This time of the season can be a stressful one for many clubs. Going for the title, qualification to the European cups, or fighting for survival. For others, they got their business wrapped up already. Thanks to Jean-Philippe Mateta, Mainz fans can rest easy in their beds. The young striker has scored 12 goals this season, and at just under 1/3 of Mainz's total goals, Mateta has definitely played a big part in the clubs survival this season. Just like…
Introduction On his arrival at Manchester City, Pep had a few doubters about whether his style would work in the world’s “toughest league”. Could his possession hungry style work in the fast paced Premier League? This tactical analysis of Pep Guardiola will discuss the issues he faced, and how he turned it around. If you watched his Manchester City side in his first season (2016/17), you might have thought they had a point. At the start of his Barcelona tenure,…
Think of the top teams in Italy and some names stand above the rest. Teams such as Juventus, Roma, and the Milan teams have a rich history, once being the conquerors of Europe. One side that has flown significantly under the radar in past seasons, though, is Atalanta. Currently sitting in 8th, the team are not necessarily over performing, but their record of 54 goals (just one less than Juventus) is impressive. In this article we will explore what Atalanta…
In the last 10 years, there has been only two real stars of world football. Two of the greatest players to ever grace the game in Messi and Ronaldo have been battling it out and have really had the spotlight on them. It has now been 13 years since Fabio Cannavaro won the Balon D'Or. It may just be a coincidence, but in the recent times, top quality centre backs have been in short supply. Aymeric Laporte and Virgil van…