Paris Saint-Germain – Chelsea 1:1
“A game which wasn’t easy on the eye.”
This is how most people would describe the first leg between PSG and Chelsea. This is due to the tactical approach of both teams and how they interacted with each other.
Barcelona – Levante 5:0
Barcelona put on yet another impressive display and allowed Lucho to tie Guardiola’s record of winning 11 straight games with Barcelona. The recent change in positional structure from Barcelona has led to better utilization of their players, which in turn led to the current winning streak and their 5-0 victory over Levante.
Bayer Leverkusen – Wolfsburg 4:5
An in-form Wolfsburg coming up against Roger Schmidt’s exciting Bayer Leverkusen side was always going to be a fascinating tie. And so it was, being one of the best and most dramatic matches I have ever watched.
Atlético Madrid – Real Madrid 4:0
Diego Simeone’s men put on a very impressive display against a team which is considered arguably the best team in Europe at the moment. Atletico Madrid played incredible defense and focused on tight combinational play down the flanks in order to come out with the 4:0 victory.
Tottenham Hotspur – Arsenal 2:1
Both sides went into this North London derby on the back of some good form. Arsenal had beaten Aston Villa 5-0 in their last outing as well as pulling of a 0-2 shock away to Manchester City in their previous Premier League match.
Van Gaal’s nightmare: The Dutchman’s first six months in charge
While the German Bundesliga is in its winter break, we want to take time, analyze a few teams and discuss possible tactical changes. We continue with a team which is not enjoying neither a winter break nor playing in Germany: Manchester United.
In-depth player analysis: Manuel Neuer
This is an English translation of the article, “In-Depth-Spieleranalyse: Manuel Neuer” by RM published at spielverlagerung.de.
Liverpool – Swansea City 4:1
Liverpool dominated what was a defense that epitomizes what most consider to be the standard English Premier League defense. Rodgers used some of his most skilled players in the best roles for this particular match, and the players did not disappoint.
Valencia – Rayo Vallecano 4:4
This was an incredible high scoring game that fit both the occasion of the Copa Del Rey Round of 16, and these two great Spanish teams. Various strategical and tactical changes occurred in the match, but the high intensity and pressure always remained throughout.
Barcelona – Cordoba 5:0
Barcelona put on a dominant display with some tweaks to their offensive strategy. Cordoba played defense nearly the entire game while Barcelona used their best players in the best positions for this particular defense. Messi had a unique role from the right flank moving in towards the central midfielder positions.