first half. The second half was a lot more even and eventually tilted Bayern’s way, as PSG could never recover from a Kingsley Coman header, meaning Hansi Flick’s machine continued their remarkable run and won the biggest prize […]
Leipzig took up a relatively passive defensive scheme which helped PSG to take the initiative from the start. PSG’s own possession play was strong, as they were able to outplay Leipzig in deeper areas and find suitable roles for the front three. PSG were 2-0 up by half-time, and the more aggressive setup taken by […]
Bayern Munich entered the game with an aggressive style of play, and their high defensive line looked like it might be exploitable early on. Once Bayern got into their pressing game though, they steamrolled Barcelona, who gave up easy turnovers in their own half. Barcelona’s defensive play was similarly shambolic, allowing Bayern to rip through […]
Paris Saint-Germain’s switch to a 4-3-3 formation did little to disguise the loss of Kylian Mbappé, as Thomas Tuchel’s side struggled to create serious offensive chances. Meanwhile, a stridently defensive Olympique Lyonnais held off the Parisian giants for as long as they could – only to be undone with penalties. Tactical analysis and match report […]
A wonderful sequence of buildup play put Arsenal 1-0 up in the first half. Manchester City dominated the ball, but were unable to break down Arsenal’s deep defense, despite Pep Guardiola’s tactical adjustments. Mikel Arteta’s side added a second goal with twenty minutes left, making City’s task almost insurmountable, and Arsenal eventually closed the game […]
Juve found no escape routes from Atalanta’s ferocious marking, which nullified Juve’s attacks until two penalties came to the rescue. Once more, Atalanta proved that they are a worthy challenger of any team, as Gasperini’s gift keeps on giving. Tactical analysis and match report by Kareem Bianchi. After crumbling to a Milan comeback three days […]
Manchester City performed a guard of honour for Liverpool before the game, but there was no title procession for Liverpool once the game began. City had an attacking scheme designed to find weaknesses in Liverpool’s compact 4-3-3 system and overwhelmed Liverpool to take a 3-0 lead in the first half, with Kevin De Bruyne being […]
Quique Setién’s latest buildup experiment featured Riqui Puig at the tip of a midfield diamond and fullbacks used as wingers. While this helped Barcelona protect themselves against Atlético’s counterattacks, it failed to disorder Atlético’s defense and win a game with few open play chances and no major tactical changes during the second half. Tactical analysis […]
Both teams came to the game with adjusted defensive schemes and mostly familiar attacking shapes. Arsenal kept things relatively even in the early stages before defensive errors from David Luiz helped City into a comfortable lead, and the defender getting sent off on top of that. From this point, City could pick Arsenal apart with […]