Chelsea – Porto 2:0
Chelsea looked like a different team to that who have been playing in the Premier League recently and put in a solid performance against a Porto side that were far below their usual standards.
One-dimensionality of reactivity
The Bundesliga, the heart of German football, lives from its entertainment qualities. It is sold as an exciting and attractive league with modern stadiums, fan-owned clubs and a relatively passionate but also peaceful atmosphere during the matches. The Bundesliga, though, is suffering at the moment. It is suffering from the uber-pressing syndrome.
Borussia M’Gladbach – Bayern Munich 3:1
Borussia Mönchengladbach issued Guardiola’s first Bundesliga defeat of the season with a resounding 3-1 victory at home to the German champions. Schubert opted for a flexible 3-1-4-2 system over his more usual 4-4-2 which saw Granit Xhaxa act in a hybrid defensive role between the lines of defence and midfield.
Columbus Crew – Portland Timbers 1:2
The Portland Timbers beat the Columbus Crew in the MLS Cup Final, claiming a 2-1 victory at Mapfre Stadium in Ohio on Sunday. Being a part of the Major League Soccer since 2011, the Timbers captured their first Cup in club history.
The 3-6-1: A logical step
The 3-6-1 is a rarely used formation, which could bring some interesting opportunities in top-class football. The aim of this analysis is to give a small example of a system utilizing this formation.
Wolfsburg – Borussia Dortmund 1:2
After Bayern fell short to Gladbach, Tuchel’s men had a rare opportunity to close the gap at the top of the league on Saturday. Despite a tense final 5 minutes to the match, Dortmund were able to add to their win against Stuttgart through a late Kagawa winner.
Southampton – Liverpool 1:6
Jurgen Klopp continued his excellent start at Liverpool with a 6-1 win over Southampton last night which saw the return of Daniel Sturridge in quite a rotated squad. Although their performance was perhaps not as good as the scoreline suggested, they still showed clear signs of improvement as they continue to impress following the German’s appointment.
Napoli – Inter Milan 2:1
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.
FK Krasnodar – Borussia Dortmund 1:0
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.
Barcelona – Roma 6:1
Barcelona came into this Champions League fixture off the back of one of the club’s most memorable performances in the modern era. Could they repeat the magnificent display they provided at the Bernabeu?