Transitional defending, covering passing lanes and a compact team shape proved vital as Athletico Paranaense won their first ever Copa do Brasil. Internacional controlled the ball, put their poor passing structure and overcommitment towards the end of the game resulted in the hosts looking vulnerable on the break. Tactical analysis and match report by Joel […]

A late VAR call that resulted in a penalty gifted Santos the deserved equalizer, in a game they dominated from start to finish, with the exception of ten decisive minutes. The draw left them two points behind Serie A leaders Flamengo, whom they will encounter in their next fixture. Tactical analysis and match report by […]

Athletico Paranaense dominated the first half with a variable possession game, overcoming the two-goal deficit of the first leg, with the second goal coming right after half-time. However, the hosts were not able to score the third goal after Grêmio were decimated to ten players, meaning this game was decided on penalties.  Tactical analysis and […]

Paranaense found dominance in this match through their diagonal threat and sustained pressure off the ball. Internacional seemed far too reluctant to keep the ball down and, rather, pumped hopeful balls into the channels time and time again. As the game ebbed away, it took a little more than what both sides had been doing […]

After Palmeiras were able to neutralize Paranaense’s early possession – by limiting the options forward for playmaker Guimarães – a flurry of chances either way opened up the game. One open goal miss and twenty-nine Paranaense fouls later, the winner was found; courtesy of substitute Raphael Vega’s 80th minute penalty. Tactical analysis and match report […]

River Plate came back to win the Recopa Sudamericana thanks to a more compact and aggressive pressing game. River heavily dominated both halves, preventing Athletico from coming out of their own half of the pitch and thus outshooting them. After 90 minutes of pressure, Athletico’s defense finally collapsed during injury time. Tactical analysis and match […]

Preceding the chaos of the second half was a contest tightly-fought by two differing systems – one demonstrating alternative components of a 4-3-3 setup and the other displaying unique structures in a narrow 4-2-2-2 shape. Paranaense’s innovative attacking moves trumped the home side’s but it was not enough to avoid defeat. Tactical analysis and match […]

The first tie of the Recopa Sudamericana – the super cup of South America – heavily favored Athletico Paranaense, who could have perfectly won the game by a larger margin. During the first half, River had a hard time defending the overlapping runs of left back Renán Lodi, which led to Athletico’s goal. After the […]