David Moyes had never progressed past the quarter-finals of European competition: but a brutal bashing of a disjointed Olympique Lyonnais has put West Ham United into a European semi-final for the first time in forty-six years. Tactical analysis and match report by Joel Parker.  UEFA’s B competition has always been filled with intriguing match-ups, lo and […]

In a game of two halves, both managers earned their flowers. Jorge Sampaoli’s body of work flourished in the first half, but his men could not finish off the duel. So seizing a window of opportunity at the death, might his counterpart have made a breakthrough in his new post? Tactical analysis and match report […]

Lyon and PSG might tease an exciting clash on paper between two giants, but neither team has been able to capture the imagination. Indeed, in a matchup between misfit stars and an outfit short on stardust, the hosts accepted their plight to draw up a stalemate. Tactical analysis and match report by Emmanuel Adeyemi-Abere. Peter […]

At the campaigns’ midpoint, not many had LOSC Lille and Olympique Lyonnais as eleventh and twelfth on their pre-season predictors. In a game deprived of offensive quality, both showcased how they got to this point, whilst a significant shift in momentum should have seen one of them take all three points at the end. Tactical […]

If three elite attackers could not blow their opponents to pieces, PSG fans may have hoped the addition of a fourth would do the trick. But few have seen the flaws of reliance on individual brilliance more than in Paris, where the home team’s struggles gave way to a hard-fought win. Tactical analysis and match […]

Lyon came home with the three points after a hard-fought win against eighth-placed Nantes, in a game that could have gone either way. They took the lead early on in the game and, despite a late red card, managed to hang on to it. Tactical analysis and match report by Muhammad Raza. This Ligue 1 […]

There were to be no surprises here as Leverkusen outdueled the visitors in a frenetic and fun encounter. Goals from Kerem Demirbay and another starring performance from Mousa Diaby were enough to put Stuttgart away, who attempted to adapt but were undone by their defensive errors. Tactical analysis and match report by Manasvin Andra.  Following […]

While the title race has once again ended on a premature note, the battle for Champions League football has retained the ability to produce some exciting clashes. This game marked one such encounter, with Bayer Leverkusen adopting an aggressive scheme in the first half only to let themselves down in the second half by allowing […]

The premier fixture of match week 17 did not disappoint, as Bayer Leverkusen and Borussia Dortmund traded attacks over the course of ninety frenetic minutes. In the first half, Edin Terzić & co. could not deal with a Leverkusen team featuring an inspired Moussa Diaby. However, it was an altogether different story in the second […]

Put simply, 2020 is Bayern Munich’s year, and so it proved as the treble winners found a way to overcome the hosts in a pulsating, high quality contest. Peter Bosz’s side stuck to their game plan and often had Bayern on the ropes, but the champions came swinging out in the second half to stun […]