Articles
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The Best U-23 Fullbacks in MLS
When Bayern Munich completed the signing of 17-year-old winger Alphonso Davies from Vancouver Whitecaps for a base fee of $13.5 million, there was plenty of skepticism and curiosity surrounding the deal. However, in fewer than two years, Davies has already established himself as one of the best left backs in Europe, playing a leading role…
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Tactical Analysis: Atalanta vs. Inter
Gian Piero Gasperini’s Atalanta side bounced back from a thumping 5-0 defeat to Liverpool in the midweek as they hosted Antonio Conte’s Inter to a 1-1 draw on Sunday. Gasperini’s side looked sharp and a far more organised outfit than they did in midweek. Inter will also take encouragement from the result as they…
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Tactical Analysis: Der Klassiker
Over the past decade, few rivalries have lived up to the hype on such a consistent basis as Der Klassiker. Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund’s clashes tend to provide a heaping dose of excitement and nerves, and in the most recent fixture on November 7, the match between Hansi Flick’s Bayern and Lucien Favre’s Dortmund…
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Tactical Analysis: Ralph Hasenhüttl’s Southampton
“If you want guarantees you should buy a washing machine. There are no guarantees in football anymore,” Ralph Hasenhüttl famously stated in his first press conference as Southampton manager on December 6, 2018. In contrast to Hasenhüttl’s parabolic statement, it seems like the biggest guarantee of the Premier League so far this term is the…
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Taking a Deeper Look at Wesley Fofana
On October 2, 2020, Leicester City completed the purchase of Wesley Fofana from Saint-Étienne. In doing so, they filled a hole in their squad and concluded a transfer saga that had been brewing since Fofana gave a jaw-dropping interview with L’Équipe three weeks prior, claiming “I would be crazy to reject Leicester.” Leicester City…
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Footballers and their Academic Backgrounds
Football is the most renowned sport in the world. But while many football fans think that footballers are overpaid individuals who are undereducated, footballers, just like other people, are professionals, only that their prowess in the field is louder than their academic area of specialization. Some are continuing with the studies while others have already…
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Tactical Analysis: VfB Stuttgart 2020/21
Having been relegated to the Bundesliga 2 at the end of the 2018/19 season, the future was not looking particularly good for Stuttgart fans. They had only come up to the Bundesliga two years prior, and in their first season, managed an impressive 7th-place finish. They then slumped down to 16th in the league the…
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Tactical Analysis: Der Klassiker
The first Der Klassiker of the 2020-21 Bundesliga season did not disappoint. Hansi Flick’s Bayern Munich side took on Lucien Favre’s Dortmund at Signal Iduna Park where the two German heavyweights put on a thoroughly entertaining end to end display. Although Bayern ran out 3-2 winners, Dortmund would’ve felt that they deserved more from the…
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How Sassuolo Adapted to Crisis and Defeated Napoli
Roberto De Zerbi’s Sassuolo faced off against Napoli at the Stadio San Paolo with several key players including talisman Francesco “Ciccio” Caputo, Domenico Berardi, and Filip Đuričić missing. In response to this, De Zerbi changed to a fluid system that allowed them to interchange between a 3-4-3 in possession and a 4-5-1 mid block off…
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Player Analysis: Burak Kapacak
Burak Kapacak stands on the edge of the Altınordu box. Facing away from goal, he is aware of the space behind. Also the overlapping run of Emirhan Aydoğan. The result is a sumptuous back heel when nothing seemed on. It ends in a goal, and congratulations for the young provider from his teammates. Born…
