Tag: analysis
Tactical Analysis: Bayern Munich’s continued dominance against Barcelona shows just how far the Catalans have fallen
Updated:Just under 13 months after that historic 8-2 demolition in the UEFA Champions League quarterfinal, Barcelona and Bayern Munich were back at it – this time for the blockbuster Matchday…
Read more »Performance Analysis: Cristiano Ronaldo’s Dream Manchester United Return against Newcastle United
Updated:Over 12 years after his last match for Manchester United – the 2009 UEFA Champions League final which saw Barcelona emerge with the coveted trophy – Cristiano Ronaldo was back…
Read more »Tactical Analysis: Tottenham Hotspur’s counter-attacking free-for-all against Manchester City
Updated:It just keeps on giving. We’ve only seen 10 Premier League matches in 2021/22, but we already have three shock results as new-boys Brentford outclassed Arsenal on the opening day,…
Read more »Tactical Analysis: How Manchester United’s 4-2-3-1/4-3-3 hybrid tore Leeds United apart
Updated:It’s back, and it’s back with an absolute bang. Matchday 1 of the 2021/22 English Premier League has already delivered some absolute thrillers, including Brentford’s opening-day win over Arsenal and…
Read more »Scout Report: Romelu Lukaku is the perfect addition to Chelsea’s fearsome attack
Updated:This transfer window keeps getting crazier and crazier. Just days after Manchester City smashed the British transfer record to sign Jack Grealish, Chelsea have come very close to matching it…
Read more »Scout Report: How Paris Saint-Germain can integrate Lionel Messi to their star-studded side
Updated:Did anyone see that coming even a week ago? After a stunning set of events that saw Lionel Messi prevented from signing a contract extension at Barcelona that looked all…
Read more »Scout Report: How Raphaël Varane will bolster Manchester United’s defence
Updated:Manchester United are not messing about this summer, as they have only gone and struck a deal that will see Raphaël Varane join the club on a reported four-year contract…
Read more »Data Analysis: Why Arsenal value Emile Smith Rowe so highly
Updated:With a new five-year contract and the famous number 10 shirt to boot, Emile Smith Rowe is here to stay at Arsenal (sorry Aston Villa). The club clearly value their…
Read more »Tactical Analysis: How England nearly caught Italy off guard in the Euro 2020 final
Updated:This was it. A month, 50 games, and 140 goals after the curtain-raiser in Rome between Turkey and Italy, this was the ultimate stage of the Europan Championships – the…
Read more »Tactical Analysis: How Argentina’s disciplined defending helped them beat Brazil in the Copa América final
Updated:After 27 matches of enthralling South American football, we reached the final of the 2021 Copa América, where Brazil and Argentina were set to do battle. The Seleção were the defending champions,…
Read more »Tactical Analysis: England and Denmark’s closely-matched Euro semifinal at Wembley
Updated:In the literal sense of the song, it had already come home as both the semi-finals and final were to be played at Wembley Stadium, but in the sense that…
Read more »Tactical Analysis: How Italy outclassed Belgium in the Euros
Updated:The 16th edition of the European Championships has continued to deliver football and entertainment of the highest order at the quarter-final stage. The biggest clash of the last eight featured…
Read more »Scout Report: How Manchester United should use Jadon Sancho
Updated:After over a year’s worth of reports, rumours, and the deal being this close to completion, Jadon Sancho is finally set to be joining Manchester United. The English winger has reportedly…
Read more »Tactical Analysis: How England found a way past Germany in the Euros
Updated:After three days of tournament football at its chaotic and unpredictable best, the UEFA European Championship‘s round of 16 drew to a close. The last two matches involved Sweden and…
Read more »Opposition Analysis: What England should expect to see from Germany
Updated:The group stage of Euro 2020 is done and dusted, so now it’s time for the really serious business – the knockout phase. We are getting straight into them with…
Read more »Euro 2020 Matchday 3 Review: Danish delight, unstoppable Italy, & much more
Updated:The last round of the group stage in Euro 2020 certainly was the most dramatic, as there were 13 qualification spots up for grabs (Italy, Belgium and Netherlands got the…
Read more »Euro 2020 Matchday 2 Review: Italy, Belgium and Netherlands progress, Scotland hold England, Germany blow Portugal away & much more
Updated:The second matchday of Euro 2020 once again featured 24 nations participating in 12 fixtures across the six groups, and there is lots to unpack from the week’s action. So,…
Read more »Tactical Analysis: How Scotland’s in-match adjustments contained England in the Euros
Updated:For the 100th time in a competitive football match, less-than-friendly neighbours England and Scotland prepared to face each other. This was their first clash at the Euros since (look away…
Read more »Tactical Analysis: How Manchester City undid themselves against Chelsea in the Champions League final
Updated:After three encounters this season in the Premier League and FA Cup, Manchester City and Chelsea squared off in the biggest match of the European club football season – the…
Read more »Tactical Analysis: How Villarreal’s adaptability helped them beat Manchester United in the UEFA Europa League final
Updated:In the second-last match of continental football in Europe for the 2020/21 season, Villarreal and Manchester United prepared to square off for the Europa League trophy. Ole Gunnar Solskjær was…
Read more »Scout Report: How Ibrahima Konaté can bolster Liverpool’s defence
Updated:Another transfer window, another chance for Liverpool to add a centre-back or two to their squad. After injuries stripped them of all of their senior central defenders, Liverpool made a…
Read more »Tactical Analysis: How Chelsea’s misfitting tweaks allowed Leicester City to take the FA Cup
Updated:Just more than two weeks before this day in 2016, Leicester City were celebrating a miraculous Premier League title after Chelsea halted Tottenham Hotspur’s title charge for good at Stamford…
Read more »Analysis: Manchester United’s defensive issues perfectly highlighted in Liverpool defeat
Updated:Protests, postponements and punctured bus tyres, among other things, could not stop two historic rivals from colliding for one last time in the 2020/21 season, as Liverpool visited Old Trafford…
Read more »Tactical Analysis: How Arsenal’s smart pressing and defending helped them carve out a victory against Chelsea
Updated:Chelsea’s final league match before the FA Cup final against Leicester City was an important London derby, as they hosted Arsenal at Stamford Bridge. The Blues were six points clear…
Read more »Tactical Analysis: How Chelsea halted Manchester City’s Premier League title party
Updated:Just over three weeks after their FA Cup semi-final success, Chelsea faced Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday, with the hosts having the chance to seal the Premier…
Read more »Tactical Analysis: How Chelsea saw off Real Madrid to progress to the Champions League final
Updated:After their 1-1 first leg stand-off, Chelsea and Real Madrid faced each other once again, this time to decide the second Champions League final spot. The Blues had certainly been…
Read more »Tactical Analysis: How Manchester City got past Paris Saint-Germain to secure a Champions League final spot with pragmatism and adaptability
Updated:With a hard-fought 2-1 lead from the first leg in hand, Manchester City hosted Paris Saint-Germain at the Etihad Stadium for the second leg of their UEFA Champions League semi-final…
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