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 […]
In the penultimate set of LaLiga games, Real Madrid were presented an opportunity to seal the league title. The home side produced a dominant performance in all phases. Villarreal, suffocated in their 4-4-2 defensive shape, did not threaten to spoil the party until the dying minutes. This effort would not be enough as a Benzema […]
Two penalties proved to be the only solution for Villarreal, as the execution of Calleja’s match plan, which had to open up Getafe’s structures, was smothered by a solid defense. By taking a lead twice, Villarreal turned a tactical encounter into a more exciting match, as Getafe were forced to play out of their comfort […]
As the scoreline shows, Quique Setién’s men made relatively light work of Javi Calleja’s Villarreal. Impressive fluidity and synchronization between teammates was at the core of Barcelona’s successes going forward, despite some nervy moments still creeping in down their own end. Tactical analysis and match report by Peter Munnelly. Having won five of their previous […]