Saturday, 21.12.2024
@tompayneftbl
Following a 2-1 win over Roberto Mancini’s Inter Milan, Napoli went top of the Italian top flight at the expense of their Northern opposition. Going ahead in the 1st minute from a powerful Gonzalo Higuain strike, Maurizio Sarri’s side were the better team through the game and despite late troubles managed to get the three points.
After a recent loss to Hamburg, Tuchel’s Borussia Dortmund again fell short this time in a Europa League clash away in Russia to Krasnodar. Despite having multiple chances and hitting the woodwork on three occasions, the German side ultimately couldn’t reply to their opposition’s early goal which came from a penalty in the first minute.
Saturday held the first Clasico of the season, with two of the most dominant teams clash in what is the biggest match in domestic football.
Thomas Tuchel won his first Revierderby as his Dortmund side put 3 past a poorly-organised Schalke defence. His side were structured well to exploit the deficiencies of a man-oriented 4-4-2 shape, particularly through their deep playmaking.
Jurgen Klopp achieved his first win in the Premier League to the ever-extending misery of Jose Mourinho as Liverpool won at Stamford Bridge following a brace from Phillipe Coutinho and one from Christian Benteke.
Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool just fell short of their first win as Sadio Mané equalised following a Benteke header. The game was fairly balanced throughout with a particularly interesting approach from Klopp which featured a number of changes in shape.
Since joining the club he played for between 1987 and 1991, Alan Pardew has designed an attacking-minded Crystal Palace side who have performed largely above expectations and sit 7th in the Premier League. This is even more telling when you consider the strength of the teams they have already faced, with Arsenal, Manchester City, Chelsea and Tottenham all featuring in their first 8.
Bayern were issued their first loss of the season to an impressive Arsenal defence. Guardiola’s team were the cause of the majority of their issues with a possession game which lacked intensity and failed to have a good enough level of penetration as they dominated the passing stats but failed to convert them into chances.
An early title-decider in Bundesliga by the two dominant teams so far. Tuchel has his first game with Dortmund against his supposed-mentor Pep in what was sure to be a great tactical battle. The promise was kept as we saw numerous tactical changes by both dugouts throughout the match.
Roger Schmidt’s pressing machine fell late on against a Barcelona side lacking the injured Lionel Messi. Taking the lead through a Papadopolous header, Leverkusen controlled the game for the majority of the 90 with strong central-dominance and the typical intense pressing.