Scouting Time: Calvin Stengs
In this series, we take a look at some of the most interesting talents in the football world. Next up is AZ Alkmaar’s right-winger Calvin Stengs. — — As part of Arne Slot’s tactically sophisticated and entertaining AZ Alkmaar team, Calvin Stengs has been a revelation….
(Remote) Scouting Time: Donyell Malen
In this series, we take a look at some of the most interesting talents in the football world, that’s ready to start (or re-start) the 2020 season after the COVID-19 crisis. Next up is PSV’s winger Donyell Malen. —- Courtesy of his superb form for PSV…
(Remote) Scouting Time: Ferran Torres
Unquestionably one of the finest prospects in European football, it’s understandable why Ferran Torres is attracting interest from so many prestigious clubs. Having come through the Valencia academy that he joined aged six and made his full debut back in 2017, Torres’ rise has been…
PSG v BVB | Will Tuchel send in the attackers to turn things around?
Having lost the first leg of their Champions League Round of 16 clash with Borussia Dortmund, the pressure is on PSG to turn around the 2-1 deficit. With Thomas Tuchel changing to a 3421 from his usual 442/4222 formation that he’s deployed for large chunks of…
Atlético v Liverpool: a clash of styles
Atletico Madrid‘s Champions League Round of 16 contest with Liverpool’s looms as a captivating clash of styles. With Liverpool in absolutely dominant form and brushing aside just about everyone, Jürgen Klopp’s taken his team to another level this season. So hard to beat, masters at…
Montpellier HSC: Michel Der Zakarian’s unique and successful approach
While Michel Der Zakarian’s Montpellier side might not be the most aesthetically pleasing outfit to watch in Ligue 1, they deserve to be admired for their unique, successful approach. Often favouring directness over methodical build-up play, Der Zakarian’s effectively instilled his philosophy into his team,…
Four defining tactical features of 2019
As another fascinating year of football draws to a close, this provides us with a great opportunity to look back on some of the key tactical features from 2019. With innovation always on the mind and coaches on the lookout to devise new ways to…
Cagliari, from relegation contender to must-watch team in Serie A
Playing some of the most entertaining football in Europe while getting all-important results, watching Rolando Maran’s Cagliari has been a joy this season. Undefeated in their last 10 league matches, the high flying Sardinians currently occupy equal third on the Serie A table courtesy of…
How Real Sociedad is becoming one of the most exciting teams in LaLiga
Currently sitting fifth in the La Liga table with some pretty impressive numbers and playing some very exciting football, Real Sociedad made a promising start to the season. Boasting the youngest average squad in La Liga on 25.1, Imanol Alguacil certainly deserves credit for getting…
Mauro Icardi to PSG, the most underrated signing of the summer?
With Mauro Icardi not considered a part of Antonio Conte’s plans at Inter Milan, the Argentine striker was forced to look elsewhere to get minutes away from the club he used to captain. Recognising the opportunity to snap up one of the most clinical goalscorers…
The five most-interesting transfers so far, part II
With a few days left on the football summer transfer market, we already had some very interesting signings all across Europe. After analysing some of them thanks to our contributor Edward Stratmann, we realize that 5 of them weren’t enough to appreciate some of the…
The five most-interesting football transfers so far
We definitely are in the hottest season of the year, not only for the warm and sunny days of summer but also for all the rumours and excitement around the football transfer market season. And even if transfers and signings will continue at least for…
Kai Havertz: das Wunderkind
Bayer Leverkusen’s exceptionally talented 19-year-old Kai Havertz is unquestionably one of the premier youngsters in world football. Having just finished his third season at the professional level, he reached new heights in the 2018/2019 campaign, where he was an integral component towards Die Werkself qualifying…
How Atalanta has become one of the most enjoyable teams in Europe
Atalanta‘s remarkable form this season has been one of the most enjoyable stories in European football. Currently sitting fourth in Serie A and having made it all the way to the Coppa Italia final, where they’ll face Lazio after amazingly ousting Juventus 3-0 along the…
How Djené Dakonam has become vital for Getafe UCL qualification race
One of the big talking points from this season’s LaLiga crusade has been the magnificence of Getafe. Currently sitting in fifth place and running for a coveted Champions League qualification spot, Jose Bordalas’ supremely organised and dogged side’s defensive solidity has unquestionably been the cornerstone…
Juventus v Atlético Madrid: building a comeback
Having lost the first leg of their Champions League round of 16 ties 2-0 to Atlético Madrid, Juventus will need to produce a flawless display at home if they’re to have any chance of progressing. Even though Juventus have still been raking up the points…
United’s star man: how Paul Pogba has been revitalized by Ole Solskjaer
Ahead of Manchester United‘s colossal Champions League clash with Paris Saint-Germain, we look at their masterful midfielder Paul Pogba and why he’s such a key figure for the Red Devils. Given much greater freedom and scope to express himself, Paul Pogba’s been superb since Ole…
Tactical analysis of Unai Emery’s early reign at Arsenal
Although Unai Emery‘s tenure at Arsenal hasn’t all been plain sailing, his impact since replacing the legendary Arsène Wenger in the summer has been overwhelmingly positive. The Spanish tactician’s wasted little time on stamping his mark on the Gunners, as he’s added some much-needed intensity,…
December massive fixture scheduling: pros and cons
The relentless fixture schedule across English football this festive season has unquestionably been a hot topic of contention, with many managers voicing their frustration about the grueling period. The likes of Pep Guardiola, Antonio Conte, Arsene Wenger and Alan Pardew have all complained about it,…
Pedro Leon’s Movement is such a weapon for Eibar
Pedro Leon’s amazing season at Eibar has not only seen him be his team’s outstanding player, but also one of the finest in La Liga.
Abraham’s Movement Impresses for England’s U21s
Despite England’s U21s being unable to overcome a defiant Swedish outfit, the performance of Tammy Abraham offered plenty of optimism for Aidy Boothroyd’s side looking ahead.
Ricardo Quaresma Key in Besiktas’ Title Winning Season
Ricardo Quaresma’s strong from this season was certainly a key element in Besiktas winning yet another Turkish Super Lig title.
Modric and Kroos Crucial in Real Madrid’s Triumph
Real Madrid put in a fantastic performance to overcome Massimiliano Allegri’s brilliant Juventus 4-1 in the Champions League final. And while every player in Zinedine Zidane’s team were excellent, the importance of Luka Modric and Toni Kroos deserved special mention yet again.
Bayer Leverkusen exploit central attacking areas expertly vs Herta
After a turbulent season that has been full of negativity and even featured a relegation scrap, Bayer Leverkusen ended the campaign in fine style by defeating Hertha Berlin 6-2.
Victor Sanchez’s Multifaceted Movement Key in Espanyol’s Build-Up
Whenever the Catalans looked to pass out from the back, Victor Sanchez’s clever variations in his movement successfully saw him position himself astutely to help his side progress upfield.
Jonny Evans: one of the finest defenders in Europe
Jonny Evans’ excellent performance vs Chelsea yet again solidified why he’s one of the finest defenders in the English Premier League.
Anthony Modeste continues his sensational form for Koln
Players that truly know how to play football know how to correctly interpret whether they are in a positional superiority even if they are in a numerical inferiority. In the same way as to whether they are in a positional inferiority they perceive whether they are in a numerical superiority..
Champions League top 3 goalscorers: a look at the numbers
While it’s not entirely surprising to see Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi, Bayern Munich sharpshooter Robert Lewandowski and PSG’s powerhouse Edinson Cavani occupying the top three spots in this season’s Champions League goalscoring chart, it’s interesting to analyse the numbers behind their success.
Lionel Messi’s dribbling wizardry vital in Barca’s Clasico triumph
Lionel Messi ‘s scintillating dribbling qualities yet again had a profound impact in Barcelona’s entertaining 3-2 win over Real Madrid in the Clasico
Anderson Talisca’s Masterful Movement a Huge Asset for Besiktas
Despite Besiktas leading the majority of their Europa League quarter-final first leg match with Lyon, they devastatingly lost 2-1, succumbing to two late goals from the home side. The loss still wasn’t enough to take the shine of yet another impressive performance from their wildly gifted attacking midfielder..
Alan Carvalho’s nifty runs in behind crucial for Guangzhou Evergrande in derby
Guangzhou Evergrande went into their derby with Guangzhou R&F expecting to take home all three points, but even though they were forced to settle for a 2-2 draw, the performance of their Brazilian forward, Alan, still gave their supporters plenty to cheer about..
Hoffenheim’s Defensive Structure Disrupts Hertha’s Build-Up
Hoffenheim continued their remarkable season under their young managerial hotshot, Julian Nagelsmann, by brushing aside Hertha Berlin 3-1 on Friday night. The win now means Die Kraichgauer have collected their most ever Bundesliga points in a season, plus moves them into third place on the table..
Raheem Sterling’s Strength in 1v1 Duels nicely served at City
It’s been fascinating to observe Raheem Sterling’s development under the tactically sophisticated methods of Pep Guardiola at Manchester City. Having a youngster with such raw talent, who he’s been able to mould and further improve, has seen Guardiola really, especially in recent months, get the best of the enormously gifted 22-year-old.
Jonathan Viera’s Multifaceted Movement vs Villarreal
There’s no doubting Jonathan Viera has been one of Las Palmas’ key driving forces in their strong season so far. Under the guidance and positional style of play of manager Quique Setien, his attacking genius has really thrived and animated Los Amarillos’ work in the final third..
Marseille successfully overload the 10 spaces in their win over Angers
With Marseille struggling for consistency this season, their impressive 3-0 victory over Angers at the weekend gave a glowing indication of just how good Rudi Garcia’s side can be when they get things right..
The importance of Sebastian Rudy in Hoffenheim’s Build-Up
Sebastian Rudy has unquestionably been one of the key driving forces behind Hoffenheim’s excellent Bundesliga campaign so far under budding young manager Julian Nagelsmann. And in his side’s domineering 5-2 win against Ingolstadt on the weekend..