Germany started their FIFA World Cup qualifier campaign with a disappointing defeat away to Slovakia. However, they bounced back with a 3-1 victory against Northern Ireland. Julian Nagelsmann altered his lineup and formation from the previous game, which ultimately yielded him the three points. Going from a back four to...
Germany reached the semi-finals of the UEFA Nations League but were knocked out by Portugal before losing to France in the third-place playoff. The DFB-Elf performance combined a promising style of play with a feeling that many aspects and choices can be improved ahead of bigger occasions, most notably the...
After two thrilling legs in the UEFA Nations League quarterfinals, Germany advanced to the next stage, overcoming Italy 5-4 on aggregate. As we all witnessed, the tactical battle between Luciano Spalletti and Julian Nagelsmann was intense throughout both matches, making it the exciting encounter we anticipated. However, there was another tactical...
Italy hosted Germany for the first leg of the UEFA Nations League quarter-finals at the historic San Siro stadium in Milan. The game ended 1-2 in Germany's favor, which does not really reflect what happened. Though Germany had more possession, Italy created more dangerous goal-scoring opportunities. Still, Germany were more clinical in...
In this tactical analysis, we examine build-up play and explain how opposition-pressing triggers can be exploited to overcome the press. We will analyse the most common pressing triggers and their influence on available space and passing lanes. Cover-Shadow Exploitation In order to find solutions to overcome the opposition press, one...
Eintracht Frankfurt have had an outstanding first half of the season, finishing the first round in third place in the Bundesliga. The team has consistently created goal-scoring opportunities through effective transition play. In particular, the two pacey forwards, Omar Marmoush and Hugo Ekitiké, benefited from this style of play. The large spaces created...
After losing against Spain in the quarter-final of UEFA Euro 2024, Germany have won four and drawn one in five matches to top their group in the UEFA Nations League. Offensively, Julian Nagelsmann's side has been superb, scoring 17 goals in five matches at the time of writing. This is...
Euro 2024 has provided plenty of shocks and surprises as the group stages and Round of 16 matches have gone on, with major names struggling for performances and lower-ranked sides proving that they are not simply there to make up the numbers. However, two teams have stood out throughout the...
Germany look like strong contenders to win EURO 2024 following a strong start to the competition as the host nation. A 5-1 battering of Scotland set the tone for an exciting and high-scoring competition before a 2-0 victory over Hungary sealed their spot in the knockout stage and triggered an...
As Germany prepares to host UEFA Euro 2024, the nation stands on the precipice of a tournament marked by both historical prestige and immense pressure. The German national team, with a storied legacy that includes four World Cup titles, one Confederations Cup triumph, and three European Championship victories, is once...
In a tumultuous match that marked Julian Nagelsmann's home debut as Germany's head coach, the team faced a chaotic showdown against Türkiye, resulting in their first loss under Nagelsmann's leadership. The Olympiastadion in Berlin, though technically a home ground, felt like an away game. Apart from the result, one noteworthy...
In his inaugural match as the head coach of the German national team, Julian Nagelsmann led the squad to an impressive 3-1 victory against the USA. This match showcased Nagelsmann's vision for the team and the adaptability and potential of the German national side. As one of the world's most...
It was an eyebrow-raising decision for Bayern Munich to relieve the highly-rated Julian Nagelsmann from his duties following a 2-1 defeat to Xabi Alonso’s Bayern Leverkusen. The loss dropped the Bundesliga champions down to second in the table as bitter rivals Borussia Dortmund moved to the top and were on...
In this episode of the TFA Podcast, host Adam Scully is joined by TFA analyst Caio Miguel to discuss the recent sacking of Graham Potter at Chelsea. The duo analyse what went wrong tactically for Potter at Stamford Bridge, issues with the club’s recruitment, similarities with the coach’s time at...
Fabrizio Romano once again turned the football world upside down. On Thursday 23rd of March, the Italian journalist announced that Bayern Munich was replacing Julian Nagelsman with former Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel. While Bayern is undefeated and in the quarter-finals of the UEFA Champions League, Die Roten have failed to continue their...
Football is a sport which is intertwined, interconnected and inseparable. Clearly, those who have created and developed Positional Play are exploring the most uncomplicated way to secure the best strategies to beat the opponent and avoid losing. That’s the eternity defence-attack relationship. Everything in football is connected, indeed. There are...
The UEFA Champions League is back. On Tuesday, all eyes were on Parc des Princes to watch one of the toughest games in the first leg of the 16 round between Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich. The Bavarians, who dominated the game for the most part, earned a 1-0 win...
Julian Nagelsmann has long been lauded as one of the most interesting young coaches in football, at least from a tactical perspective, but there was always a sense that he had yet to show this at the very highest level of football. Indeed, this season there have been rumblings of...
Wednesday evening saw Inter vs Bayern in the UEFA Champions League. We've broken down all the key stats for you to digest in this tactical analysis and provide insights around; * shot maps * pass flow * heatmaps * defensive actions * average positions and much more! We also try...
Saturday night saw Union Berlin vs Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga. We've broken down all the key stats for you to digest in this tactical analysis and provide insights around; * shot maps * pass flow * heatmaps * defensive actions * average positions and much more! We also try...
