Unbelievable, isn’t it? Each summer time, Europe’s prime 5 leagues enter their golf equipment’ names right into a machine so legendary you’re left with the impression it’s carried round in a locked suitcase by a boffin who has been handcuffed to it. The fixture laptop, in actuality a boring laptop computer, makes use of an algorithm to randomly draw up the soccer calendar, permitting for a number of variables.
And but, every season, a number of the greatest video games in England, Spain, Italy, France and Germany crop up all on the identical weekend. If this isn’t one of many first nefarious indicators of AI’s intentions to mess with us, The Athletic doesn’t know what’s.
First up on this monster of a weekend is El Clasico on Saturday night, as La Liga leaders Barcelona tackle second-placed Actual Madrid. Then there’s a blockbuster triple-header on Sunday; Premier League-leading Liverpool journey to Arsenal in third, Juventus (third) head to Inter Milan (second) for the Derby d’Italia and Marseille, one other facet in third spot, host first-placed Paris Saint-Germain in Le Classique.
Three of these eight groups are reigning champions of their nation (Madrid, Inter, PSG) and one other (Arsenal) have come very shut for the previous two seasons, ending 5 and two factors adrift of four-in-a-row title winners Manchester Metropolis, together with of their 2022-23 treble marketing campaign.
Lining up in opposition to these sides this weekend are 4 coaches who’ve solely been of their jobs a number of months — however who’ve began properly.
Hansi Flick has Barcelona feeling like Barcelona once more, regardless of being neither Catalan nor Dutch. Thiago Motta is unbeaten in Serie A having dressed Allegri-ball up in new, extra fashionable garments — Juventus have conceded solely as soon as in eight league video games. Marseille began the Roberto De Zerbi period with a 5-1 away win in opposition to Champions League qualifiers Brest and hammered Montpellier 5-0 on their personal pitch final Sunday. Arne Slot took on the mammoth activity of entering into Jurgen Klopp’s sneakers at Liverpool, and has gained seven video games out of his eight Premier League matches to this point.
The subsequent two days current these challengers with the hardest take a look at of their credentials but…
Hansi Flick and a Barcelona that ‘solely take into consideration scoring’
Actual Madrid (2nd) vs Barcelona (prime)
Saturday; 8pm GMT, 3pm ET
If there was a single picture to sum up Barcelona’s begin to the season, it could most likely be that of Hansi Flick, standing on the touchline in a dishevelled blue T-shirt — arms in pockets and straggly-haired — obvious straight forward with narrowed, inscrutable eyes.
Absolutely no supervisor had ever appeared so livid on the sight of their workforce going 7-0 up.
Flick doesn’t should say a lot to convey the ruthlessness that has fuelled Barca’s transformation beneath his watch, and that emphatic win over Actual Valladolid on the finish of August was a daunting present of what can occur after they merely don’t let up. “The depth didn’t drop at any second, and that’s good,” he mentioned straight-faced after the sport, as if expectations had been met, quite than exceeded.
(Javier Borrego/Europa Press by way of Getty Photographs)
Such a businesslike strategy has saved requirements excessive at Barca this season, and except for blips in opposition to Monaco and Osasuna — the latter involving an early purple card, the previous some heavy rotation — Barcelona have dominated 11 out of 11 video games. They lead La Liga not solely on factors, however in most different metrics; photographs, targets, anticipated targets (xG); possession and area tilt; duel win-rate and ball recoveries within the attacking third.
Once they have possession, the concept is to stretch the pitch whereas overloading the center with harmful, technical gamers, counting on the pinpoint passing of the centre-backs — significantly Pau Cubarsi — to search out the gaps. Right here, in a win in opposition to Athletic Bilbao in what was simply Flick’s second official sport in cost, we will see Alejandro Balde pushing on from left-back to maintain the width, with Lamine Yamal on the opposite facet, whereas 4 attacking gamers sit between the traces of the opposition’s 4-4-2.
From right here, Cubarsi has the instruments to dictate the assault; he can go large and direct into Yamal who’s one-v-one together with his full-back, or he can punch the ball via the traces, as he does with laser-like consistency.
This cross via to Dani Olmo, for instance, takes six gamers out of the sport and leaves the midfielder bearing down on the opposition’s again 4.
That means to change up the tempo of the assault has made the distinction for Barca this season, with Yamal himself citing their direct play as key to their success: “Once we get better the ball, we solely take into consideration scoring,” he advised Spanish soccer outlet Jijantes.
No participant has embodied that philosophy fairly like Raphinha, already only one aim behind his report single-season tally of 10 in a Barcelona shirt. Capable of each run the left flank and drop into these central areas, the dynamism of his motion continues to tug opposition gamers everywhere in the pitch.
The graphic under makes use of knowledge from SkillCorner to seize the efficiency of the Brazilian’s off-the-ball motion; not solely is he the participant with essentially the most high-intensity sprints in La Liga this season, no one comes near his 153 runs in behind the opposition defence. His athleticism and velocity enable him to start out runs from deep and tear via your offside lure, as he did time and time once more in Barca’s 4-1 thumping of Bayern Munich within the Champions League on Wednesday.
This Barcelona workforce have loads of technical tips up their sleeve, however their best method to aim to this point this season has been to make use of sheer ahead momentum to crash into the areas their positional play opens up.
Keep away from defeat in the present day in Madrid, and a title cost would possibly actually begin to take form.
Learn how to watch
- UK: Premier Sports activities, La Liga TV
- United States: ESPN+, Fubo
Thom Harris
Liverpool look extra mature beneath Arne Slot — on and off the ball
Arsenal (third) v Liverpool (prime)
Sunday; 4.30pm GMT, 12.30pm ET
Any supervisor who succeeded Jurgen Klopp at Anfield was destined to be dealt a tough hand. Klopp’s high-octane, frenetic type of play was breathless till the final — who might comply with the very best act in Liverpool’s fashionable historical past?
But Arne Slot was dealt probably the greatest arms in European soccer — inheriting a squad ready-made to push for titles this season.
So, what has modified in Liverpool’s taking part in type? Surprisingly little.
The transition has been smoother than anticipated, with Liverpool successful 11 of their opening 12 matches for the primary time of their 132-year historical past, additionally breaking a membership report with six successive away victories at the beginning of a season. If Liverpool had been taking part in with their coronary heart within the Klopp period, they’re now taking part in extra with their head, displaying a better maturity of their sport each after they have the ball and when the opposite lot are in possession.
A affected person build-up and cautious development via the thirds is the notable change in Liverpool’s type this season, however there’s a refreshing pragmatism to Slot’s strategy.
If groups sit off, centre-backs Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate will attempt to attract them out with a slower, thought-about build-up. Press too excessive, although, and Van Dijk can punish you with a line-breaking cross into Ryan Gravenberch or a zinged cross-field diagonal to Mohamed Salah.
Sure, Slot prefers a thought-about type of play, however he’s aware of the qualities he has at his disposal — which might be unpredictable for opponents to arrange for.
“(Final season) they used each second they might to play in behind or deep,” Slot mentioned of Liverpool’s 2023-24 facet in an interview with UK broadcaster Sky Sports activities. “That meant that the sport was typically open, so I’ve advised them to get a greater judgement in danger and reward. If you happen to can put somebody via in entrance of the goalkeeper, please attempt to take action. If not, typically it’s a good suggestion to maintain the ball.”
The return of Liverpool’s transitional type was box-office leisure at occasions in Klopp’s farewell season, however their openness in assault grew to become their Achilles’ heel out of possession.
Fast regains excessive up the sector and counter-pressing actions had been commonplace beneath the German, however Liverpool had a behavior of being horribly uncovered if that press was mistimed: their 3.1 ‘direct assaults’ — a proxy of counter-attacking — conceded per 90 minutes final season was the sixth-highest within the Premier League.
Issues have tightened up since Slot got here in. Liverpool’s urgent depth — denoted by their passes allowed per defensive motion (PPDA) — is decrease and their quantity of excessive regains has lowered in trade for better defensive construction. That is mostly seen of their 4-2-4 form out of possession, with wingers blocking passes out to the full-backs and a striker (Diogo Jota) and attacking midfielder (Dominik Szoboszlai) stopping the ball from being progressed via central areas…
…however with the potential for adapting, as proven this week in opposition to RB Leipzig within the Champions League by Slot’s tweak to a 4-1-4-1 off the ball.
The decision? Liverpool are the identical; similar, however completely different. Slot is constructing on the foundations Klopp laid, subtly filling in any cracks that had been beginning to emerge final season.
Learn how to watch
- UK: Sky Sports activities
- United States: Peacock Premium
Mark Carey
Thiago Motta’s Juventus have greatest defensive report within the prime 5 leagues
Inter Milan (2nd) v Juventus (third)
Sunday; 5pm GMT, 1pm ET
It could be facile to recommend Juventus have modified so as to keep the identical. They appointed an apparently progressive new coach this summer time, spent greater than €100million (£83m/$108m on the present trade charges) on 9 signings and promoted extra academy children from their Subsequent Gen youth improvement programme.
Nonetheless unbeaten within the league after eight video games, Juventus positively look completely different in additional than simply personnel beneath Thiago Motta. No person in Serie A holds onto the ball greater than them, they make extra passes than anybody else and may play slick sequences from again to entrance just like the one which led to Alessio Romagnoli’s first-half purple card in final Saturday’s 1-0 residence win in opposition to Lazio. Romagnoli was the final man and slid in on Pierre Kalulu, his fellow defender and former AC Milan team-mate, after the Frenchman had been despatched via on aim like a centre-forward quite than a centre-back.
Romagnoli catching Kalulu final weekend (Domenico Cippitelli/NurPhoto by way of Getty Photographs)
In the long run although, their winner that day solely arrived by way of a late personal aim. Juventus’ struggles to interrupt down 10 males for over an hour underscored their basic issue in busting via deep defences. They’ve the league’s ninth-best assault when it comes to targets scored and have marginally out-performed their xG (11 to 10.4) because of long-distance, low-percentage targets from Samuel Mbangula and Andrea Cambiaso. Thirteenth in photographs per 90, Juventus are twelfth for touches within the opposition penalty space, with Cambiaso and Kenan Yildiz the main protagonists in getting the ball into the field via their carries and passes.
The summer time sale of Moise Kean to Fiorentina and Arkadiusz Milik’s extended spell on the sidelines with a knee harm imply Dusan Vlahovic is the one recognised No 9 within the squad. Skills comparable to Yildiz, 19, are nailed-on starters for the primary time of their careers and it’s maybe an excessive amount of to count on them to supply game-defining moments each few days. Juventus’ midfielders have but to chip in with any targets this season.
In mitigation, late switch enterprise, accidents and the general overhaul function silent pleas for endurance. On the again, Motta’s Juventus play on the ball in addition to Allegri’s Juventus used to defend the area. Their zero non-penalty targets conceded is the very best report in Europe’s prime 5 leagues — and so they started the season alternating successive 3-0 wins with back-to-back 0-0 attracts.
It has, at occasions, been monotonous and boring.
Because the opening weekend’s 3-0 defeat of newly-promoted guests Como, followers at Juventus’ Allianz Stadium have watched them rating a penalty in opposition to Cagliari, profit from that personal aim by Lazio, and fail to search out the online in opposition to Roma, Napoli and, this midweek, Champions League guests Stuttgart, who deservedly inflicted their first defeat of the marketing campaign.
“Allegri with new tips” continues to be the incorrect method to characterise Motta, no matter their curiously related press convention traces. However a distinct type has to this point delivered the same spectacle. For now, outcomes have lined up for that, though tomorrow’s Derby d’Italia in opposition to Inter, the membership with whom Motta gained the treble as a participant, would possibly herald the twilight of his grace interval.
Learn how to watch
- UK: TNT Sports activities
- United States: Paramount+, Fubo
James Horncastle
Roberto De Zerbi and Marseille: hearth, meet hearth
Marseille (third) v Paris Saint-Germain (prime)
Sunday; 7.45pm GMT, 3.45pm ET
In Might this yr, Brighton & Hove Albion introduced Roberto De Zerbi would depart his head coach position on the finish of the 2023-24 season. I joked to a good friend that he ought to be part of Marseille.
A case of unstoppable power meets immovable object: the passionate, loud Marseille ultras intimated Marcelino into resigning final season. After seven video games. That very same marketing campaign ended with De Zerbi because the joint-most-booked supervisor/head coach within the Premier League and saying that he disliked “80 per cent” of English referees. Hearth, meet hearth.
De Zerbi grew to become Marseille’s sixth head coach, full-time or interim, in 13 months.
Tactically, they match. The membership motto — droit au however — interprets as ‘straight to the aim’. De Zerbi’s 4-2-3-1 setup goals of the choreographed passing patterns that bait the opposition and play via them — it’s how Brighton (beneath the Italian) beat Marseille (beneath Gennaro Gattuso) to complete first of their shared Europa League group final season.
It should shock no one that De Zerbi has caught to his rules. Marseille are second to Paris Saint-Germain for possession (60.6 per cent) in Ligue 1. Their territorial dominance within the first eight video games has seen them shift right into a 3-2-5 build-up, with the left-back pushing on and the left winger transferring into the half-space.
De Zerbi would possibly — emphasis on would possibly — tone down the type in opposition to higher opposition, however Marseille have flown out the blocks beneath him. There’s De Zerbi’s trademark No 9 dropping in, slow-then-quick attacking play as soon as the opposition midfield line is break up, and wingers crashing the back-post with an emphasis on cutbacks.
Look out for Luis Henrique specifically, a 22-year-old who Marseille signed 4 years in the past however is barely now establishing himself within the first workforce after 18 months on mortgage again in his native Brazil. He’s scored 4 targets and assisted three in Ligue 1 this season, whereas working as a winger, and has a penchant for a screamer. Former Manchester United ahead Mason Greenwood joined this summer time and has six targets in eight video games.
Marseille (21) are the second-highest-scorers in Ligue 1 (after PSG’s 25) whereas having the fewest headed aim makes an attempt within the league (seven). This encapsulates how a lot of their soccer is performed on the ground.
5 wins and 17 factors from eight video games is considered one of Marseille’s greatest begins in current historical past. Prior to now 10 seasons, solely in 2022-23 (20 factors) did they’ve extra factors at this stage.
Though there shall be considerations over sustainability, with Marseille operating sizzling at each ends. They’re essentially the most scientific workforce in Europe’s prime 5 home leagues for overperforming anticipated targets (by 7.7), with their probability creation (12.3 xG) nearly precisely matching their probability concession (11.2 xGA). But they’ve a aim distinction of +13. It really works… till it doesn’t.
Marseille will want these margins to fall their method on this sport, as they’ve a horrendous current report in opposition to tomorrow’s opponents: in PSG’s Qatari-owned period (so, over the previous 13 years), Marseille have gained three of the 31 conferences, dropping 24 occasions. They did beat them within the Coupe de France, the French equal to the FA Cup in England, in February 2023 however haven’t come out on prime on this league fixture, at their Velodrome residence, since November 2011.
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Liam Tharme
(Images: Getty Photographs; design: Eamonn Dalton)
