Athletic Bilbao were very strong with their intense pressing and runs in behind, which caused Sevilla’s defensive line all sorts of problems. The away side struggled to get into dangerous areas with their possession and completely failed in their direct approach on the wings, which meant Bilbao picked up a much-needed three points. Tactical analysis […]
Quique Setién declined to return to a back five after drawing with Sociedad, allowing Real Madrid to cause mayhem with their high press and counterattacking skill. Things swung Betis’ way in the second half, before one of their former stars came back to snatch their souls at the death. Tactical analysis by Om Arvind. There should […]
The match between FC Barcelona and SD Eibar leaves you thinking about the philosophical side of football. Even though Eibar has players of far lesser quality, they took the game to Barcelona and pressed them vigorously. If all teams tried to do that, wouldn’t football be a more fun game? Or was this a naïve […]
The early goal changed Real Sociedad’s game plan into a more reactive one, and despite initial struggles, they improved in the second half and managed to disorder Real Madrid’s chaotic defense. Despite Vinicius’s best efforts, Real Madrid’s rigid and predictable attack failed to get past an outstanding Rulli in the opposing goal. Solari’s woes as […]
Getafe came out with a plan to press and block Barcelona for as long as they could, while making the most of whatever possession they could get. For large parts of the game this worked, but individual ability, good game management and a bit of luck was enough for the champions to extend their lead […]
It could have been worse, this game. Much worse. While Sevilla against Atlético could have been a battle to give the ball away to your opponent, the game developed into a battle between two teams who both had a dominant half. Both in their own style. Nice to watch. Tactical analysis and match report by […]
Celta’s failure to properly defend the Leo Messi – Jordi Alba connection allowed Barcelona to score twice in the first half and achieve a straightforward victory. Barcelona’s inconsistent pressing, combined with the substitutions of Beltrán and Lobotka, allowed Celta to improve during the second half. Tactical analysis and match report by José Perez. Barcelona continued […]
Levante succeeded at enforcing a direct, high-tempo game, while Barcelona struggled due to the use of an improvised 3-5-2 shape that mirrored Levante’s own 3-5-2 formation. However, before the end of the first half, Messi turned the tides with the help of Vidal and Suárez, deciding the game with a grand total of three goals […]
Real Madrid struggled to break down one of the worst defenses in the league before Benzema took over and led a brief renaissance. Half-time killed the momentum, allowing Rayo to grow back into the game and force Courtois to save the result at the death. Tactical analysis and match report by Om Arvind. Now that […]
An initially conservative Espanyol changed their approach after Messi’s first brilliant free kick goal. However, Barcelona’s fire power of Suárez, Dembélé and a stellar Messi still came out on the top in the ensuing battle of pressing systems and defense-to-attack transitions. The second half saw Espanyol unable to change this dynamic from the bench. Tactical […]