Ousmane Dembélé

Did Ousmane Dembélé Deserve To Win Ballon D'Or? Ballon d’Or season always brings debate among football fans and pundits. There has never been and will never be a Ballon d’Or winner that everyone agrees on. For years, the argument over who was most deserving of being called the best footballer...

The inaugural 32-team edition of the FIFA Club World Cup in the United States reaches its final chapter, as Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain prepare to face off in a much-anticipated showdown between two of Europe’s most tactically evolved sides. The Blues arrive in the final after a composed 2–0 victory...

In the modern era of football, the term 'overload' is typically applied to pressing or attacking actions. The term is essentially used to describe when a team creates an advantage, such as a numerical advantage, over the opposition in certain situations to achieve their goal. The objective may be different. In the context of...

The end of the season is always a time for reflection. One year ago, Total Football Analysis published our first-ever Ligue 1 Team of the Season for the 2023/2024 campaign. Now, we’re back again with an all-star XI from the French top flight for the 2024/2025 campaign, which saw Luis...

Dribbling has long been one of football’s most eye-catching actions—a burst of creativity capable of shifting momentum in an instant. This tactical analysis examines how dribbling serves as a strategic mechanism within various systems and styles of play, focusing on the roles of Rafael Leão at AC Milan, Jamal Musiala at Bayern Munich, Ousmane Dembélé at Paris Saint-Germain, and the...

Paris Saint-Germain have ended their wait for continental success—and in some style, too. Les Parisiens demolished Inter Milan 5-0 in the 2024/2025 UEFA Champions League Final, earning the record for the largest-ever margin of victory in the final of Europe’s elite footballing competition. For Luis Enrique, it’s an exceptional feather...

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...

Football is an ever-changing sport, with no two seasons ever being the same, and the game constantly evolving. As each year passes, new players are discovered, teams alter their appearances, and emerging coaches seek to add their stamp to the game. The other aspect that changes year-on-year is the tactics...

Paris Saint-Germain brought home a victory from their UEFA Champions League trip to North London. They beat Arsenal 1-0 in the first leg of their Champions League semi-final. As Mikel Arteta pointed out in his press conference, it was a victory down to the small margin and the efficiency of...

The UEFA Champions League quarter-final first-leg clash between Paris Saint-Germain and Aston Villa was a fascinating encounter of contrasting tactical philosophies between 2 Spanish managers, Luis Enrique vs Unai Emery. Luis Enrique's PSG utilised a fluid and adaptable 4-3-3 setup, which was a testament to their quality. In contrast, Unai...

On a crazy and hectic final night of the UCL league phase, Luis Enrique’s PSG confirmed their place in the playoff round with a resounding 4-1 victory over Stuttgart in Germany. Sebastian Hoeneß’s side had enjoyed a bright start to 2025, but their defeat at the hands of the Parisian outfit...

PSG often appear like a team poised to contend for the UEFA Champions League, yet they consistently fall short. Whether it's Karim Benzema scoring a hat-trick to knock them out, losing to Borussia Dortmund despite being favourites after beating them in the group stage, missing key opportunities in the UCL...

PSG often appear like a team poised to contend for the UEFA Champions League, yet they consistently fall short. Whether it's Karim Benzema scoring a hat-trick to knock them out, losing to Borussia Dortmund despite being favourites after beating them in the group stage, missing key opportunities in the UCL...

Despite boasting some of the best squad depth in world football, to the extent that any nation would be envious, France have not yet managed to add a third piece of European Championship silverware to their international trophy cabinet. Didier Deschamps has overseen two Euro campaigns as France manager thus...

Perhaps somewhat unexpectedly, Ousmane Dembele ended up swapping Barcelona for Paris Saint-Germain and will continue his career in Ligue 1. It comes as a surprise mainly because he was the centrepiece of Xavi’s tactical identity and the player meant to be the leading figure in the coach’s project. Alas, he...

Karim Benzema's exit was a quick one. With Saudi Arabia offering €120 million a year, they quickly sealed Benzema’s transfer to Al-Ittihad. The transfer sent shock waves through Madrid. At one point, there were rumours that little investment would be made in the transfer market. Now that Karim Benzema has...

Even at a tough moment in Barcelona's history, one of the most successful and popular football clubs in the world, with a strong tradition of producing talented players and playing with a tiki-taka style of play, La Masia produced two world-class talented players for the first team: Pablo Martín Páez Gavira...

Ousmane Dembélé was almost on the brink of leaving Barcelona in January 2022. However, 10 months later, he is one of the best performers at the Catalan club. Dembélé, still only 25 years old, signed an extension with Barcelona in the summer after being convinced by Xavi’s project. The visualisation...

On the last day of the summer market window, when everyone was expecting Barcelona to sign someone to replace Messi (or at least Atletico Madrid-bound Antoine Griezmann), the club announced the signing of a 19-year-old winger from Hércules, who had played just under 1,000 minutes in Segunda B: Abdessamad Ezzalzouli...

Even though we won't see him in Barcelona colours until at least the summer, Francisco Trincao is already an official Blaugrana player. However, the young Portuguese forward will stay at SC Braga for the time being, back in his home country, on loan to ply his trade a bit more...