Diego Simeone’s excellent use of the wings allowed Atlético Madrid a strong start, but a lulling deep block let Valencia back in it. The second half was more of a boxing match, with each side trading blows until a magnificent strike nine minutes from time sealed the game. Tactical analysis and match report by Tom […]
Quique Setién was full of changes in this fixture, fielding three different formations across the match. Even though it was not enough to secure any points, the performance of his team was respectable enough to have deserved at least something from another intriguing clash between Setién and Marcelino’s sides. Tactical analysis and match report by […]
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 […]
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 […]
He said that he would accept to be sacked. He then went on to say he would not agree with it, pointing out that there are “circumstances beyond the control of the coach”. Valencia manager Marcelino is right. His team are an extreme case of what happens every season, in every league. Results in football […]
In this dramatic Copa del Rey semi-final first leg, Valencia were masterful in exploiting Betis’ man-marking, yet also inconsistent in their defending of their opposition’s inside attackers. Betis on the other hand simply seemed to lack the experience to cope with different game states, as they massively hampered their chances of progressing to the final […]
Barcelona took a risky approach in possession against Valencia’s counterattacking threat, and found themselves 2-0 down just over thirty minutes in. Valencia’s brave possession structure kept Barcelona’s backline busy, hurting them with well-executed quick breaks. A moment of individual quality from Lionel Messi was required – again – to find a way past Valencia’s compact […]
Real Madrid calmly gained an advantage over a listless Valencia side, before securing the result on the counter-attack when Valencia decided to become more proactive. Tactical analysis and match report by Om Arvind. Expectations for Valencia coming into the 2018/19 season were very high, given their strong fourth place finish in the previous campaign. They […]
Breaking into Valencia’s defense is not an easy task, but once Juventus got an opening goal, the match never seemed out of control for them. Thanks to their controlled possession and great defensive organization, Juventus saw the match out with minimal effort as they cruised towards Champions League knockout phase qualification. Tactical analysis and match […]
Manchester United may not have lost this match, but José Mourinho’s side looked second best for significant spells of the game. Valencia exploited United’s man-marking system but couldn’t find the finishing touch in the final third. Meanwhile United’s possession game was – once more – slow and lacking in ideas. Manchester United’s current poor form […]