Alan O’Brien Follow @alanob2112
Accounting for one Pep Guardiola side is a tall order; overcoming two on the trot, however, unsurprisingly looks beyond Mauricio Pochettino’s spent Spurs. Continue reading
ANALYSIS: Pep’s Dutch disciple stymies Spurs
Category Archives: Champions League
Madrid punk heavy metal Liverpool after curtailed 25-minute set
Alan O’Brien Follow @alanob2112
Gegenpressing is the best playmaker there is, according to Jurgen Klopp; heavy metal football, as it were. But what happens if your gegenpressers blow their amps after 25 minutes? In Kiev, on Saturday evening, the one-note German found out. Continue reading
Guardiola and self-doubt: the Klopp effect
Alan O’Brien Follow @alanob2112
When ideology meets pressure there is usually only one winner. History is littered with raging socialists whose left-wing zeal quickly moderated upon assuming any significant responsibility. In Greece, Alexis Tsipras’ Syriza party stands as the most recent high-profile example. Anti-establishmentarianism quickly morphed into fiscal rectitude when the time came to stick or twist. Continue reading
Analysis: Poch’s players prevail on postage-stamp playing-area
Alan O’Brien Follow @alanob2112
Tottenham Hotspur exorcised their Wembley demons, and added to Borussia Dortmund’s, by taking full advantage of this thriller’s defining characteristic. Continue reading
Rosenborg 2-1 Dundalk: Marauding defenders disrupt best-laid Lilywhite plans
For 40 Trondheim minutes, Dundalk’s affluent hosts had no answer to Stephen Kenny’s best-laid plans. Continue reading
Analysis: Majestic McEleney shows lame Leesiders what they’re missing
Stuart Byrne, in the employ of RTÉ on Wednesday night, certainly raised some eyebrows with his man of the match selection. Continue reading
Advantage Atletico as Simeone Stops Pep’s Wingers
Pep Guardiola’s decision to field two out-and-out wingers failed to bear fruit against Diego Simeone’s Atletico Madrid. Continue reading
Blanc’s Back Three Blunts PSG
Laurent Blanc’s baffling decision to opt for a 3-3-2-2 formation rendered his PSG side impotent going forward, helping Manchester City to secure their debut Champions League semi-final appearance. Continue reading
Manchester United 0-0 PSV Eindhoven: Van Gaal Risk Aversion Translates To Another Inglorious Stalemate
Manchester United’s last Champions League outing – a 1-0 home victory against CSKA Moscow – can now be safely filed away in the false dawn folder. That night, as crowd unrest began to build off the back of three consecutive scoreless draws, Louis Van Gaal’s side turned in an anomalous performance. Full-backs were encouraged to overlap and attackers were encouraged to attempt dribbles. The tempo was noticeably higher, the passing significantly more direct. United, in truth, were incredibly unlucky not to win by far more than a single goal. Continue reading
Bayern Munich 5-1 Arsenal: Guardiola tactical tweaks lead to Bayern rout
Arsenal’s 2-0 victory at home to Bayern Munich a fortnight ago was built on the foundation of a solid defence, married to a relentless counter-attacking determination to prevail upon the German champions’ poor defensive transitions. Continue reading
Tactics Truck v2.0 