Olympique de Marseille succeeded in getting a very important away win at the Allianz Riviera, beating OGC Nice 1-5 in the derby. The win helps Les Olympiens pile additional pressure on PSG in the title race. The fact that they were able to win by such a large scoreline away to...
Olympique de Marseille hosted Atalanta BC in Gameweek 4 of the UEFA Champions League at the Stade Vélodrome, and the game resulted in a crucial win for the Italian side. Thanks to their single goal of the match, Atalanta secured their second win in this phase, following victories over Club Brugge,...
Although PSG had players and some fans missing, including their star forward Ousmane Dembélé who was crowned the Ballon d’Or winner on the same night, Le Classique ended up being a stunning affair. Roberto de Zerbi’s enthusiasm paid off as Olympique de Marseille beat PSG 1-0. After the game, De Zerbi spoke of his...
Olympique de Marseille will return to play in the UEFA Champions League after two seasons without doing so. A second-place finish in last season’s Ligue 1, which Les Phocéens had not achieved since 2022, brought them back to Europe’s top competition. After a turbulent path within the locker room, Roberto...
Olympique de Marseille have signed Argentine defender Facundo Medina on a season-long loan from Ligue 1 rivals RC Lens. This is one of the team's most important signings for the upcoming 2025/2026 Ligue 1 season. Under Italian coach Roberto De Zerbi, in his first season at the club, Marseille finished second...
The evolution of inverted full-backs stands as one of the most significant tactical innovations of the past decade. Born from the need to manipulate central spaces and enhance control during the possession phase, this role has transformed the approach to deep build-up play and the creation of numerical superiority in...
What Is Double Pivot In Football? The double pivot can be a useful tactic in creating numerical superiority in the build-up phase. It can attract opposition players towards the ball in high areas, leaving space to exploit behind their midfield line. It can also provide stability behind the ball during...
What Is Shadow Pressing? For the purposes of this tactical analysis, shadow pressing is defined as the moment a player whose team is in possession follows closely behind an opposing player who is pressing the ball. The aim of the shadow press, during the build-up phase, is for the shadow...
If you follow Italian football and are always on the lookout for young, innovative coaches with distinguished vision, the name Roberto De Zerbi likely comes high on your list. The 41-year-old coach is currently in charge of Sassuolo in Serie A and breaks all the rules in modern-day football, which is often ruled...
Despite selling two of their most important players this season, Roberto De Zerbi's Brighton have made a magnificent start to the Premier League, winning five of their first eight games, placing them sixth, only four points behind the league leaders. Brighton have been well known for exhibiting brilliance in the...
"The main and most important aspect of the build-out is to produce a better quality of service for front players." Stewart Robson in an ESPN analysis on why teams build out. Think of service as attacking opportunities. Playing out of the back isn't simply a means of keeping the ball...
This tactical theory will analyse how teams can attack the box in a traditional 4-3-3 (or 4-2-3-1) formation. Examples from Roberto De Zerbi's Brighton and Ange Postecoglou's Celtic will be analysed to provide insight into how goalscoring opportunities can be created in the final third. This tactical analysis will focus on...
What Is Vertical Passing In Football? The aim of the game of football is to progress the ball forward and move as close to the goal as possible to create the best goal-scoring opportunities. Within this, different teams have different principles, patterns of play and philosophies on how best to...
Brighton & Hove Albion have once again demonstrated their expertise in scouting and securing young talent from around the world. Their winter acquisition, teenage midfielder Facundo Buonanotte, arrived in January and has the potential to be their most thrilling prospect yet. Making the move from Rosario, Argentina's renowned footballing hub,...
Pep Guardiola Coaching Philosophy High performance does not come from boasting or comparing oneself to others; it's about being your best self and constantly striving to improve. Pep Guardiola is a prime example of this mindset as he consistently develops his style and incorporates new ideas into his philosophy, regardless...
In this episode of the TFA Podcast, host Adam Scully is joined by TFA analyst Caio Miguel to discuss the idea of relationism in contrast with the worldwide trend of positional play by using two extremes from either end of the scale – Fluminense under Fernando Diniz and Brighton under...
Can anyone stop this Brighton attack? Chelsea tried over the weekend and we're handed a 2-1 loss at Stamford Bridge. There was no slowing Roberto De Zerbi’s side down. That got us at Total Football Analysis thinking…how do you stop this explosive attacking side? Their brilliant direct possession tactics set...
10 July 2019, League of Ireland club Bohemians are playing host to Chelsea as part of The Blues pre-season campaign. The game itself ends up being a non-occasion, it finishes a respectable 1-1. In truth, it's mainly about the newly appointed coach, Frank Lampard, giving some academy players a runout...
Brighton are playing some of the most beautiful football right now in the Premier League. The transition from Graham Potter to Roberto De Zerbi has appeared seamless on the pitch. One player who seems to be at the centre of this transition has been Solly March. The 28-year-old, who has...
On this episode of the TFA Scouted podcast, host Adam Scully and co-host Bryant Marques discuss Brighton’s star defender Levi Colwill, on loan from Chelsea this season. The duo analyse the centre-back’s style of play, his strengths and weaknesses since joining the Seagulls, his future at Stamford Bridge, potential future...
