Champions League Contenders: Chelsea

Chelsea has been a treat to watch this season, building on their philosophy, promoting youth up the ranks and believing in possession-based attacking football that is winning hearts and minds around the football world.

In this post, I'll be analysing their recent games and study their chances of winning the Champions League this season.

Now let's take a look at their Offensive and Defensive moments which will define their Champions League journey.

Offensive:

Chelsea's offensive transition has proved to be very effective. As soon as they win the ball, the first pass always moves forward. The receiving player tries to cover as much space forward by driving the ball towards goal. Other players use both the side corridors to stretch the opponent's defensive line and provide width. Once in the final third, the strikers have a clear sight on goal and can finish without pressure.

Defensive:

Defensively, set-pieces have been a problem for Chelsea this season. Alongwith that, a lot of individual errors have been responsible for easy open chances and goals. If Chelsea's defensive movement off the ball, specifically the recognition of 'open and closed ball' improves, it could provide a good chance of overturning the 3-0 deficit against Bayern.

Let's see what one of Chelsea's biggest fans in the country, also founder and content creator at 'Oonche Vichaar', Adarsh Singh, has to say

I hope you enjoyed my analysis and I'm eagerly looking forward to your invaluable feedback, suggestions and ideas. Do like, share and follow the page to show your love!


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(Video and Statistics Credits - WyScout.com)

Champions League Contenders: Olympique Lyonnais

Olympiqe Lyonnais haven't played a single competitive fixture since the restart, but that does not take away the fact that they can move on to the quarter-finals by just securing a draw against Juventus. After finishing 7th in Ligue 1 this season, their only chance of playing in Europe is to win the Champions League, which looks very difficult, to be honest!

In this post, I'll be analysing their recent games and study their chances of winning the Champions League this season.

Now let's take a look at their Offensive and Defensive moments which will define their Champions League journey.

Offensive:

By placing a close diamond of four within the central lane, Lyon could threaten Juve’s overload in the centre– a feature Sarri extensively uses during his team’s build-up. Using two central strikers could also help push back Juventus defenders. This was a common thread in the club’s run to securing a top-three spot in Ligue 1 last season.

Defensive:

Lyon tend to utilise narrow team structures and thus opponents have looked to exploit their lack of coverage in wide areas. Opposing full-backs have shown that providing early crosses into Lyon’s penalty area can expose the back line and create chances. Targeting areas at the far post is a common tactic, with attackers often able to sneak around the back or surge quickly in between Lyon's wing-back and centre-backs. They aren’t necessarily weak in defensive transitions, but they do leave spaces into which world-class teams such as Juventus can launch counter-attacks.

Here's what Bhaichung Bhutia Football School's Technical Mentor, Sunny Kumar, has to say

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Champions League Contenders: Real Madrid

Real Madrid are in red hot form, after the restart, winning all 9 of their fixtures till now, climbing on top of the La Liga standings with one hand on the trophy already!

In this post, I'll be analysing their recent games and study their chances of winning the Champions League this season.

Now let's take a look at their Offensive and Defensive moments which will define their Champions League journey.

Offensive:

Quick counter attacks have always been Real Madrid's trademark. Although, after the restart, set-pieces have helped them win crucial games with a 1-goal margin. Quickly breaking lines to unsettle the opponent and finding Benzema or Asensio in scoring positions, which they have done well so far this season, will be key to beating City and reaching the Quarter-Finals.


Defensive:

With the style of play employed by Zidane, even if they don't score a lot, the team can be assured of not conceding as well. Their solid shape when the opponent has possession makes them impenetrable and one of the meanest defenses in Europe.


Here's what one of the most active members of Real Madrid's Official Fan Club in Mumbai, Arbaaz Kapadia, has to say

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Champions League Contenders: Bayern Munich

After the restart, Bayern Munich have been in beast mode, maintaining 100% winning rate, already bagging 2 trophies and scoring goals aplenty!

In this post, I'll be analysing their recent games and study their chances of winning the Champions League this season.

Now let's take a look at their Offensive and Defensive moments which will define their Champions League journey.

Offensive:

Positional and numerical superiority is one of the aspects of Hansi Flick's game model which matches best with his players individual strengths. 18/20 goals scored from open play says a lot about their belief in Flick's system, which they implement to near-perfection.

Defensive:

Most of their goals, after the restart, were from set-pieces. Other than that, Bayern lack in preparedness for transitions which allows opponents to break quickly and gives space infront of goal. Chelsea have been known to punish teams using their quick offensive transitions and it just might prove to be a point of worry for Bayern.

Here's what one of the biggest fans of Bayern Munich in India, Jaideep Gandhi, has to say

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Is The Chelsea Puzzle Complete?

One of the youngest, most exciting and promising sides in the Premier League this season, Chelsea, have shown everyone what it means to be one of the best in the business!

At the beginning of the season, just 1 out of 20 'pundits' had backed Chelsea to even be in the Top-4 and currently they sit in 4th position, just 1 point behind Leicester City. Lampard has instilled his love and passion for the club among his players and it clearly shows through their performances.

Chelsea has manifested the importance of believing in their philosophy, offensive mindedness, creativity in attack and promoting youth players to build for the future. This has proved as Lampard's masterstroke, delivering results now and projecting a stable future for the club.

But on the dark side of the moon, defensive lapses, consistent individual errors, over-committing to attack and negligence in rotating the squad has hurt Chelsea time and again during the season. It only goes on to show the obstacles yet to be faced for the coming seasons.

Although now, with new faces joining in and a couple more in the pipeline, is the Chelsea puzzle finally complete? Let's take a look....

Offensively, Chelsea has been the most exhilarating to watch. Attack, after attack, after attack and there's no stopping them. Most significantly, their ability to always play balls forward during transitions helps them get closer to goal, quicker.

Another attacking principle which proves 'hazard'ous for opponents, is that Chelsea uses all 3 corridors during transitions. This makes the opponent stretch while creating numerical superiority in the corridor with the ball.

When they win the ball in their own half, Chelsea usually tend to maintain possession in the same area where the ball is won. This attracts opponents to one side of the pitch, while exposing the opposite side. One quick switch, almost always, gives them the advantage and numerical as well as spatial superiority.

Also now, the likes of Willian and Pedro departing, let's see how Timo Werner and Hakim Ziyech provide different dimensions, while still continuing Chelsea's playing style, to their attacking prowess.

Defensively, one highlight which is mostly exploited by deep-lying teams, is Chelsea's inability to track back swiftly during transitions. Over-committing while attacking and positional inadequacy to be ready for the next phase might just be the difference they need for a 10/10 performance.

Defending while sitting back and not pressuring the opponent does not suit Chelsea's game model. When they are forced to do it, they falter and give up opportunities which lead to clear goalscoring chances.

With a staggering 41% goals conceded out of 110 shots faced, he's not the GoalKepa any team would want between the sticks. With a lower goals conceded rate of 31% and an almost similar rate of saves 57% (Kepa 56%), Jamal Blackman would fit in well as he's back from his loan spell.

To sum up, offensively, Chelsea can be considered as one of the best sides in Europe next season. But defensively, a lot of work needs to be done. Only time will tell if Super Frankie Lampard gets the puzzle right, or will he still try to fit square pegs in round holes??

I hope you enjoyed my analysis and I'm eagerly looking forward to your invaluable feedback, suggestions and ideas. Do like, share and follow the page to show your love!

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(Video and Statistics Credits - WyScout.com)

Qatar vs India: A Draw Well Deserved Or Hard Earned?

Blue Tigers roared loud against Asian Champions, Qatar, as we held them to a historic 0-0 draw in the 2nd match of the joint World Cup 2022 and Asian Cup 2023 Qualifier held in Doha on 11th September. It was a game full of 'what-ifs' and 'maybes' as both teams had their share of moments over the 90 minutes. Let's dive into the analysis and see how we fared.




Disciplined Defending

India adapted and improvised their defensive structure efficiently against Qatar's ever-evolving offensive approach. They did well to constantly change between 4-1-4-1, 4-5-1 and 5-4-1 as and when Qatar tried to find spaces to open up our defense. India was disciplined and organised to keep Qatari players at bay and avoid giving up unnecessary spaces infront of goal.

Defending with superiority in wide areas caused Qatar to shift constantly to both sides to no avail. Overloading wide areas to create 1v2 or 1v3 situations didn't allow Qatar to creep in behind our defenders. This discipline and rigidness to maintain an overload and superiority will help India again when we play Qatar on March 20, 2020.

Quick reaction to get back into a compact defensive shape helped India deal with Qatar's counter-attacks. This forced Qatar to push more players forward to attack and in-turn it gave India the advantage in our counter-attack situations.



Aggressive Attacking

Offensive transitions could have been quicker and direct to goal, versus an opponent who we knew wouldn't give many clear chances. Positional awareness to foresee players' movements and anticipation of opponents reactions will help us in our home game against Qatar.

Indian players were very courageous and showed strong character to consistently try and play passes inbetween lines. It proved effective at times when we could attract Qatari midfielders out of their positions and create space behind them.
Qatar lacked in defensive discipline and that helped India play more inter-line passes. If the decision to play final passes after better anticipation improves in the 2nd leg, we are sure to score and possibly give them the L!



Creative Counter-Attacking

Going back one step, principles of the game suggest, defending in superiority and then winning the ball gives more chances of a controlled counter-attack. And that's exactly what India did! Unlike against Oman, the counter-attacks in this game were controlled and creative. Qatar would have expected India to behave the same way we did against Oman, surprisingly to them, we played crisp passes to get out of pressure zones and attack further up the pitch.

Udanta was a sight to behold when given free space to make speedy runs. This helped India on quite a few occasions to cover up long lengths of the pitch and get closer to Qatar's goal. If he improves and quickens his decision making process along with the players in the game-centre, he could be the talisman we so dearly need!


As per my analysis and the way we have progressed from the Oman game, I'm sure in our next game against Bangladesh we'll get maximum points. Also, if we avoid making unforced errors and focus more on better decision making while in possession, as I mentioned in the analysis, we could be looking at a good boost to our goal difference.


I hope you enjoyed my analysis and I'm eagerly looking forward to your invaluable feedback, suggestions and ideas. Do like, share and follow the page to show your love!


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(Video and Statistics Credits - WyScout.com)

India vs Oman: A Tale Of Two Halves!

India lost their first joint World-Cup 2022 and Asian Cup 2023 Qualification game against Oman on Thursday, in Guwahati, by the smallest of margins, 1-2. Let's get into the analysis and see what went wrong, what to improve and the positives to build on to.


Offensive Analysis

While maintaining possession, India tends to combine well to build up. They attract the opponent out of their defensive organisation and spread them out. This gives more space for the midfielders and attackers to combine and take advantage of.
When the opponent is disorganised, winning the 2nd ball after playing long balls helps India gain control of the middle-third of the pitch. Inter-line passing to break Oman's defensive lines gives India a good advantage to create an overload in their area and more chances to get into scoring positions.
If the positioning and involvement out of the game-centre improves, we could be an attacking threat to reckon with.

On the other hand, over-reliance on Ashique's movement towards the left side and Chhetri's finishing abilities, which are no doubt the best in the country currently, doesn't give us many other options to explore while in an offensive transition to counter-attack.
Over-working and in-turn tiring them both out, can also be a reason why we couldn't create a single serious chance to score after the 65th minute.

The unwillingness to push up together as an offensive unit to attack, rather than it only being the attacker's responsibility clearly shows lack of cohesion and needs to improve on an immediate basis.
The tired and complacent body-language and behaviour, as early as in the 60th minute, doesn't give a good account of the team and justifies how much the players need a longer and more competitive league structure.

In situations of isolation, players need to have better awareness and decision making. Doing this would give them an advantage in the space-time synthesis. The more time and space we have, the more advantage we will have over the opponent as their decisions will be based on our actions and not on their own movements.

The little combinations upfront between our attackers, incorporated by Coach Igor, have shown sparks of promise when executed well. In this particular case, Chhetri drops down to attract Oman's central defender. This opens up a hole in their defensive line and creates an imbalance. Udanta makes the most use of this and unleashes his speed to win the ball on the flick.
After that, India need to be proactive to create a numerical superiority situation in their defensive-third which might have given us a good chance to score.



Defensive Analysis

When India applies good pressure-cover tactics while being out of possession, we tend to control the opponent and not let them break into our defensive-third. It forces Oman to turn back and re-organise their offensive movements. Quick pressure from out-of-sight of opponents unsettles them. And finally when they force their passes in behind our defensive line, India's defensive structure stays rigid and gives us the desired outcome.

As we talked about India needing to improve on their good offensive unity, the same can be said for their defensive unity. Only three attackers pressuring on the ball in our offensive-third while the rest of the players waiting near the half-way line, leaves a huge gap for Oman to take advantage of. Even then, when Oman reaches our second wave of defenders, the attacking trio up-front show no initiative to help out.

Ultra-defensive mindset gives the opponent levy to use time and space as per their discretion, without any real pressure from Indian players. It could have been an instruction from the coaching staff, nevertheless, didn't turn out to be a good one. Had we put pressure on the opponents after clearing the ball in the middle-third, we could have pushed them further behind and averted them from piling pressure on us and scoring.

Individual and 'glocal' (local but as a group) defensive duties were not clear. If the message isn't clear to the players, the opponent directly benefits from unforced errors. Here, lack of understanding and communication leaves players in India's left corridor looking clueless and gives Oman the advantage to push inside our defensive zone to try to create scoring opportunities.

Maintaining a good defensive line and shape is always a concern even for the biggest of teams, but when maintained well, it gives amazing results. The same happened for India. When holding a good defensive line and structure, we won the ball and took control of the tempo. Getting out of tight spaces became easier and finding passes to disorganise Oman into conceding a freekick gave us a good numerical and spatial advantage in the middle-third.


Looking at the analysis, there are a few areas to improve on but there are also moments which we should be applauding. We can be sure about beating Oman the second-time round when we visit them in November, if we work on these areas and are confident in our abilities.
If India wants to get through the qualifiers, we need to focus on some of these specific aspects and have the conviction and determination to get points off of Qatar next week.



I hope you enjoyed my analysis and I'm eagerly looking forward to your invaluable feedback, suggestions and ideas. Do like, share and follow the page to show your love!

Football - Analysed!


(Video and Statistics Credits - WyScout.com)