Something unique is happening at Stamford Bridge this season. For the first time in the club’s history, Chelsea were forced to deal with a transfer ban, which prohibited them from replacing their best player in Eden Hazard. They replaced outgoing manager Maurizio Sarri with club legend Frank Lampard, a far cry from the more proven…

The Clássico between FC Porto and Benfica is by far the biggest game of the country. The two teams have been almost the only contenders for the Portuguese title in the past 10 years and are not only the best teams on the pitch, put also in terms of their club administration and structure. The…

The UEFA Champions League has given us some memorable nights in recent memory but few group stage matches have had anywhere near the madness, thrill and all-round quality that was on show when Frank Lampard’s high-flying Chelsea took on Erik Ten Hag’s league leading Ajax at Stamford Bridge. A game that began as usual at…

Inter Milan are – as everyone knows them – the team regularly touted to usurp the inevitable Italian champions Juventus, and ultimately suffer at the behest of their own incompetence.  Everything post-Mourinho has led to the same question asked over and over and over; why can’t Inter do it? Why do they keep failing? Well,…

MLS Conference finals brought the fans two games who surprised everyone, with both favorite teams being knocked out of the competition and missing the 2019 MLS Cup final. A lot of credit has to be given to the Seattle Sounders, a team that is in great form, very organized defensively and with excellent attacking players;…

Welcome to a new special series on Breaking the Lines! This tactical insight, attempting to profile the most interesting and creative tactical thinkers in football is a new initiative that will feature on the site every couple of weeks. First up: Marco Rose.    Having innovated his own aggressive style of Germany’s new-age style, Marco…

Ole Solskjaer’s Manchester United ended Liverpool’s winning streak at 17, denying the Reds a record equalling 18th victory in a fascinating tactical battle. Perhaps recognising that this team was nowhere close to going toe to toe with the reigning Champions League winners, the Norwegian set up his team in an ultra-defensive manner, and for the…