This contest followed a similar course to the last meeting of these clubs. Bellingham's brilliance marked moments that asserted the edge of Real Madrid on their opponents. But in a new era of leadership, Napoli can look back at the ninety minutes and manage to take their own positives. Tactical analysis and match report by Emmanuel Adeyemi-Abere. European royalty have returned to rule the roost closer to home. A draw for Girona let Real Madrid stay at the top of LaLiga for the first time in a month. The war they are waging for the championship seems set to last long into the new year, but thei ..read more

In a must-win game for both sides, Galatasaray and Manchester United played out a sublime and ludicrous draw to leave Group A in the balance going into the final week of fixtures. United once again dropped points from a winning position to provide Galatasaray a chance to achieve something they have not managed in a decade. Tactical analysis and match report by Nick Hartland. Ten years had passed since Galatasaray last reached the knockout stages of the Champions League, back when the team fielded the likes of Didier Drogba and Wesley Sneijder. And with two games left to go in the current group ..read more

Group F, the so-called Group of Death, is the fraught fight many foresaw: three points separate top from bottom. The clubs with impetus now aspired to place one foot in the next stage. In another energetic encounter, the seasoned stronghold in Europe shrunk on their own turf. Tactical analysis and match report by Emmanuel Adeyemi-Abere. Group F, the so-called Group of Death, is the fraught fight many envisaged: three points separate top from bottom. The clubs with impetus from the quartet now aspired to put one foot in the next stage. AC Milan reached the final four of the Champions League las ..read more

Kylian Mbappé scored a controversial late penalty to deny Newcastle United a historic win in Paris. While Paris Saint-Germain controlled the majority of the game, they faced challenges in breaking down Newcastle’s defense until second-half substitutes changed the course of the game. Tactical analysis and match report by Rahul Madhavan. We decided to make this article free to read. If you want to support our work, consider taking a subscription. Dubbed the “Group of Death” during the Champions League draw, Group F featuring Borussia Dortmund, AC Milan, Paris Saint-Germain, and New ..read more

Leverkusen beat Bremen 3-0 to gift their manager the perfect birthday present. In a comfortable victory, the away side showcased their qualities across all phases. Two timely goals, both from second phases of corner kicks, were the reward for a controlled first half performance. And in the second half, Leverkusen demonstrated their threat in transition to seal the win and reclaim top spot in the Bundesliga. Tactical analysis and match report by Nick Smoothy. Going into the November international break, Bayer Leverkusen sat atop of the Bundlesliga table having made their best ever start to a to ..read more

This contest began to restore the standard state of affairs between the two clubs that have led the way in the league. The balance of play might have been with the favorites, but beating the best, rather than being the best, is a quality that Liverpool showed they can call upon if needed. Tactical analysis and match report by Emmanuel Adeyemi-Abere. We decided to make this article free to read. If you want to support our work, consider taking a subscription. The lunchtime showdown to mark the return of Premier League whets the appetite. The English elite in this epoch had returned to ..read more

Towards the end of the first half, Chelsea appeared to turn the game into an entertaining contest. However, consistently conceding cheap fouls will prove costly and Newcastle United ferociously punished their opponents. Tactical analysis and match report by Joel Parker. The yearning for hard power in the Premier League has not been expressed more than these two clubs in recent seasons. Whereas one has slowly built a system, still capable of punching above its weight, the other has unveiled a scattergun to see what works. But both met at a crossroads. Injuries have been the ultimate reducer for ..read more

Ligue 1 returned after the latest international break with an intriguing top-of-the-table clash between leaders Paris Saint-Germain and third-placed Monaco, who started the game three points behind them. After a thoroughly entertaining match, the gap between them widened as the defending champions' superior individual quality seemed to prove decisive. Tactical analysis and match report by Neel Shelat. Luis Enrique had certainly succeeded in settling things down at Paris Saint-Germain after arriving in the summer, as they now had a clear tactical identity after the likes of Lionel Messi and Ney ..read more

Having had the upper hand in the chase for the final qualifying spot, Italy would have forced Ukraine to crack the catenaccio in the past. Their approach to this clash was not reliant on a rugged rearguard, but a third clean sheet of the calendar year arrived in a timely manner. Tactical analysis and match report by Emmanuel Adeyemi-Abere. We decided to make this article free to read. If you want to support our work, consider taking a subscription. Both nations thrust their current leaders into the heat of competitive campaigns to qualify for the EUROs next year. Only one could call t ..read more

Roberto Martinez and his inspired Portugal side will enter next year’s Euro 2024 on the back of ten straight wins and a picture-perfect record in the qualifiers. Their last game of this calendar year concluded with a straightforward victory over an uninspired Iceland side, who seemed devoid of ideas. Tactical analysis and match report by Rahul Madhavan. Nine games, nine wins, thirty-four goals scored, and two conceded. This has been Roberto Martinez’s record since he was appointed as Portugal’s head coach following the country’s devastating defeat to Morocco in the 2022 FIFA World Cup qua ..read more