Torino — Team Analysis

Competition: Serie AHead Coach: Marco Baroni — first season in charge Structural Premise Under Marco Baroni, Torino is transitioning toward a more aggressive, vertical posture from a historical baseline of mid-block and transitional play. The structural question confronting Torino is whether Baroni can embed system coherence and vertical penetration patterns into a squad previously characterised … Read more

Why young Italian players are increasingly leaving the domestic system

An increasing number of young Italian footballers are choosing to continue their development abroad rather than progressing within the domestic system. In recent years, development pathways outside Italy have become structurally more attractive for emerging players. Many foreign clubs offer clearer long-term planning, stable playing identities across youth and senior levels, and more predictable transitions … Read more

Como — Team Analysis

Team Context Structural Summary Como enter the Serie A season with an identity centered on possession control and positional structure. Under Fàbregas, the team prioritizes rhythm, spacing, and continuity across phases, aiming to progress through coordinated movement rather than direct vertical play. Game Model Como’s tactical approach is built on structured possession and spatial manipulation. … Read more

Bologna — Team Analysis

Team Context Structural Summary Bologna enter the 2025–26 Serie A season with a tactical identity focused on possession balance and collective role integration. Under Thiago Motta, the team combines disciplined structural phases with a willingness to manipulate spacing across units, seeking controlled progression through defined positional rotations rather than direct vertical gambles. Game Model Bologna’s … Read more

AC Milan — Team Analysis

Team Context Structural Summary AC Milan’s game model in 2025–26 combines a disciplined defensive backbone with controlled build-up and measured vertical progression. Under Massimiliano Allegri, the team balances structural stability with the need to generate rhythmic forward movement, prioritizing coordinated phase transitions over isolated individual actions. Game Model Milan’s tactical identity is anchored in controlled … Read more

One structural reason behind the low goal output of Serie A forwards

Across Serie A, attacking players are recording lower goal output despite stable or increasing involvement in possession and attacking phases. In many Italian teams, attacking structures increasingly prioritize collective stability and positional balance over sustained presence in high-value finishing zones. Forwards are frequently tasked with contributing to build-up continuity, pressing coordination, and spatial occupation rather … Read more

Why the three-center-back structure is proliferating in Serie A

Several Serie A teams are increasingly adopting a three-centre-back defensive structure in both build-up and transitional phases. Defensive organization in modern football is shaped by two competing demands: maintaining compact structure against opposition progression, and providing enough optimal passing lanes to initiate controlled possession. The three-centre-back system addresses this by adding a central body to … Read more

Is build-up from the goalkeeper becoming a structural weakness in Serie A?

Several Serie A teams are increasingly encountering difficulties when initiating build-up play from the goalkeeper under organized pressure. Build-up from the back has become a default phase in modern Italian football, with goalkeepers routinely involved in the first line of possession. However, when opposition pressing structures are well-timed and compact, this phase often slows progression … Read more

David Neres — Player Analysis

Player Overview Profile Summary David Neres is a dynamic wide attacker known for his combination of dribbling ability, timing in attacking phases, and spatial exploitation. His profile emphasizes involvement in progressive wide play and combination sequences, with limitations tied to consistency of production and decision-making under tactical constraints. Tactical Role Neres operates primarily as a … Read more

Napoli — Team Analysis

Team Context Structural Summary Napoli approach the 2025–26 season with a game model centered on vertical rhythm and controlled progression, blending disciplined structure with purposeful transitions. Under Antonio Conte, the squad emphasizes coordinated build-up, balance between phases, and structured entries into advanced zones rather than isolated moments of individual brilliance. Game Model Napoli’s tactical identity … Read more