3-5-2 Formation

We began this series intending to dissect Manchester City's in-possession approach for 2025/2026. First, we explored the build-up, analysing the ideas of Pep Guardiola and his new assistant Pep Lijnders, particularly against man-marking high-pressing schemes, which is a common trend these days. Then, we examined their progression phase and the...

Very few footballing nations can claim a defensive lineage as rich as Italy. From Paolo Maldini's elegance to Fabio Cannavaro's grit to Franco Baresi's authority, Italian defending has long been an art form. Now, a new name is beginning to echo through the corridors of calcio tradition. That name is Parma's 18-year-old sensation: Giovanni Leoni....

Simon Sohm promises to be a fantastic summer signing for Fiorentina after he was instrumental for Parma in recent seasons. La Viola completed the permanent transfer for €15m, which further confirms the club's intent to strengthen and become serious contenders for UEFA Champions League qualification next season. Head coach Stefano...

Zachary Athekame is a 20-year-old right-back who is very much on the radar of Serie A’s AC Milan, as the I Rossoneri need a promising right-back to reinforce their squad. Massimiliano Allegri has been using the 3-5-2 formation during the friendly games he played so far in the pre-season camp...

AS Roma are a club historically marked by legendary Brazilian right-backs such as Cafu and Maicon. Now, I Giallorossi have signed potentially another one in Wesley França. The deal reinforces Gian Piero Gasperini’s squad with a quality right-back capable of upgrading the team’s balance, solidity and threat on that flank....

After two seasons in Serie B, Cremonese secured their promotion to Serie A following a long and gruelling 2024/2025 campaign, which saw them defeat Spezia in the play-off final. It is essential to emphasise that Spezia were ahead of Cremonese in the standings by five points. Still, despite this, Cremonese managed to...

After parting ways with Saudi Pro League side Al-Nassr, Stefano Pioli has just rejoined Fiorentina as their new head coach on a three-year contract. He has already started working with the team for the pre-season. In fact, Pioli has already selected his pre-season roster, and that was announced on the...

Real Madrid eliminated Juventus from the Round of 16 of the FIFA Club World Cup with a 1-0 win. Los Blancos advance to the Club World Cup quarter-finals, where they will go on to face Borussia Dortmund. The match confirmed that I Bianconeri will need to make some remarkable adjustments...

The 2024/2025 EFL Championship season was a disappointing one for both Rob Edwards and Middlesbrough. Edwards began the season managing Luton Town, off the back of Premier League relegation in 2023/2024. His side entered the year as top-six favourites, but by January, he had been sacked with his team firmly...

When Werder Bremen announced Ole Werner's departure, many outsiders were surprised by Die Grün-Weißen CSO Clemens Fritz's decision. The young German coach took over Werder at the club's darkest time in 2021. After getting relegated, the team was stuck in the second division's midfield, and the situation looked dire. But Werner took over the struggling...

Florentino Luís is a 25-year-old defensive midfielder, currently playing for SL Benfica. He has been one of the most consistent performers in Liga Portugal over the last three seasons. Born in Angola, he moved to the Lisbon region of Portugal with his family at a very young age, where his...

Born in Haifa, Israel, to an Arab-Israeli family, Anan Khalaily was raised in a footballing environment. His father, Majdi, a former goalkeeper and youth coach, played a central role in his development. At the Neve Yosef Academy, under his father’s guidance, Khalaily burst onto the scene with 25 goals in...

Massimiliano Allegri has been officially appointed as AC Milan’s new head coach following last week's negotiations. I Rossoneri started their summer reconstruction phase to try to fix what went wrong last season by hiring Igli Tare as the sporting director. This was an attempt to avoid the mistakes made last...

The 2024/2025 UEFA Champions League Final is a clash of contrasting philosophies. On one side, Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), under Luis Enrique, have developed into an exciting, fluid attacking team, blending youthful dynamism with devastation. On the other hand, Simone Inzaghi’s Inter Milan epitomises defensive resilience, constantly changing shapes, and ruthlessness...

The Wrexham fairytale embarks on its newest and most ambitious chapter yet in 2025/2026. After back-to-back promotions under Phil Parkinson from National League to EFL League Two in 2022/2023 and then League Two to EFL League One in 2023/24, the Red Dragons have made it a three-peat of promotions in...

Fiorentina met Real Betis for the UEFA Europa Conference League semi-finals second leg on Thursday. The game ended with a 2-2 draw, which meant Real Betis qualified for the Europa Conference League final with a final score of 3-4 on aggregate. Although this result is disappointing for ACF Fiorentina and...

Usually, the games in the UEFA Champions League semi-finals don't offer a lot of highlights or goals. This year, we got a tie that changed things up massively from start to finish. Inter Milan and Barcelona came to San Siro after an incredible 3-3 draw at Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys...

AS Roma beat Fiorentina last Sunday in an entertaining match. This helped the Giallorossi move closer to fourth place, which would qualify them for UEFA Champions League football next season. In this AS Roma vs Fiorentina tactical analysis, we will explore Claudio Ranieri style of play and game management. This...

After four consecutive years of finishing outside of the EFL League One Playoffs, fans of former Premier League side Charlton Athletic most likely braced themselves for another season of mediocrity. Their 17th-place position in the 2023/2024 season was their lowest since the 1980s, and things certainly did not look up...

The stage was set at San Siro this Wednesday night for two of the biggest names in European football to compete for a spot in the UEFA Champions League semi-finals. The home team, Inter Milan, was taking their 2-1 lead that they earned through a late goal at the Allianz...