It was just two years ago when two English clubs squared up in the UEFA Champions League Final, with Liverpool gaining the edge over Tottenham Hotspur. Now in 2021, two completely different English clubs will be facing off, as Chelsea and Manchester City have bested the rest to make it all the way to the final. Here is our tactical preview of the 2021 Champions League final.
Oh, the magic of the FA Cup. Leicester City came into the cup final as clear underdogs, with Thomas Tuchel's Chelsea in great form and a UEFA Champions League final in their sights. But it was the Foxes who came out on top with a stunning Youri Tielemans strike, and two fantastic saves from Kasper Schmeichel. Here is our tactical analysis of the match.
While many Premier League teams of years past have succumbed to relegation and then sacked their manager, Norwich stuck by their man Daniel Farke, and it has paid off one season later. The German coach has inspired the Canaries to an instant return to England's top flight, securing 97 points in their 46 EFL Championship fixtures. The last team to secure that many (or more) points was Wolverhampton Wanderers in 2017-18, and look at where they are now. So although the Canaries have been yo-yo-ing between the Championship and the Premier League in previous years, the club should have hope that their Premier League fortunes can change around next season. Here is a tactical analysis of Daniel Farke's Norwich at the end of the 2020-21 Championship season.
The DFB-Pokal was expected to be a tightly contested affair. However, Borussia Dortmund completely swept RB Leipzig away, and Die Roten Bullen never stood a chance. In the end, Dortmund fought their way to a 4-1 win, with goals from Haaland and Sancho, and a masterclass from their captain Marco Reus. Here is our full recap and analysis of the match.
This past weekend, West Bromwich Albion were relegated from England's top flight. The team lacked the quality to survive, and even despite Sam Allardyce turning them into a well-functioning team, they couldn't make up the necessary ground to stay in the division. But if there was one shining light in the otherwise unremarkable season for the Baggies, it would have to be their star attacking midfielder - Matheus Pereira.
After successive back to back third place finishes in Serie A, Gian Piero Gasperini has firmly established Atalanta as one of Europe's most lethal and tactically fluid teams. Despite losing their star player Alejandro 'Papu' Gomez halfway through the season due to disagreements between player and coach, Atalanta look set to finish inside Serie A's top three once again, with the highest tally of goals for the third season running. Here is a tactical analysis of Gian Piero Gasperini's Atalanta in 2020-21.
Hansi Flick's time in charge of Bayern Munich may have been short-lived, but the former and future national team coach will go down as one of the team's all-time greatest managers. Hansi Flick eased to a second Bundesliga title in charge of Bayern Munich on Saturday, after a smashing 6-0 win over Borussia Monchengladbach. For all of their fantastic exploits this season, we analyze how Bayern Munich won the Bundesliga title.
When Bo Svensson took over at FSV Mainz 05, Die Nullfünfer were in the relegation zone. Now, four months on, Mainz sit in 12th place, currently on a eight match unbeaten run in the league. The former Mainz player has revolutionized the team, changing tactics, lifting spirits, adopting a back-three formation and making Mainz one of the most effective, functional teams in the league. To make matters all the more interesting, Svensson is doing all of this in his first big job in management. So with that, here is a tactical analysis of how Bo Svensson turned FSV Mainz 05 around.
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