The Metropolitano stadium remained a tough nut to crack for Real Madrid. José Mourinho approached the game as an underdog and reaped the underdog result. Real Madrid looked toothless in every phase of the game, extending their stretch of underperformance against big teams. Tactical analysis and match report by Achraf Lamdarhri. In the last eleven visits […]

Barcelona overcame a difficult first half against Sevilla to win three-one away from home, with Sevilla’s man-oriented midfield press initially disrupting Barça’s possession and creating dangerous attacking situations. Barcelona did not change their structure after the break, instead improving their execution and using Rodri’s control from midfield and Raphinha’s movement as a false nine to […]

Villarreal and Real Betis produced a game of contrasting tactical approaches, with Iñigo Pérez’s aggressive pressing and attacking structure causing Betis significant problems before becoming the source of their own downfall. Betis struggled to build through Villarreal’s pressure but grew into the match as Villarreal became increasingly aggressive, eventually exploiting the spaces behind their full-backs […]

Real Sociedad and Atlético Madrid’s overloads allowed both teams to break down each other’s out-of-possession setups. However, Matarazzo and Simeone’s sides failed to work the ball into dangerous areas until the penalty that paved the road for Atlético Madrid. After that, Los Rojiblancos exposed Sociedad frailties from dead ball situations and transitions. Tactical analysis and […]

Real Madrid suffered their first defeat of the new Mourinho era as Real Betis combined an aggressive high press with a disciplined second-half low block to secure a one-nil victory. Madrid created enough opportunities to win the match, but their problems in possession and their lack of defensive awareness repeatedly exposed the structural weaknesses of […]

Atlético de Madrid produced one of their most tactically distinctive performances under Diego Simeone, using Alex Baena and Kang-in Lee as false reference points to manipulate Sevilla’s defensive structure and create space for their fastest attackers. Luis García Plaza’s side struggled to deal with the constant changes of position, and Atlético repeatedly exposed the spaces […]

Sitting in a medium block against Barcelona is a one-way ticket to disaster. Edin Terzic didn’t learn his lesson from Barcelona’s 5-0 thrashing against Elche. In the end, Hansi Flick’s side created 4.06 xG in a game in which the Catalans underperformed in front of the net. Tactical analysis and match report by Achraf Lamdarhri. Barcelona […]

Real Sociedad’s carefully designed approach gave them control for periods in the first half, as Rino Matarazzo exploited Real Madrid’s narrow defensive structure and repeatedly created access through Mikel Oyarzabal’s movements between the lines. However, once Sociedad’s intensity disappeared and their key attacking connector left the pitch, José Mourinho’s side took control, turning an evenly […]

Villarreal and Atlético Madrid’s out-of-possession trade-offs allowed both teams to find routes to each other’s penalty boxes. The Submarines generated the most threat during the passive times of Simeone’s side. Marc Pubill gave Atlético the lead before the game turned into a drama. Los Rojiblancos conceded two penalties and a red card. Nonetheless, Giuliano Simeone […]

After a turbulent summer in which Julian Alvarez’s saga prevailed, Atlético Madrid kicked off their opening game against the returning side to La Liga, Málaga. Both teams appeared to be shy in the first half before Simeone’s side and substitutions went into full swing mode in the second half. Tactical analysis and match report by Achraf […]