A simple win for Bayern in Spain, with a goal in each half and a good defensive display. Read more »
Porto 2-1 Shakhtar: ill discipline costs Shakhtar
Red cards for both centre-backs didn’t help the away side, but Porto were in charge for most of the game anyway. Read more »
Barcelona 2-2 Milan: Milan’s narrowness frustrates Barca (just about)
Milan scored in the first minute and the last minute, to bookend a game otherwise dominated by Barcelona. Read more »
Palermo 4-3 Inter: Gasperini’s 3-4-3 exposed
Palermo produced a great second half display to edge a thriller. Read more »
Milan 2-2 Lazio: danger down the flanks
The opening Serie A game of the season was excellent, with all four goals coming in a frantic first 35 minutes. Read more »
Barcelona 5-0 Villarreal: Guardiola switches to a 3-4-3 (diamond) and Barca run riot
Barcelona demolished a lacklustre Villarreal side in their first La Liga game of the season. Read more »
Manchester United 8-2 Arsenal: Wenger’s heaviest defeat as Arsenal manager
An astonishing game ended with a resounding Manchester United victory. Read more »
Tottenham 1-5 Manchester City: Dzeko scores four but City impressive across the pitch
Manchester City produced an excellent performance to maintain their 100% start to the season. Read more »
Guardiola ends the European Super Cup final with six central midfielders
Usually ZM looks at sides’ starting line-ups for matches, before assessing how the shape changed as the game went on. Read more »
Leverkusen 0-0 Dortmund: two similar systems cancel each other out
Arguably the first ‘big’ game of the European League season produced a fairly uninspiring 0-0 draw. Read more »
Garrido uses Bruno Soriano at the back to help guide Villarreal through
Villarreal qualified for the Champions League last night with a 3-0 victory over Odense, sending them through 3-1 on aggregate. Read more »
Man United 3-0 Tottenham: second half improvement puts United in command
Manchester United won an entertaining game 3-0, though it was evenly-balanced until the first goal. Read more »
Arsenal 0-2 Liverpool: Frimpong red card and Liverpool substitutions change the game
An Aaron Ramsey own goal and Luis Suarez’s tap-in gave Liverpool their first league win of the season. Read more »
Mourinho tries to counter Messi’s false nine role by pushing Carvalho up the pitch
One of the notable features from the second leg of the Spanish Supercopa was the positioning of Ricardo Carvalho, and his response to Lionel Messi’s movement into deep, slightly right-sided positions. Read more »
Arsenal 1-0 Udinese: Early Walcott goal gives Arsenal the advantage
Udinese constantly threatened on the counter-attack but failed to beat Wojciech Szczesny. Read more »
Eight points on Real Madrid 2-2 Barcelona
The 2011/12 Spanish season started with an open, exciting Supercopa first leg between Barcelona and Real. Read more »
Stoke 0-0 Chelsea: Villas Boas starts with draw
A decent game, but a 0-0 draw in Andre Villas Boas’ first game in charge of Chelsea. Read more »
Milan 2-1 Inter: Gasperini’s 3-5-1-1 dominates first half, but needless switches see him beaten
Inter were 1-0 up at half time but managed to lose 2-1, after a strange tactical change from their new boss Gian Piero Gasperini. Read more »
Bielsa set to thrive in Bilbao
It has been 13 years since Marcelo Bielsa has managed a club side. Read more »
Ferguson’s flexible front four hints at a return to the fluidity of 2008
Community Shield matches can often be rather mundane – this year’s was a cracker, with Manchester United coming back from 2-0 down at half time to defeat Manchester City 3-2. Read more »
ZM’s Copa America Best XI
The outstanding performers from July’s Copa America tournament in Argentina. Read more »
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