LaLiga
Athletic Club – Sevilla FC: Athletic get much-needed win over Sevilla thanks to intense pressing and Williams (2-0)
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
Real Betis – Real Madrid: Madrid Triumph In A Tactically Intriguing Tale Of Two Halves (1-2)
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.
FC Barcelona – SD Eibar: Is It Brave Or Stupid To Press Barça At The Camp Nou? (3-0)
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,
Real Madrid – Real Sociedad: Vinicius shines but a chaotic Real Madrid lose against developing Real Sociedad (0-2)
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
Getafe – FC Barcelona: Attacking talent the difference for Barcelona against well-drilled Getafe (1-2)
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
Sevilla FC – Atlético Madrid: Non, non, rien n’a changé (1-1)
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,
FC Barcelona – Celta de Vigo: The Messi – Alba duo bring lethargic Barcelona the win over an underdeveloped Celta (2-0)
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.
Levante UD – FC Barcelona: bold Levante is demolished when attempting to trade punches with Messi (0-5)
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.
Real Madrid – Rayo Vallecano: Benzema Overcomes A Lack Of Collective Mechanisms To Push Madrid Over The Line (1-0)
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
RCD Espanyol – FC Barcelona: Stellar Messi leads Barcelona to crush Espanyol in tactical battle of pressing systems and counterattacks (0-4)
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