Ronald Koeman bit the bullet on the 4-2-3-1 shape, sending out his team with the aim to blow away Valencia with flair in the final third. Yet, the switch failed with a mix of offensive sterility and issues controlling transition exposing how problems lie much deeper than the formation. Tactical analysis by Emmanuel Adeyemi-Abere. After […]
Strikes from Jordi Alba and Frenkie de Jong proved sufficient for Barcelona to beat Sociedad, but what truly impressed was the dominant nature of this win. Better spacing on the pitch and dynamic ball movement demonstrated what Ronald Koeman’s side can do, as they stacked up the shot count though without the required clinical edge. […]
For what had appeared to be a rather limited strategy for ball progression from Ronald Koeman soon turned into an irrepressible one. Once Manuel Pellegrini’s side felt forced to switch their pressing scope from the Dutch magician, Frenkie de Jong, on Pedri instead, they then found themselves in deep waters, trying to steady a forever-sinking […]
What initially appeared like simple technical mistakes turned into a worrying trend that slowly sucked Juventus out of the game, into Barcelona’s grasp. A stale offense could not threaten Neto’s goal, while, repeatedly, a chaotic defense was effortlessly pulled out by the visitors, who only have themselves to blame for not scoring more. Tactical analysis […]
An exciting first half featuring goals and attacking flair gave way to a slower second period which suited Real Madrid perfectly. After Ansu Fati cancelled out Federico Valverde’s opener, it was Barcelona who looked the sharper of the two sides. However, a resurgence of the defensive solidity that brought Real Madrid their title saw them […]
Ronald Koeman’s impatience pegged Barça back more than anything, as the successful tweaks applied in-game were tweaked once again but this time prematurely. Contrastingly, José Bordalás’ regimented approach consistently made the most out of every man-to-man duel. Tactical analysis and match report by Peter Munnelly. The away side, in all of Getafe’s first four games this […]
Julen Lopetegui’s Sevilla put on a mighty fine display at Camp Nou to avoid defeat, and also lay down a marker for their ambitions of the title as an outsider. Two early goals were followed by an otherwise goalless encounter, yet it was hard not to become engrossed in the away side’s fluency offensively and […]
After a convincing start to their new domestic campaign, Barcelona found Celta Vigo’s 5-3-2 block a tough outfit to crack. But despite several setbacks, the visitors managed to rack up the goals and seal a second win under their new manager. Tactical analysis by Emmanuel Adeyemi-Abere. Celta Vigo have made a steady start to the […]
With Ronald Koeman at the managerial helm, this was the beginning of a new Barcelona chapter. A dazzling Fati performance highlighted the cohesive left flank of Barcelona’s 4-2-3-1 formation. From the support from Alba and De Jong to the central connections being constantly available, Barcelona’s left caused plenty of danger. Villarreal failed to deal with […]
The fourth meeting in eleven months between the Netherlands and Germany yielded six goals and yet another fun game. Before half-time, Germany were in control of the match, having scored the opener and wasting several moments to double their lead. They would rue their wastefulness, as it gave Koeman the opportunity to alter his tactics, […]