Unai Emery’s midfield trio dominated Real Madrid in the first half of the match, but Carlo Ancelotti’s half-time adjustments made Real Madrid more competitive in the second half. A formation change and the introduction of Eduardo Camavinga gave Real Madrid a new outlet in attack, which helped them pin Villarreal into their own defensive third […]
Neither Villarreal nor Atalanta had met before in their history, but those viewing events at El Madrigal will hope these two will continue such affairs for years to come. Unai Emery’s counterpressing locked horns against the wide rotations of Gian Piero Gasperini’s team, in a feisty tactical faceoff that makes the group stages worthwhile. […]
Two of LaLiga’s Champions League representatives, in contrasting runs of form, faced off in Madrid. Atlético were rarely tested at the back as Villarreal failed to progress despite seeing plenty of the ball. Villarreal’s backline were unable to say the same as they were made to work from the get-go by the hosts who excelled […]
On the basis of the first half hour, Chelsea looked to win the Super Cup. But write off the Yellow Submarine at your own peril. The second face of the same coin proved far more troublesome to manage than the first, taking the game to the death, where an unfancied hero made his mark. Tactical […]
Yearning to mimic the glory days under an old star, Manchester United looked to break their four-year trophy drought with a win in this final. But Villarreal had other ideas. As a compact defensive block met an aimless offensive setup, over two hours of sparring in a grueling finale saw the Spaniards round off the […]
Barcelona came into this game looking to punish their rivals for dropping points the night before. But the contest was far from plain sailing. Facing a high 4-4-2 press from the home team, their issues in the buildup phase and a shock setback set the tone for a tight duel where a superstar had to […]
It was quite the struggle for these opponents when it came to the creation of clear-cut chances – despite positive periods for both. They each faced off against similarly narrow shapes and each battled a high press. The result saw regular direct play on show with the flanks attracting plenty of attention, as Sociedad came […]
Entering this game off the back of a drubbing, Real Madrid’s early strike saw them start the match as they would have liked to go on. However, their control of the ball gradually waned, and Villarreal’s personnel adjustments in their 4-3-3 shape bore fruit late in the day. Tactical analysis by Emmanuel Adeyemi-Abere. After his […]
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 […]
Unai Emery might have thought he was on the cusp of a good result. Arsenal’s decent first half display managed to mostly contain Leicester’s threat while creating chances off their own back. However, a second half midfield collapse proved too much to handle following many missed opportunities. Tactical analysis and match report by Peter M. […]