Benfica vs Juventus: Tactical preview

Next Thursday Benfica and Juventus will be fighting for one of the two places in the Europa League final. In fact, it will probably be one of the best dress rehearsals UEFA could have possibly wanted, since the stadiums of these two teams are the venues for the Champions League and Europa League finals in a few weeks' time.

While the Portuguese team have just clinched the title last Sunday with a 2-0 win against Olhanense at the Estádio da Luz, the Italians have not been too shabby either, with an eight-point cushion over second-placed Roma, with four games to go. In fact, the only doubt in the Serie A seems to be whether the Biaconeri will get past the 100-point mark.

Any duel between these two teams is always interesting, but the current one becomes even more so as both seem to be going through one of the best periods in their history - Benfica winning the Portuguese league for the second time in 5 years and consistently progressing to the later stages of European competition and Juventus virtually steamrolling domestic opposition while they find their way back to the top of European club competitions. Let us try to break down what will probably be the crucial tactical aspects of the upcoming contest.

• The importance of being Pirlo

Ever since Massimilliano Allegri deemed him surplus to the team's requirements back in 2011 (and allowed the player to move to Turin on a free transfer), Andrea Pirlo has become the beacon that has guided the reigning champions to their rebirth after the dark years that followed the Caliopoli, with captain Gianluigi Buffon going as far as to call it the business of the century.

In fact, it is impossible to dissect this Juventus side without talking about the seemingly perennial Italian regista - or "l'architteto", as his team-mates in Italian colours dub him. His pin-point passing and extraordinary (both direct and indirect) free kicks often constitute the secret to pick harder locks (as was the case against Genoa, Lyon and Fiorentina).

However, he is not exactly one the hardest working players while defending (nor could he possibly be as he closes in on his 35th birthday), which sometimes leaves his back three (or five, depending on the situation) too exposed. Even though Pogba and Vidal - who will probably be replaced by Marchisio - do their best to help out while defending, the two midfielders who sit in front of the Italian wizard (and winegrower) are often found further up the pitch and often unable to provide the necessary coverage when transitioning into defence.

With Benfica's Nico Gaitán enjoying his best season ever and dictating play from the left but drifting into the pockets of space vacated by Rodrigo or Lima, and Markovic at his best whenever he has the ability to dribble at speed, the area around Pirlo might just be the place to buzz around in order to take full advantage of the 34-year-old physical vulnerabilities.

Pogba and Vidal have been critical to Juventus' recent domestic success and partly to the difficulties they have found in the Champions League over the past couple of seasons. Their late runs into the penalty box, while extremely dangerous for their opponents, sometimes backfire spectacularly by exposing Pirlo, Leonardo Bonucci, Giorgio Chiellini and Andrea Barzagli's lack of speed, particularly on the turn - something that this more composed Benfica side will certainly be all too happy to exploit.

• Three at the back: blessing or curse

At the 2012 World Cup, there were those who wondered if the 3x5x2 formation was the ideal remedy for tiki-taka. It seemed to be able to contain the world's most dominant force - Spain - and their possession-based brand of football. In this particular contest, however, it seems tailor-made for Benfica's style, usually founded upon quick transitioning principles at breakneck speed. If the Eagles manage to stave off Llorente, Tévez & co. they are bound to find happiness on the counter.

Another feature of the three-man defence is the ability to adapt whenever opposing teams manage to stifle Pirlo in midfield (usually easier said than done). Whenever Pirlo is not available, Bonucci calls the shots from his central position at the back, usually looking for the wingers Lichtsteiner and Asamoah so they can build-up play via individual duels and purposeful runs behind the other team's last line of defenders, and usually the time when either Pogba or Vidal drift towards the wings to create overloads.

The fact that none of Chiellini, Barzagli, Bonucci or Pirlo are particularly quick will probably render them vulnerable to Benfica's breaks and force them to stretch out to contain the Portuguese champions' several threats. The three-man arrangement may suffer quite a bit with the prospect of Lima and Rodrigo constantly switching positions and dragging their markers away from the penalty box - something with which the Juventus defence clearly struggle - so that Gaitán or Markovic, for instance, may find several opportunities for one of their specialties: the 1v1.

• Under heavy attack

The sheer physicality of Juventus players (but especially their midfielders and forwards) might just be one of the things that puts Benfica on their back foot, a style with which the Portuguese are not all that familiar. Carlos Tévez and Fernando Llorente have indeed struck a great partnership, with the Spaniard acting as a lynchpin for the team's attacks thanks to his ability to hold the ball up and link up play. The Argentinean forward, on the other hand, is best known for his scurrying around, looking for the right time and place to provide a killer pass or a purposeful nutmeg. The physical and mental efforts that the pair will demand from Benfica players is not similar to the challenges the Eagles have faced so far and will most certainly prove a stern test for Luisão & co.

Neat, central combination play is unlikely to surface as far as Juventus are concerned, the wings being their natural habitat to build up play. Still, it is their ability to pry their way open down the centre via Llorente and Tévez that often manages to tear down difficult walls, combined with their knack for taking full advantage of attacking set pieces, whether it be expertly delivered by Pirlo towards Chiellini and Pogba or Pirlo's diversified direct free kicks. Luisão, Garay and Fejsa will surely have their hands full and will be critical countenance Juventus' physical assaults.

FC Porto 1-0 Sevilla: Both sides fail to impress

After their 1-0 win against Benfica last week and the 2-1 defeat to Nacional da Madeira last Sunday, FC Porto were faced with mixed feeling towards the first leg of their Europa League quarter-final tie, but managed to grab a crucial (perhaps narrow) win against a disappointing Sevilla.

Unai Emery's team had previously gone on a good run (including the famous win against Real Madrid) but were stopped in their tracks over the weekend by Celta Vigo. Still, their European record were virtually spotless, with the Andalusians going undefeated in 14 of their last 15 Europa League matches. Conversely, FC Porto, despite the successive progressing, mirrored in Europe the porous defence they have been presenting domestically (conceding at least 2 goals in 5 of their last 6 Europa League outings).

The analysis of a few Sevilla's matches offered some expectations for this particular match: Individual marking from midfielders and a seemingly excessive reliance on Ivan Rakitic's brilliance. At the Dragão, the suspicions were confirmed, as the Croatian picked up Fernando, the Portuguese centre-back-cum-midfielder Daniel Carriço turned his attentions to Defour and Iborra kept an eye on Carlos Eduardo.

The home team piled on the pressure for the first 25 minutes, even though not as intensely as they did against Benfica (Herrera's presence on the bench certainly did not help), resulting in a succession of corners and half-chances - namely deflected shots or mishit clearances. Sevilla, in turn, seemed more than happy to concede the initiative and soak up pressure, waiting for the right time to pounce on the break (taking advantage of FC Porto's unbalance at times while attacking). However, the Spanish team didn't amount to much offensively throughout most of the match, bar the chance that came about through Fabiano's incomplete save cannoning off Jackson Martínez and Kevin Gameiro's mishit rebound.

• Sevilla go retro

If Sevilla's attacking intents didn't impress, the defensive approach was the most baffling. with individual marking that seemed to stretch throughout the match. This meant that the Spaniards often provided no or mistimed coverage when a team-mate was beaten in their individual duel, which in turn opened up a gaping hole in the middle for FC Porto midfielders to sprint into - when they got past Carriço and Iborra, their runs were not picked up by the centre-backs, exposing what could have been a gold mine for the Portuguese champions (which it wasn't).

FC Porto scored on the 31st minute through Mangala, moments after Sevilla's aforementioned half-chance that resulted from Fabiano and Jackson Martínez's scrambling. A corner kick in favour of FC Porto was shortly followed by a foul committed by a Sevilla player. Rather than taking his time, Fernando immediately dispatched it to the unmarked Quaresma, who made use of his trademark trivela to aim a perfect cross at Mangala's head, the French centre-back thus becoming FC Porto's top scorer in this season's edition of the Europa League, on 3 goals. His knack for aerial duels and important moments were once again most welcome (the Dragons, by the way, have scored 5 of their 9 goals in the competition via set pieces). Defour would put the first half to an end (similarly to what Quaresma would do to end put a stop to the contest) with a thunderous shot that forced former Dragon Beto to make a splendorous save.

• Second half: much ado about not... too much

In the second period the match opened up a bit more, with Sevilla looking more interested to taking some leverage with them for the second leg. Nevertheless, despite knitting a few more passes together, there was no real end product from La Liga's fifth-placed team, with the exception of Kevin Gameiro's glaring miss on 75 minutes.

The home coach brought Quintero on for Carlos Eduardo, supposedly to make the most of the game's traits - individual marking, poor defensive coverage, space down the middle - but the Colombian flattered to deceive once more. Herrera' also replaced Defour in an attempt to freshen things up, but the situation did not change that much (Ghilas' initiatives notwithstanding).

The second-leg match, to be held in a week's time, should provide a more open contest between two teams whose soft spots seem all too clear for the other side to see (and exploit). FC Porto will certainly find joy if they approach the match a bit more intensely (both in terms of pressing and dragging Carriço and Iborra out of position), while Sevilla may end up finding what they've looked for at the Dragão: the moments when FC Porto give the ball away and Rakitic has more freedom to roam.

As a side note, Jackson Martínez's absence might not be that hard to compensate, with the energetic Ghilas waiting in the wings, but Fernando's might be a bit trickier.

Napoli 2-2 FC Porto: Dragons march on, despite initial struggles

Despite the 1-0 lead brought from the Dragão a week ago, FC Porto did not manage to avoid their fair share of suffering, but were still able to follow Benfica's lead and knock Napoli out of the Europa League, thus offering a precious contribution to Portugal's reputation in this competition and a crucial breath of fresh air for the Northern club.

It is usually said that Rome wasn't built in a day, which often applies to football teams as well. FC Porto's new manager, Luís Castro, has tried his best to reverse some of the bad habits instilled by his predecessor Paulo Fonseca, but a few weeks in such a crucial stage of the season are hardly the required time to radically change a team's overall approach.

With Helton Maicon, Abdoulaye and Alex Sandro all unavailable, Castro faced an uphill battle and was forced to reshuffle his defence heavily. With Fabiano in goal, Reyes and Mangala formed an all-new centre-back partnership, with Danilo on the right and the right-winger Ricardo deputising as left-back.

As for Napoli, Rafa Benítez chose to play a strong team (despite benching Callejón and Hamsik), with Pandev off Higuaín, and with the bustling Mertens and Insigne on the wings, shielded by Behrami and Inler in midfield.

• FC Porto struggle, Napoli thrive

The match's plot seemed bound to be rather one-sided and constant. With a midfield redesigned in a 4x3x3 formation under Castro, Fernando is now back to his favourite sole holding midfielder position. However, he's been at times oddly lethargic, allowing opposing teams to penetrate FC Porto's lines. Furthermore, both Defour and Carlos Eduardo replicated their behaviour at the Alvalade last Sunday and seemed oblivious to their defensive duties.

The (still) Portuguese champions looked unsure about what to do when the ball was in Napoli's possession: They didn't look interested in pressing up front but they still chose to play a rather high defensive line. Without pressing the man on the ball, FC Porto defenders did not step back and were therefore unable to control the team's depth and were vulnerable to balls over the top throughout the match.

To make matters worse, FC Porto defensive unit (not necessarily just defenders) keep being unbelievably lured into man-marking duties, leaving gaping holes all over the place for opposing teams to exploit (Danilo had a nightmare in that respect). The Portuguese side had a Bermuda Triangle on the left: Ricardo's inclusion at left-back (a player who has rarely been on the bench, let alone playing actual matches) was bound to be a liability in itself, but the fact that he was playing on the side of Carlos Eduardo (hardly the most defensively aware player) and Quaresma did not help matters much.

Napoli eventually scored the first goal on 20 minutes through Goran Pandev in a play that encapsulated the match almost to perfection. FC Porto were attacking themselves, near Napoli's penalty box, and gave the ball away for the umpteenth time. As they had so often done previously (and would keep on doing), the players got closer to the ball and didn't press, but their high positioning. A few seconds later, Higuaín had all the necessary time to turn and pick his pass, in front of a stationary defence.

Despite the difficulties when building up play out from the back, FC Porto – admiringly – kept their cool and tried to follow the new coach's instructions, keeping possession and failing to resort to the direct, pointless brand of football that had become so common over this season. However, the Dragons' initiatives yielded nothing more than a dangerous shot on 32 minutes, from a corner kick. The first half drew to an end with little hope of a more favourable scenario looming.

• Decisive changes from the bench

The second period started out in similar fashion, with Napoli often wreaking havoc less through their own merit than FC Porto's struggles with building up play and less than adept defending. The coup de théâtre started taking shape when Luís Castro replaced Varela with Ghilas and Carlos Eduardo with Josué in almost consecutive minutes. The Portuguese side immediately looked sharper and more dynamic, particularly given Josué's higher work rate and greater willingness to make himself available for his team-mates.

Nevertheless, it would be Ghilas to make the greatest impact by levelling the score on 69 minutes. Jackson Martínez's dropped back to pick up the ball and played it into Fernando's path, decisively unbalancing Napoli (perhaps for the first time). The holding midfielder provided a wonderful assist for Ghilas' left-footed clinical finishing and lit things up for the Portuguese team.

Napoli instantly became more anxious and disorganised, which – together with Josué and Ghilas' greater sense of urgency – allowed FC Porto to enjoy a spell of domination that culminated with Quaresma's wonder of a goal on 76 minutes, after some neat passing between Defour and Josué, something that was hardly ever seen during the first half.

The runners-up in last season's Italian league were not able to turn things around and only managed to avoid defeat on the 92nd minute, through Zapata, at a time when everyone had already accepted the result.

• Conclusion

Despite the impressive result over one of Europe's strongest teams (lest we forget Napoli were only eliminated by goal difference in a Champions League group that included Arsenal and Borussia Dortmund) led by a coach that thrives on European competition, it would not be wise to believe all's well as far as FC Porto are concerned. There remain a few important issues to address – namely in terms of midfield movement while building up play and of the defensive behaviours – particularly since the hardest, merciless part of the season is fast approaching, with another vital match against Benfica in less than a week's time.

Still, the signs of improvement are all too clear to deny and it seems Luís Castro's more level-headed approach is coming to fruition – yielding good results but, most importantly, more solid displays. If that is enough for the Dragons to reach their (secondary) goals remains to be seen.

Benfica 1-2 Chelsea: Chelsea score at the death

Starting elevens

Chelsea all but emulated the fashion in which they conquered last season's Champions League with a dramatic goal from a right-sided corner kick in the final moments of the match - this time in the 92nd minute, through Branislav Ivanovic.

Jorge Jesus chose to leave the excellent Lima out of the starting line-up (replaced with Rodrigo), while his counterpart Rafa Benítez, without Eden Hazard, was forced to shuffle Ramires to the right flank and deliver midfield patrolling duties to club legend Frank Lampard. Otherwise, the starting elevens were pretty much as expected.

Benfica looked like a transformed team from the one that were beaten by FC Porto last Saturday at Estádio do Dragão. Instead of playing the rare expectant brand of football they put on display in Porto, they reverted to their preferred style and it showed - both in a good and a bad way. Indeed, the Eagles immediately started pressing the minute the referee blew the whistle for the first time.

Chelsea, in turn, seemed oddly overwhelmed and vulnerable down the middle, supposedly one of the areas of the pitch where they tend do excel. Faced with Benfica's high-tempo game and quick accelerations, the Londoners tried to slow the game down, even though Benfica were hardly willing to allow them to do it.

• Lampard and Luiz too far apart

In the opening stages of the match, Benfica effectively created several excellent chances largely thanks to Nemanja Matic and Enzo Pérez's superb work, only to be let down by their team-mates finishing.

Matic and Pérez dictated most of the action in midfield throughout the first half,
but their influence waned as the match wore on.

Still, the role that both Rodrigo and Óscar Cardozo played cannot be overstated. The young Brazilian forward tended to drop deeper and link up play, vacating the space for Gaitán to exploit and allowing Cardozo to act as a wall against which their midfielders could bounce their passes and thus meet Chelsea defence facing towards goal.

While Cardozo was usually the target for passes in front of the penalty box,
Rodrigo dropped off to his left, often switching positions with Gaitán.

One of the key issues during the first half was the distance David Luiz and Frank Lampard maintained between themselves, often allowing Benfica to bisect Chelsea's midfield and pose numerous threats to their defence. Rodrigo would attract David Luiz's attention, a move that was not duly compensated by Lampard - ergo a space that Benfica swiftly pounced on.

During the first half, Benfica often pushed forward through the centre.
The second half would not bring such good rewards, though.

• Benfica dominate while Chelsea struggle

Benfica dominated the initial proceedings, with Chelsea struggling to get the ball forward for most of the first period. However, Benítez's men had a clear blueprint laid out for them by their coach, with Benfica's left side the favourite area for Chelsea's attacks. Not only was Ramires, the Blues' main threat in their counter-attacking approach, playing on the right, but Fernando Torres was also instructed to drift to that wing as well.

After the initial 20 minutes, Chelsea started looking more in control, even though there was hardly the impression they were unbeatable through sheer defensive organisation. With Benfica keeping the English from playing out from the back, Chelsea were still finding it quite hard to get past Benfica's back line, even though they always looked dangerous as soon as the ball entered the area behind Matic and Pérez.

Benfica looked more incisive for the opening 20 minutes.

The first half came to an end with the distinct impression that Benfica had been unfortunate not to have scored, something for which they can only blame themselves, after getting into such promising positions. By half-time, despite having attempted more shots, Benfica had hit none on target.

• Benfica start subsiding

The Portuguese vice-champions started the second half much in the same way they had opened the match - aggressive, direct and with a clear sense of purpose. However, after the first 5 minutes, where they again created some good-looking chances, Chelsea became more positive with their game, often bringing Óscar and Juan Mata into play (albeit still in counter-attacking mode).

Chelsea were less expectant throughout the second half, as the player influence chalkboard clearly shows.
Also, notice the difference in space between David Luiz and Lampard in both halves.

Benfica were managing to work the high defensive line well, but Chelsea's close off-side calls should have provided some warning to their opponents. Instead, the Blues were allowed to score their goal with barely a touch of the ball between Petr Cech and Torres, right down the middle - the area in which Benfica most often look vulnerable. Torres' work must be praised, but the way the goal happened (poor defensive transition on Benfica's part through the centre) can hardly be news for anyone to follows up the team up close.

Even Cardozo was able to level the score though Azpilicueta's unnecessary handball from the penalty spot, by then Benfica were looking less able to stamp their authority on the match (you may want to check Matic and Enzo Pérez's chalkboards a bit farther up once more).

The first-half intricate passing in the attacking third gave way to a more sterile approach in the second period.

Moments before Benfica's goal, Jorge Jesus had replaced Rodrigo - not as lively throughout the second half - with Lima and Ola John for Melgarejo, forcing Gaitán to play at left-back. Chelsea immediately took their attacking down the right up a notch.

Chelsea smelled blood down Benfica's left side with Gaitán at left-back.

Even though the Argentinean worked his boots off, his flank was still Chelsea's favourite target (particularly for Ramires) and it was fitting that the winning goal came from a corner precisely down that side, after another one of Ramires' many sprints.

• Conclusion

Even though Benfica players, coaches and fans alike will most likely feel gutted over the next couple of days, there is good reason for the club to look ahead with hope. The Eagles looked much more dangerous by remaining true to their style and the fans can hardly complain about the lack of an attacking bite this time around.

Chelsea's maturity and experience at this stage proved all too important, but Portuguese fans must take solace in the fact that their sides do not feel as far removed from English teams as they once did. As for Chelsea, they will probably part ways with a coach that provided them with some stability, a presence in next season's Champions League and yet another European trophy. Not bad for a stop-gap solution.

Analytics galore: The Newcastle edition

Every once in a while I find myself immersed in the debate about whether the X's and O's (to borrow an expression from across the pond) really matter - or whether football isn't just a case of 22 people chasing and shooting a piece of pigskin around.

Still, while I will certainly never reach Jonathan Wilson's heights, I still believe there is some logic behind all the madness, some sort of pattern, if you will. My latest endeavour involved Newcastle and their diverging performances away from home and in their own turf. Therefore, I immediately got hold of one of the best data-mining apps as far as football is concerned and started drilling the data.

In this particular case, I have only analysed the matches of the Europa League knock-out stages and the differences in specific items between the away and home legs (please bear in mind that even though Newcastle played Metalist Kharkiv home first, the order was altered for consistency).

Instead of rambling on incessantly, I will do my best to keep text to a minimum and let the chalkboards do the talking. See if you can spot the patterns.

• 1. Attempts on goal

• 2. Passes in the attacking third

• 3. Chances created

• 4. Interceptions

• 5. Player influence

There seems to be a clear pattern involving Newcastle - some sort of Dr Jekykll/Mr Hyde dichotomy. Usually a timid side away from home, Alan Pardew's men tend to improve somewhat dramatically when playing in England.

While it's indisputable that Benfica will start the second leg with a clear upper hand, it seems Newcastle are often a whole different team in their own ground, buoyed by their relentlessly supportive crowd, and as such should not be presumed dead just yet.

Benfica 3-1 Newcastle: Benfica get over shaky start

In a match that resembled a rerun of past Europa League matches at Estádio da Luz, Benfica found a way to overcome a less than stellar performance for the better part of the first half and got themselves a positive result for the game in Newcastle in a week's time.

Despite their domestic concerns, both Benfica and Newcastle coaches chose not to rotate their squads too much. Jorge Jesus played André Almeida, André Gomes and Rodrigo so Maxi Pereira, Enzo Pérez and Lima could rest. As for Newcastle, a team that has been constantly battered with injuries throughout the season, Krul, Santon and Perch got the nod for this match.

Without Salvio, Gaitán remained on the left while Ola John played down the right, even though the two players had distinct roles. While the Dutch winger tried to get some chalk on his boots, Gaitán would often play narrower, opening the flank for Melgarejo's forays. Newcastle were clearly looking for that opening - and it took approximately 3 minutes to see Papis Cissé exploiting twice the space between Benfica centre-backs and full-backs - a clear indication of a plan, if there ever was one.

The players' distribution offers a stark contrast between the teams' intentions.
Notice how Garay clearly leans towards the touch line.

Newcastle started off more proactive than expected, not reverting too much to their usual mode while playing away. Indeed, they were often dangerous down the flanks, especially the left one, which they kept targeting relentlessly while they could, with either Cissé or Sissoko exploiting the space vacated by Melgarejo. Sissoko, in particular, was always allowed too much space behind Matic and André Gomes.

Gomes' display was a bit like Beckham's for Paris Saint-Germain against Barcelona: while he was not particularly at fault for anything, he didn't bring much to the table and the team were sometimes made to pay for it.

The chalkboard for André Gomes' unambitious display

As mentioned before, for the first 25 minutes Benfica didn't put Newcastle under great pressure, often transitioning idly into defence, which opened up spaces for the excellent Sissoko and Cissé to break into. It was therefore hardly surprising when the English team found their way into Artur's net, with Melgarejo mistiming his pressing, Garay arriving late at an attempted compensation and Sissoko (who else) crossing for Papis Cissé's simple tap-in.

The play that led to Newcastle's goal. Notice the 20-yard vertical pass,
splitting open Benfica's defence.

By that time, Benfica looked a bit lost, unable to put Tim Krul to work (with Newcastle hitting the woodwork). Without Enzo Pérez, Matic was unable to provide the creative spark and still cover for his team-mates when passes went astray. The Eagles managed to level things a bit out of thin air, with Cardozo firing a powerful left-footed shot that Krul was only able to parry, and Rodrigo reacting quicker than Yanga-Mbiwa. Suddenly, Benfica were back into the match.

The difference in Newcastle's passes in the attacking third before and after Benfica's goal.

After Benfica's goal, Newcastle immediately seemed deflated, no longer able to create chances. Rodrigo was instrumental by dropping back, confusing the English team's marking duties, forcing their midfield to spread too much. Newcastle's uncoordinated defending must be highlighted - putting as many players as possible behind the ball does not necessarily mean defending well. After the 25th minute, Tim Krul was the the main responsible for keeping Benfica from getting a better score line.

Rodrigo was much more involved as soon as Benfica leveled the score.

The start of the second half was remarkably similar to the first period. Papis Cissé found once again a way past between Luisão and André Almeida, but he was unlucky as he saw his chip over Artur Moraes hitting the woodwork once again. Despite the good finish to the first half, Jorge Jesus would soon after resort to his go-to selection, replacing André Gomes and Rodrigo with Enzo Pérez and Lima. The move didn't take long to pay divididends, when the indefatigable Lima pounced on a ill-advised backpass from Santon to his goalkeeper.

With Newcastle getting more and more tired by the minute, Benfica felt a goal could be just around the corner - but still the clear-cut chances were not presenting themselves. It took a very clumsy handball in the penalty box from Steven Taylor to allow Benfica to get a more comfortable result when they travel to Newcastle in a week's time.

In the end, Benfica deserved the win, but they must stop presenting their opponents with wobbly starts if they are to mount a serious challenge for this trophy. As for Newcastle, the first 20 minutes showed that this team are capable of doing something more than what they have been showing this season, but on the whole the team looks quite feeble defensively and without a proper attacking bite when they play away.

Bayer Leverkusen v Benfica: The pics

After the initial breakdown, it's now time for a more detailed analysis of last night's match between Bayer Leverkusen and Benfica. Indeed, there are some curious (and revealing) facts about the performance of both teams.

Interceptions made by both sides.

Let's start off with both teams' interceptions. As stated in the previous article, the two teams seemed to switch roles to perfection. Because Benfica handed Bayer Leverkusen the initiative, the German team were much less effective when it came to defending. Used to sit back and pounce on the break, Bayer Leverkusen were often caught off-guard after giving the ball away. Notice how Bayer Leverkusen's interceptions are very near the touch line.

On the other hand, Benfica's chalkboard provides a very interesting reading. Instead of going for the jugular, as they so often do, the Eagles dropped back and were happy to soak up pressure. If you look carefully at Benfica's chalkboard, you will see that only 2 of their 20 interceptions were made (just a tad) after the halfway line.

Another interesting aspect of yesterday's match was the fluidity of Bayer Leverkusen's 3 forwards - Stefan Kiessling, Gonzalo Castro and André Schürrle. Even though they all had nominal starting positions, their movement was constant and their interplay was worth noticing. Kiessling, for instance, was crucial by dropping back to collect the ball with his back to goal, allowing Schürrle to exploit the space Kiessling had just vacated.

Kiessling and Castro's versatile displays.

• Split in two

While the flow of the match was not exactly divided in two perfect halves, it still proves interesting to break down the data between first and second half. Let's begin with Castro's contrasting performances.

Castro's dashboard divided in both halves.

Castro was one of the most decisive players throughout the first half. Even though he started out on the right and remained there for the most part while defending, the right-winger would often drift centrally whenever his team had the ball. With this, not only did he create several numbers-up situations against Benfica's duo of Matic and André Gomes (similarly to what FC Porto's Defour did against Benfica), but he also freed the wing for Hogasai to venture forward. In the second half, however, his contribution was much more limited, partly because of Gaitán's higher defensive work rate.

Bayer Leverkusen's passes in their attacking third - first half and second half.

Thanks to the three forward's movement and guile, Bayer Leverkusen enjoyed large spells of possession and good positions to create danger from (even though they rarely got around to finishing the moves) during the first half. As you can see in the chalkboard above, not only did the German team insist on playing to the wings, but they also found it easy to penetrate down the centre and link up play. In the second half, their forays down the centre were much more speculative and their wing play was often frustrated by Benfica, as opposed to what happened in the first half.

Bayer Leverkusen's shots - first half and second half.

Although they benefited from a better run of play throughout the first period, the chalkboard above shows how Bayer Leverkusen were limited to long-range efforts for the most of the first 45 minutes. It was in the second half that they got closer to Artur Moraes' goal, at a time when they were getting more and more desperate to at least score a goal. Their best, most fluid play was no match for the more direct approach they favoured in the second half, particularly after going one goal down.

Benfica's passes in their attacking third - first half and second half.

As for Benfica, dividing their play between the two halves also provides interesting insight. By looking at the chalkboard above, you will see that the passes made in their attacking third were often lateral and that the central route hardly ever worked. However, there were still some attempts to knit a few short passes together. If you take a look at the second half's chalkboard, you will see that Benfica's passes are much more direct and incisive (hardly ever through the middle), typical for a team dedicated to counter-attacking.

Benfica's shots - first half and second half.

Even though there is no staggering difference between the first and second halves in terms of shots, it remains clear that not only did Benfica manage to shoot more, but they were also allowed to shoot from more favourable positions.

Benfica on their way to Europa League's last 16

Starting elevens

Bayer Leverkusen v Benfica was (together with Tottenham v Lyon) probably the most attractive fixture of this round of the Europa League. Two very good teams, with very different approaches and formations were expected to battle it out for a place in the next round.

If ever there was the need for evidence that the Europa League does not command the same amount of respect and interest from clubs (and therefore fans), last night's match offered proof enough. Both coaches chose to rotate their squads, seemingly more worried about next weekend's matches in their own leagues (Bayer, for instance, will be playing against a team that lies second from last). Benfica coach Jorge Jesus rested Máxi Pereira, Enzo Pérez, Lima and Sálvio. Sasha Lewandowksi and Sami Hyppia followed a similar path and made several changes in defence and midfield, the attack remaining intact.

When both teams got on the pitch, there remained no doubts: Bayer Leverkusen would deploy a 4x3x3, a system that often creates problems for Jesus' charges. There was some talk ahead of the match that Benfica and Bayer Leverkusen might switch roles as home and away teams - Benfica pressing intensely and Bayer Leverkusen playing on the break -, but the exact opposite happened.

Despite fielding an eleven jam packed with attack-minded players, Jesus' strategy was much more cautious, with Ola John and Urreta mindful of their defensive duties. This, in turn, forced the German team to resort to a sort of game they are not comfortable with: taking initiative and having time on the ball. Nevertheless, it should be said they managed to adapt their strategy quite well for the first 25 minutes. As so often is the case when playing against a 4x3x3, there was a void in the middle, since Gaitán - who was playing off Cardozo - did not drop back, meaning Bayer Leverkusen always had an extra man in midfield.

In fact, both Matic and André Gomes felt the need to push up towards Bayer Leverkusen's midfielders to prevent them from having too much time on the ball, but that frequently left Benfica's back four against Bayer Leverkusen's extremely fluid three-pronged attack - Castro on the right, Schürrle on the left and Kiessling as the striker.

During those first 25 minutes, the home team found numerous passing lanes right through the middle, with Kiessling checking to collect the ball and return it to either Schürrle or Bender, Bayer Leverkusen's most attack-minded midfielder. Thanks to Hosogai's forays down the right (with Castro drifting centrally and opening up the space), the Germans would often find find themselves in very good positions, only to be let down by their touch or decision.

After the first period's initial half, Benfica gradually took over and started taking control of the match. Even though the Eagles were not exactly wreaking havoc in their attacking third, Bayer Leverkusen looked very fragile whenever they gave the ball away, usually too slow to get back into position, a typical trait of a team more used to playing on the counter-attack. In many case, the positioning of the centre-backs, in particular, left much to be desired.

• Second half

The second half brought no significant changes, apart from the odd decision from Bayer Leverusken's coaching duo to remove Schürrle in favour of Sidney Sam. The team immediately looked less dangerous - in fact, Sam never had the chance to leave his mark -, which played right into the hands of Benfica. The match was becoming more and more stagnant, particularly because Enzo Pérez came on for the injured André Gomes and Gaitán probably got an earful from Jorge Jesus in order to help out defensively.

Benfica struggled a bit in set pieces and they were almost made to pay for it on 60 minutes, but the scramble ended up yielding nothing but a corner for Bayer Leverkusen, who insisted on committing many men forward on such occasions. After the aerial duel, the Eagles were very quick to break away and Cardozo had all the time (and skill) to fake a first shot and then calmly chip the ball over the goalkeeper.

The goal seemed to awaken the German team, who by then were more willing to take chances in attack and were once again more fluid. Benfica tried to cool the tempo of the match, but were still vulnerable here and there to combination plays down the middle. The match would end with a last ditch interception near Benfica's goal line, a crucial moment for a more relaxed approach in a week's time.

Bayer Leverkusen find themselves in a very awkward position. A draw with no goals would put them in the driver's seat, but now they will be forced to get exposed in a type of game that does not favour them. Besides, Benfica are always much stronger when they play in their own turf and it is hard to envision the round taking a wrong turn for the Portuguese vice-champions.

A tale of two forwards

Starting elevens

Despite the final result, tonight's match had plenty of reasons to keep us interested. In fact, seldom has a match provided such a clear contrast between two opposing styles of approaching football.

Newcastle manager Alan Pardew remained true to himself and rotated most of his team, even including his third-choice goalkeeper, but keeping his back four intact. The English eleven was significantly different from the one that played Everton last Monday. As for Marítimo, Pedro Martins played the same men with the exception of Luís Olim instead of Ruben Ferreira.

This was in fact a match that provided a perfect example of two very different football philosophies. On one hand, the Magpies played their usual 4x4x2, with Vuckic playing just off Shola Ameobi, and went for what could be described as typical British style: long balls toward the big man, who tried to flick it down to a smaller, quicker forward. The team from Madeira, on the other hand, favoured a typically Portuguese 4x3x3, more dynamic and with greater movement.

Nevertheless, the central forwards of the two teams (since Danilo Dias can hardly be described as a striker) constitute the most paradigmatic examples of each team, summarised their approach to perfection.

• Newcastle

As mentioned earlier, Newcastle chose long, direct balls towards Ameobi as their favourite route. Without Demba Ba, Papis Cissé, but most importantly Yohann Cabayé and Hatem Ben Arfa, Pardew's men were not eager to keep the ball on the ground and did not hesitate to hoof the ball forward and wait for the outcome. With Vuckic far from his best form, Ameobi's flick-ons were not particularly useful, especially because both Obertan and Amalfitano were static and miles away from the right place to pick up second balls.

As for Gosling and Bigirimana, they often found themselves trying to pick up the slack and provide an outlet to follow up Ameobi's efforts, which in turn gave Marítimo all the more room to maneuver. With both wingers out of the game and both central-midfielderes trying to shorten the distance up front, Newcastle's back four was often left exposed, allowing Marítimo forwards to run riot for most of the first half.

Bigirimana, in particular, often seemed unsure about what to do defensively during the first half. As he became apparently more and more frustrated by the Portuguese team's patient build-up play, he tried to pressure one of the centre-backs, only to realise moments later that Gosling was surrounded by opposing midfielders. The situation was made worse because there was no definitive response about who should be marking Marítimo's restless forward Danilo.

Bigirimana and Gosling often left the Newcastle defence exposed.

The second half was clearly better for the Magpies, who took control of the match, namely after Sammy Ameobi replaced Vuckic and Marítimo centre-backs started tiring out. In fact, while Newcastle found it hard to take the match up to their rival's penalty box in the first half, it was much easier for them, since both Roberge and João Guilherme started losing the right positioning more and more often. Newcastle went decidedly for route one and may count themselves unlucky for not scoring in the second half.

In conclusion, their defence was shaky and far too vulnerable to quick play behind their back, but they countered with a sort of football that Marítimo are just not used to. Ameobi proved that he can still be useful, either for less important matches (to take the strain off Papis Cissé and Demba Ba) or as a plan B.

• Marítimo

This was typical Portuguese football. Lots of clever movement, wingers drifting inside to allow the midfielders and the full-back to exploit the flanks, numerous opportunities during the first stages of the match and an almost certain defeat as the outcome, after suffering immensely at the hands of powerful forwards.

Despite hailing from Brazil, Danilo Dias epitomises the Portuguese forward. Adept at dropping off to open up spaces for his team-mates and (let's be honest) to avoid the physical confrontation with aggressive, intense centre-backs, he is the player that makes the whole team tick. By dropping back, he often serves as an extra player in midfield to provide the out-ball, misleading the opposing centre-backs into thinking they have no one to mark, only to find out seconds later they are being swarmed by Heldon or Sami.

Marítimo had an excellent first half, patiently bringing the ball out from the back and waiting for the right time to find the chink in Newcastle's armour - they had in fact 3 clear-cut scoring chances in the first 12 minutes, all of them from the left flank, thanks in part to Obertan's alienation from his defensive duties.

As for the defence, the team from the island of Madeira were almost irreproachable for the first 30 minutes, ensuring their distance from the rest of team was always adequate and providing excellent coverage for the aerial duels with Ameobi. Both wingers helped out defensively to form a 4x1x4x1 in the defensive phase, which contributed to a very good first 30 minutes. However, this game provided enough proof that a) players from the Portuguese league are not used to such physical battles, since there are no forwards in the mould of Ameobi, and b) by whistling at every residual contact in favour of defenders, the Portuguese refereeing is not helping Portuguese teams, who find it very hard to keep the same intensity level as English teams throughout the match. The best example is Roberge and João Guilherme's growing inability, as the game wore on, to contain Newcastle's forwards.

In conclusion, Marítimo showed they can hang up there with the big(ger) guns, but they will definitely need to work on keeping up their stamina throughout the entire match and capitalising on the chances they create. Otherwise, this will be an all too familiar tale for Portuguese teams.

A rough year for tiki-taka

Starting elevens

Bilbao and Atlético Madrid met yesterday for an all-Spanish Europa League final. Even though Falcao stole the show and eliminated all doubt (if any) surrounding his worth by offering his team the cup on a silver platter, there is a broader issue to take into consideration: could this be the end of an era of passing football and the rebirth of catenaccio?

The match started off in a very lively fashion. It wasn't hard to envisage Bilbao playing and pressing high, but Atlético were by no means shyer and tried to stifle Bilbao in their build-up phase (something that Bilbao were clearly not expecting and for which they didn't seem to have a proper solution). With both wingers high up and just the back four and Iturraspe near the ball, the Basques were finding it very hard to bring the ball out from the back and, indeed, Atlético often managed to get the ball back in very dangerous positions with little defensive coverage from Marcelo Bielsa's men.

Up to Falcao's first goal, Atlético pressed high up, keeping Bilbao from playing out the back.

Atlético consistently forced Bilbao backwards and always had a player on Javi Martínez.

As seen here, Bilbao were a broken team, with acres between their lines,
repeatedly exposing themselves to risk.

After the first goal, the rojiblancos dropped back mainly for strategic reasons. First of all, it would be virtually impossible to keep up the initial pace and they were actually in front. Secondly, if there is one thing Bielsa's team is not so good at, it's pressing after giving the ball away, opening up numerous pockets of space for their opponent. With Diego, Turan and Adrián, Atlético were right where they wanted.

Atlético chose to sit back after the first goal, trying to break quickly after getting the ball back.

After the first goal, the match fell into a repetitive pattern, with Bilbao insisting on being (too) vertical and having little patience to open up their adversary, and Atlético retreating, attracting their opponent into the trap and then suddenly counter-attacking. Despite Falcao's goals, the man of the match award should go to Diego. The Brazilian, usually not very adept at defending, was brilliant in the way he was able to take up two defensive positions, effectively blocking Javi Martínez and Iturraspe, Bilbao's two engines.

When the ball got to Javi Martínez, Diego would get high up to meet him.

Five seconds later, Diego was marking Iturraspe.

In fact, Diego's display makes us wonder whether this is 1994 all over again. Back then, Barcelona was known as the Dream Team, led by Guardiola (on the field), on the back of their European Champions' Cup triumph in 1992. In 1994, they played Milan in the final and there were no doubts that the Italians would be crushed, except Fabio Capello's (yes, that Capello) men played a brilliant positional game and picked up the Spaniards' pockets by conceding them the majority of ball possession - setting the tone for almost a decade of sitting back, quick transitions and fast breakaways.

In this year, we have seen several teams that favour an intricate passing style being outfoxed by teams in a defensive 4x4x1x1; the examples of Barcelona, Bilbao, Manchester City, et al, immediately spring to mind. Are we witnessing the end of a cycle? Will this year's Euro confirm the tendency and see Spain going out in flames to a defensive-minded team with two banks of four?