The UEFA Champions League had a special round on Tuesday with two highly anticipated games, which ended with victories for Liverpool and Bayern Munich over Real Madrid and PSG (respectively).
The start of the fourth round of the league also featured a rout by Tottenham, a victory for Atletico Madrid, and a disappointing draw for Juventus.
Liverpool 1-0 Real Madrid
Manager Arne Slot utilized a high-risk, high-reward counter-pressing strategy to perfection, limiting Real Madrid's buildup to just 0.45 xG. The nuance was the directional press, forcing Real Madrid's full-backs (and former Liverpool player Alexander-Arnold when he came on) to make quick, difficult decisions, often leading to hurried long balls that Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konaté easily swept up.
The match-winning goal by Alexis Mac Allister was a tactical signature of the Slot system. Operating in a high number-eight role, Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai were given license to break past the forward line. His header came from this deeper-lying midfielder timing his run perfectly into the box as the Real Madrid centre-backs were preoccupied with the front three.
Xabi Alonso's side, known for their midfield control, was completely suffocated. Jude Bellingham was repeatedly denied space between the lines by Liverpool's aggressive midfielders, forcing him to drop deeper, which in turn disconnected the attack of Kylian Mbappé and the other forwards. This was a win secured primarily through the midfield battle.
PSG 1-2 Bayern Munich
Despite playing a portion of the game with 10 men, Bayern's victory was a masterclass in vertical counter-attacking. Both goals from Luis Díaz were the result of quick, direct breaks, exposing PSG's over-committed full-backs (especially after Achraf Hakimi's injury-enforced substitution). Bayern deliberately soaked up possession and then exploded into the final third.
Luis Enrique's team was hindered by early injuries to Ousmane Dembélé and Achraf Hakimi, severely limiting their tactical fluidity. Their system relies on the width provided by the full-backs and the central threat of the wingers, but with two key players off, their attacks became narrower and easier for Bayern's deep block to contain, despite João Neves' late consolation goal.
After Luis Díaz's red card in first-half stoppage time, Bayern manager Vincent Kompany's tactical response was exceptional. They tightened their lines into a disciplined 4-4-1 block, giving up wide areas but completely denying PSG central progression. The focus was on tireless tracking back and forcing PSG to rely on hopeful crosses, which their centre-backs handled comfortably.
Tottenham 4-0 FC Copenhagen
Tottenham, under Thomas Frank, demonstrated complete dominance, generating a massive 3.31 Expected Goals. The tactical success lay in their fluid front line and high full-backs. Brennan Johnson (before his red card) and Wilson Odobert continuously rotated and inverted, while Pedro Porro and the other full-back provided extreme width, stretching the already deep Copenhagen defense and creating massive pockets of space.
Micky van de Ven's spectacular solo run and goal was the highlight. This wasn't a fluke; it's a feature of Spurs' system against deep blocks. When Copenhagen refused to press him, Van de Ven was given the freedom to carry the ball past the midfield line, and his direct run exploited the space between a panicked defensive line, showing the tactical license given to their ball-playing defenders.
Slavia Praha 0-3 Arsenal
With a number of attacking players absent, Mikel Merino excelled as the stand-in central forward. His role was less about physical presence and more about complex positional rotation. Merino consistently dropped deep into the midfield space, drawing Slavia's centre-backs out of position and creating gaps for Bukayo Saka and Leandro Trossard to run into from the wings. His two goals were a reward for his intelligent movement.
The second goal, scored by Merino just 35 seconds after the restart, was a tactical triumph of half-time instruction. It demonstrated Arsenal's intent to exploit an opponent's momentary lapse in concentration at the start of the second half, capitalizing on a quick turnover and a well-worked cross from Trossard. Arsenal secured their eighth consecutive clean sheet in all competitions (matching a club record).
Champions League Results
- Napoli 0-0 Eintracht Frankfurt
- Slavia Praha 0-3 Arsenal
- Atletico Madrid 3-1 Union Saint-Gilloise
- Liverpool 1-0 Real Madrid
- Tottenham 4-0 Copenhagen
- Olympiacos 1-1 PSV
- Juventus 1-1 Sporting
- PSG 1-2 Bayern
- Bodo/Glimt 0-1 Monaco