In a spectacular Seville derby, Sevilla proved to be more ruthless and efficient than their crosstown rivals. In the first half, Sevilla dominated after reorganizing their midfield structure in the initial fifteen minutes. Betis responded in the second half, but Sevilla effectively punished this increased aggression and successfully defended their lead. Tactical analysis and match […]

In the key game to decide LaLiga’s title race, Barcelona ultimately defeated Atlético. In the first half hour, this was an even match, with a surprisingly proactive Atlético, until Diego Costa was sent off. After the 30th minute, Atlético retreated into a deep block and focused on counterattacks. Only the ever-decisive Suárez and Messi were […]

Valencia broke a long lull in play with a Guedes goal, creating a glut of transition opportunities that Madrid survived until the end of the first half. The Valencian onslaught continued after the restart and Madrid countered with a repetitive crossing approach that failed to pay off. Garay secured the three points late in the […]

Espanyol genuinely made life hard for Barcelona at Camp Nou by playing in a very compact and well-functioning 5-3-1-1 formation. Only past the midway point of the second half did the home side find a way to score and this essentially ended the game, after what had been a very interesting, yet one-sided seventy minutes […]

There were a lot of tactical aspects that gave colour to this match. From Betis’ problematic attacking structure to the manipulation of Betis’ center-backs and how Barcelona’s offensive players consistently created space for themselves. All in all however, this match was mostly defined by an outrageously good performance by Lionel Messi, even by his standards. […]

The new manager effect and Zinedine Zidane’s aura gave Real Madrid a platform of heightened energy to work from. Unsurprisingly, it did not produce immediate results, as players like Isco looked rather rusty. Eventually, the quality of Madrid broke through in the second half and Celta Vigo were dispatched with ease. Tactical analysis and match […]

Marcelino’s men finally start to show more efficiency up front as Valencia grabbed all three points away to Girona. The home side had a lot of possession, but as so many teams have, they failed to break down Valencia’s compact 4-4-2 set-up. Despite both strikers going off and being reduced to ten men, Ferrán Torres […]

Real Madrid had the better of their eternal rivals for most of the game. They threatened on the counterattack late in the first half and responded with a flood of shots after going down 1-0, but simply were not clinical enough. The exact opposite was true for Barcelona, who scored three goals on only four […]

Pablo Machín’s tactical creativity only earned its credit in the early stages of this encounter as the little Argentine’s talents eventually prevailed. Sevilla’s true pantomime villain showcased why he is still undoubtedly the best there is. Tactical analysis and match report by Peter M. Just three days had passed since Sevilla’s 2-0 victory over SS […]

Thanks to better pressing, better finishing, and some tired Sevillan legs, Villarreal managed to win their first league game since November. Despite not producing a tactical master class or playing Sevilla off the pitch, this might spark Villarreal’s season back into life as they look to claw their way out of the relegation zone. Tactical […]