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Spain vs. Italy: The Return of Long Ball
A river flows from Spain, surging with an unstoppable force, threatening to wash away all of Germany. It made a turbulent stop at Veltins-Arena, where it swallowed Italy whole. European champions though they are, the Azzurri had no answer to the relentless currents crashing down upon them. In this year’s EURO 2024, hosted by…
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Euros 2024 Matchday 2: Portugal Book Their Spot in the Round of 16 After Beating Turkiye
Portugal faced a formidable Turkiye squad that had defeated Georgia handily in their first game, after defeating Czechia in what was thought to be the decisive move in the last minute. Roberto Martinez has never committed to a consistent playing lineup or style of play. He seems to be searching for the one element lacking…
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What’s Wrong with Manchester United’s Defense?
In the second half of the season, there was a lot of discussion about Manchester United’s defense in the media. In particular, there was talk about the number of shots that were allowed on Andre Onana’s goal. When we look at the raw numbers, it seems that Erik ten Hag’s team was struggling – only…
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Tactical Analysis: How Portugal Narrowly Prevailed With a Win vs. Czechia
Since replacing Fernando Santos at the helm, it has been clear that Roberto Martinez wants to define what it means to play offensive and dominant football in an effort to shift the Portuguese national team’s footballing paradigm. Portugal started their championship run on a strong note by crushing Czechia in the final minutes of the…
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Jose Mourinho to Fenerbahçe: The Second Coming of a Genius, or the Last Dance?
On June 2, 2024, Fenerbahçe, the second most successful team in the Turkish Süper Lig, did something unprecedented and hired Jose Mourinho as their manager. While Turkish football has seen its fair share of star managers, they’ve never quite lived up to the reputation of the Special One. But as Mourinho stood on a…
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Wembley Stadium, Welcome to Real Madrid
This club, this stadium — each moment crafted with magic; a continuous story of unrivalled legacy. Real Madrid once stepped foot in another Champions League final, snatching joy away from Bayern Munich in the dying embers of the game to set themselves up for another coronation on British soil in the final against the lesser-known…
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Enzo Maresca: – The Latest Guardiola Protégé to Make His Mark in World Football
Enzo Maresca started his managerial career in June 2017. Since he lacked the necessary coaching credentials, he was signed as Fluvio Fiorin’s assistant coach for the forthcoming season as a member of the non-playing staff. He was appointed manager of Manchester City’s Elite Development Squad in August 2020. Following two Premier League championships with…
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Thiago Motta: Il Nuovo Ragazzo Sul Blocco
Genius, Failure, and Success Ideas are a funny old thing, aren’t they? You don’t need to reinvent the wheel to be a success, sometimes you just need to tweak something that already works. Football is no different, success can come from something as small as moving a defender into midfield, just ask Antonio Conte.…
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How Atalanta Won the UEFA Europa League Final
Atalanta’s victory over Bayer Leverkusen in the Europa League final was a masterclass in tactical execution by their coach Gian Piero Gasperini. Here’s how they pulled it off: Formation and Structural Setup Atalanta utilized a 3–4–1–2 formation, a staple of Gasperini’s tenure, nothing new. This setup provided defensive solidity with a back three…
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How Pierre Sage Took Lyon from Last Place to the UEFA Europa League
On the 30th November 2023, unknown managerial rookie Pierre Sage was appointed as Lyon’s third manager of the season. Les Gones were only 12 games into the season but sat bottom of the league with just three points. Meanwhile behind the scenes, in-fighting and threatened lawsuits between new and old owners only fuelled the fire occurring…
