For over a decade, Atlético Madrid under Diego Simeone have been defined by resilience, compactness, and a tactical identity so sharp it became their trademark. Fierce pressing, ruthless transitions, and defensive solidity made Los Colchoneros a nightmare for opponents in Spain and Europe alike. But as the 2025/2026 La Liga...
Since the arrival of Unai Emery, Aston Villa has undergone a complete transformation. When Emery was appointed, the club was in 16th place under Steven Gerrard, while Dean Smith’s tenure before that had also ended in decline. Emery immediately altered the direction of travel, leading Villa to seventh, fourth, and...
Five games into Ruben Amorim’s first start to a Premier League season, there are likely to be mixed feelings among Manchester United fans. Though the Red Devils currently sit 11th in the English top flight, Wyscout’s expected points (xPTS) metric places them as high as fifth. An EFL Cup defeat...
On Saturday, August 30, 2025, Werder Bremen faced off against Bayer Leverkusen at the Weserstadion, for Matchday 2 of the new Bundesliga season. Both teams had hired new managers in the offseason: Horst Steffen for Werder and Erik ten Hag for Bayer 04 Leverkusen. Yet both teams had started the season with defeats and were...
Manchester City have lost three games in a row for the first time since April 2018. Their local rivals, Manchester United, will look to make that happen again on Sunday, when the Red Devils travel to the Etihad Stadium for gameweek four of the 2025/2026 Premier League campaign. Pep Guardiola’s side are coming into Sunday’s game off...
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...
Argentina once again delivered a football feast in front of its fans at Estadio Monumental. Lionel Scaloni team defeated and thrashed Fernando Batista Venezuela 3-0 in the penultimate matchday of the CONMEBOL FIFA World Cup Qualifiers. Already qualified and at the top of the table, Scaloni gave room to names pointing...
Leeds United have started the 2025/2026 Premier League season strongly, picking up four points from their first three games. They have kept clean sheets in two games, yet lacked any significant cutting edge up front. In an attempt to address these issues, they have turned to a trio of offensive...
The Dutch Eredivisie is already approaching its fourth matchday, and after three games, a huge surprise has emerged at the top. Instead of the usual names like Ajax Amsterdam, PSV Eindhoven, Feyenoord Rotterdam or AZ Alkmaar, NEC Nijmegen are leading the league heading into the weekend. Scoring 12 goals while conceding...
What Is The 3-5-2 Formation? The 3-5-2 is a formation that can enable efficient possession-based build-up play while offering effective long-ball solutions. Having three centre-backs can make switching the point of attack easier and allow the centre-backs to escape and break the first line of opposition pressure. Especially when playing...
Inverting the central centre-back (CCB) under Rúben Amorim has become a major talking point for Manchester United. Many questions have been asked about why the Portuguese tactician takes this approach and its pros and cons. Our Rúben Amorim tactical analysis and back-five tactical theory article analyses Rúben Amorim tactics, comparing...
Celtic begin their UEFA Champions League campaign this week in the play-off round against Kazakhstan Premier League champions Kairat Almaty. The Hoops will be hoping to at least match their successful run in the competition last season, which saw them progress from the group stage to face Bayern Munich in...
The 2025/2026 La Liga campaign arrives as a defining chapter for Barcelona under the stewardship of Hansi Flick, following a season that provoked as many questions as it did answers. Flick’s arrival last year signalled a decisive break from recent managerial patterns, embedding a philosophy grounded in high defensive lines,...
Valencia have been through tough times recently. The legendary club qualified for the UEFA Champions League in the 2018/2019 season and won the Copa del Rey in 2019, but from then on, things derailed quickly for the club from the South-East of Spain. Owner Peter Lim lost interest in the...
The 2024/2025 season was a historic one for Newcastle United. Their campaign was marked by their first trophy in 70 years in the EFL Cup Final against Liverpool. In addition, a fifth-place finish meant a return to the UEFA Champions League. A successful season such as this led to widespread...
Manchester City’s attacking department for the 2025/2026 season boasts one of the most intriguing pairings in European football: Erling Haaland and Omar Marmoush. While the Norwegian striker needs no introduction following another prolific campaign in 2024/2025, the Egyptian forward has emerged as a rising tactical wildcard after joining Man City...
Rangers have started their summer transfer window with keen intent. Russell Martin has already been granted six new signings, with the understanding that huge improvements are needed to close last season's 17-point gap to Old Firm rivals and reigning champions Celtic. Two of these six signings have come in central defence,...
So far, this summer transfer period has not been too kind to Bayern Munich. The German giants have been trying to sign another option for their attacking line for weeks, but with Florian Wirtz joining Liverpool and Nico Williams deciding to stay at Athletic Bilbao, their operation has been disappointing....
Adi Hütter’s AS Monaco finished a respectable third place behind Paris Saint-Germain and Olympique de Marseille in the 2024/2025 Ligue 1 season. Going into his third season as head coach, the Austrian will have some high-profile signings at his disposal—Paul Pogba, who returns after serving his 18-month ban, was one of the biggest stories in...
It took until the final day of the Premier League season, but Chelsea secured UEFA Champions League football for 2025/2026. They followed that up with a UEFA Conference League trophy, coming from behind against Real Betis to win dominantly with a 4-1 scoreline. The Blues' path to the 2025 FIFA...
