“When Pep Guardiola took his Manchester City team to Old Trafford in November 2021, he had one thing on his mind when it came to stopping Manchester United’s threat. … More than a year has passed and United’s prowess on the offensive transitions is still there. The profiles of their attackers give United the upper hand in situations when they have just won the ball back and want to attack quickly. That is also helped by improvements off the ball under Erik ten Hag. …”
The Athletic
The Athletic: Barcelona’s Raphinha changed the game against Man United — so why did Xavi replace him?
The Athletic: Manchester United and Barcelona are on upward arcs — this was a worthy chapter in their rivalry
Daily Archives: February 18, 2023
Reputation Meets Reality in the Champions League
“… Sure, Chelsea and Tottenham had both lost the first legs of their Champions League round of 16 ties, but that was nothing to worry about. There are the home games to come in a few weeks. Things will be better then. Wrongs will be righted. Everything is breezy. Neither manager’s pose was particularly ludicrous. Neither team had played especially badly. Both sides might have felt just a little unfortunate to have lost. Chelsea, still feeling its way to a settled identity after its winter excess, created a raft of chances against Borussia Dortmund. …”
NY Times
Why is illegal streaming so popular?
“The illegal streaming of football matches remains a problem for the football industry and there are few signs that that’s about to change. But why is illegal streaming so popular? And why is it even an option? Tifo conducted its own survey, alongside industry research to find out why football fans illegally stream, and what the authorities are doing about it. Written by Seb Stafford-Bloor, illustrated by Craig Silcock.”
YouTube