Champions League News - Daily

Manchester City Dominates Real Madrid, Liverpool Rotates Salah as Premier League Tactics Evolve

23 Dec 2025

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Manchester City continues to flex their European dominance, inflicting a second league phase defeat on Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabéu under Pep Guardiola's tactical mastery. Meanwhile, Liverpool made the strategic decision to leave Mohamed Salah out of their matchday squad for their recent trip to face Inter Milan, a move that signals potential rotation as the season intensifies.Looking at the broader Champions League landscape, PSG delivered a dominant performance in what appears to be a standout European fixture, displaying attacking creativity across all areas of the pitch. The competition remains fiercely competitive with several teams battling for positioning in the league phase standings.In domestic competition, the Premier League is experiencing a notable tactical shift. Arsenal has emerged as the set piece specialists of England's top flight, with 32 percent of their league goals coming from dead balls this season. The Gunners have weaponized their set piece delivery through Declan Rice's free kick prowess and Bukayo Saka's corner expertise, creating a genuine scoring threat every time they win a free kick or corner. Other top clubs like Chelsea have invested heavily in this trend, paying an unprecedented 1.1 million dollars to sign their own dedicated set piece coach.This represents a broader evolution in Premier League football, where long throws and set pieces have become increasingly central to team strategy. Manchester City themselves have adapted their approach, with Erling Haaland's arrival prompting more direct play and faster transitions compared to their previous possession-dominant style. Against Arsenal in September, City recorded just 33.2 percent possession, marking an all-time low for a Guardiola team across his 18-year managerial career.The tactical landscape continues shifting as teams increasingly bypass high pressing with direct play, creating a counter-dynamic to gegenpressing strategies that dominated previous seasons. This evolution demonstrates how soccer's tactical chess match continues evolving, with European peers in the Bundesliga, La Liga, Ligue 1, and Serie A largely resisting these set piece trends that have gripped English football.Thank you for tuning in. Please remember to subscribe for more updates on Champions League action and global soccer developments. This has been a quiet please production. For more, check out quiet please dot ai.For more http://www.quietplease.aiGet the best deals https://amzn.to/3ODvOtaThis content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI

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Manchester City Dominates Real Madrid, Liverpool Rotates Salah as Premier League Tactics Evolve

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