ironshirtgrandma

[thedrown]

BLAABR- Gaze Doodle

Havent drawn him in ages

[letterstosestrilles]

Dear Brennu,

Your picture made me miss being by the ocean, which I didn’t think was possible considering how wet I spent most of our most recent adventure. There is a difference, though, between a lovely sunset seaside and days spent traveling in underwater caves. (Unfortunately, that’s one I can’t tell you more about—the Deeping Wellemere is not a place you’re supposed to talk too much about once you’ve been there, the promise a condition of access to its secrets.) You’re lucky I’m going to see my family on Sestrilles in a day or three and they’re near the shore, or I would have been tempted to Teleport over.

The rest of our time in the Feywild was productive and even often pleasant, though. I did write that song, and did a very good job of it, if I do say so myself. I’ll play it for you sometime, and even give the grand disclaimer about how the Queen of Air and Darkness commissioned it, as I am required to do when I perform it. The Seelie Court continued to remind me of Mashoy, or the more stressful parts of it, but the Feywild itself is beautiful, if disorienting, and I was very glad to spend a week in one of its cities, Troihari, at the end of our stay on the plane.

Still, the way you’re missing machine hum and dry air, I was missing sensible day cycles—and some of that machine hum, come to that. Maliah grew up in the Feywild, of course, if we didn’t have things pulling us away she would have been content to stay indefinitely, but I like ships and stations and cities (which Troihari definitely counts as, but it’s very different to the city I grew up in). So, our work done and our quests complete, we’re back in the Prime Material Plane.

I did, though, get your message the last day we were there, with perfect timing to read the first few poems in the book you sent while Maliah was spending a last afternoon with her mothers. I’m so glad you sent it—it’s gorgeous, and I’m going to savor it as long as I last. (Which, in fairness, I don’t expect to be very long. My self-restraint isn’t very good around good books.) I’ll definitely pass the recommendation on to my brother, too. Tyko likes poetry less than I do, but his boyfriend loves it, so I imagine he’ll want to keep the chain going.

I hope you enjoy the romance novel, and equally, I hope you don’t push yourself past a point of frustration with it, though I’m sorry there’s so much frustration to be had. I imagine that after well over a year of recovery (we must be getting close to two now, that’s strange to think about), you must be sick to death of it, of the symptoms and of people’s sympathy and well-intentioned offers to help both. I will refrain from that, then (though if I ever do find some kind of solution that might work, rest assured I’ll be knocking on your door), and just say that I’d love to hear your thoughts as you read. It will be something fun while I am, apparently, clambering through volcanoes.

Which, it seems, we’re going to do. We’re looking for an artifact we’ve heard of that helps with navigation among the stars, and we’re—well, it seems ridiculous every time I say it, but we’re hoping to meet a star, and this will help us manage that. Or at least we hope so. But some excellent library researchers, a Legend Lore, and a bit of luck have led us to the story of a druid on Chusya who received custodianship of quite a hoard of items some time ago and stored them away behind protections in her volcano lair. And our navigational instrument is there, so off in that direction we go.

I am trying to take my own advice (and the advice of Niko) and take breaks, though. The universe may apparently need saving, but it’s slow enough that I can rest in between. So I’ll spend a week on Sestrilles before wandering into a volcano, and our friend Gaizka has offered to host our families for a meal after that, and I’ve got the children to visit on Nosirion-1. But maybe, one of these rest breaks, I could visit you? I’ve offered to help out Ekresh Veshteth with his work in the Twilight of Cinders, since I know at least a bit of planar magic now, so I’ve already got business on Rugira Prime, lest you think I’m going out of my way.

But even if I were—well, I’m making a point to visit the people I care about before I go wandering into dangerous situations, and that certainly includes you. It seems a shame that the only real time we’ve spent together in person was that party, and I owe you a jam session, now that you have a few songs under your belt! I’ll have to learn Donnavi’s Dunes so we’ll have two numbers in common by the time we visit, so thank you for sending me the recording to learn from. Both of them, in fact! I’m honored you trust me, and you’re making great strides, especially considering you’ve been a little busy with trials and whatnot in between your lessons.

Enjoy the rest of your vacation, however long it lasts, and I hope you return to Mashoy rested and renewed.

All my best,

Elyn

[torentialtribute]

LA LIGA PREVIEW: Here is the lowdown on Barcelona, Real Madrid and rest of top-flight teams

The League may have had a problematic time off the field struggling with selling British TV rights and draw up a full list of competitions, but the action after that returns again tonight.

The summer window in Spain has also raised all sorts of bizarre stories and unexpected twists and there are still a few weeks left with a deadline of 2 September.

The main points of discussion were Atletico Madrid and The legal dispute of Barcelona about Antoine The transfer of Griezmann, the final move of Eden Hazard to Real Madrid Nabil Fekir's shock decision to join Real Betis and Valencia and retain their boss Marcelino Garcia Toral after a turbulent summer.

Although the window remained open, the focus now returns to football and it promises to be one of the most intriguing seasons of recent years.

The race for the title is a call for everyone with Athletic and Real who spend a lot of money to close the gap in Barcelona, ​​while the battle for European places could be between six or seven teams.

There are also some familiar faces with the return of Osasuna, Mallorca and Granada, all of whom hope to beat the drop after having experienced several relegations in recent years.

Prior to the season opener on Friday night when Athletic Bilbao hosted the defender of Barcelona, ​​which ITV announced they would broadcast on Thursday in the UK, Sportsmail give you an in-depth understanding of how each of the 20 sides of the top flight is set and everything you need to know prior to the new campaign.

La Liga returns Friday – can Barcelona retain the title of this campaign?

LA LINKS ON TV IN THE UK

ITV4 show competitions from the opening three weeks of the new season, starting on Friday evening :

Athletic Bilbao v Barcelona – 8:00 pm Friday, August 16

Barcelona v Real Betis – 8:00 pm, Sunday, August 25

Villarreal v Real Madrid – 20:00, Sunday 1 September [1945905]

Athletic BILBAO

Head coach: Gaizka Garitano

Transfers in: Peru Nolaskoain (Bilbao Athletic, promotion), Inigo Vicente (Bilbao Athletic, promotion), Asier Villalibre (Bilbao Athletic, promotion), Gaizka Larrazabal (Bilbao Athletic, promotion)

Transfers from: Mikel Rico (Huesca, free), Alex Remiro (Real Sociedad, free), Xabi Ethxieta (Getafe, free), Sabin Merino (Been anes, free), Other Iturraspe (Espanyol, free), Peru Nolaskoain (Deportivo, loan), Andoni Lopez (Elche, free), Inigo Vicente (Mirandes , loan), Markel Susaeta (released)

Last season: 8th

With such restrictions on the transfer market, Athletic Bilbao always faces a tough fight to improve last season's performance.

Inaki Williams was impressed by last season and will repeat this campaign from his repetitions

Gaizka Garitano recently defended the club's policy of only signing Basque players and said: & # 39; It is different if you play not only for money, not just for victory titles, but also for our sweater, for our values, for our families, friends, it is something special in the world. & # 39;

Bilbao has somehow managed to make ends meet and possess a talented team. After capturing the future of Inaki Williams, who was affiliated with Manchester United this summer, Garitano will hope to be able to deliver European football to a club that has starved of it in recent seasons.

Finish was a huge improvement over the previous campaign, almost degrading them and Gartian will strive to keep pushing Bilbao in the right direction.

Key Man: Inaki Williams

The Spaniard Becomes Bilbao's main scoring threat and will try to pursue his form for the final campaign after placing the best 13 La League season goals.

ATLETICO MADRID

Head Coach: Diego Simeone

Transfers in: Hector Herrera (Porto, free), Ivan Saponjic (Benfica B, £ 450k ), Renan Lodi (Club Athletic Paranaense, £ 18m), Felipe (Porto, 18m), Kieran Trippier (£ 20m, Tottenham), Mario Hermoso (Espanyol, £ 22.5m), Marcos Llor (Real Madrid, £ 27 million), Joao Felix (Benfica, £ 114 million)

Transfers from: Antoine Griezmann (Barcelona, ​​£ 108 million), Lucas Hernandez (Bayern Munich £ 72 million), Rodri (Manchester City , £ 63), Gelson Martins (Monaco, £ 27m), Luciano Vietto (Sporting Lisbon, £ 6.75m), Bernard Mensah (Kayserispor, £ 3.25), Felipe Luis (Flemish, free), Diego Godin (Inter Milan , free), Andre Moreira (Belenenses SAD, free), Juanfran (Sao Paulo, free), Hector Hernandez (CF Fuenlabrada, loan), Nehuen Perez (FC Famalicao, loan), Axel Werner (San Luis, loan), Nicolas Ib anez (San Luis, loan)

Last season: 2nd

Diego Simeone has spent a lot of time this summer and expectations will be high. Joao Felix has attracted attention especially in the preseason and Athletic wants him to play a major role in this campaign to fill the void that Antoine Griezmann has left.

Despite bringing in eight new faces, the concern for Athletic will be that they have also lost some experienced members of their team this summer with people like Diego Godin, Juanfran and Felipe Luis leaving free.

Traditionally a well-oiled machine that prides itself on clean sheets, you can expect more from the same from Athletic, which this summer has reinforced more than anywhere else at the back.

£ 114 million man Joao Felix has had a brilliant preseason season and becomes Atleitco & # 39; s most important player this term

They could also welcome an additional addition through the door as James Rodriguez's protracted move from Real Madrid for the deadline of 2 September would have been completed.

Atletico only had the only trophy to celebrate the final installment after he lifted the European Supercup, but the goal this season will undoubtedly win one of the big winning games.

Key Man: Joao Felix

You can't sign for £ 114 million and don't expect you to be the best dog's club.

After Griezmann's departure, the responsibility for the young Portuguese international lies in his shoes. If something is wrong, he should have no problems.

BARCELONA

Head coach: Ernesto Valverde

[1945902] Transfers in: ] Antoine Griezmann (Atletico Madrid, £ 108 m), Frenkie de Jong (Ajax, £ 67 m), Grandson (Valencia, £ 23 m), Junior Firpo (Real Betis, £ 16 m), Emerson (Atletico Mineiro, £ 10 m), Marc Cucurella (Eibar, £ 3 million), Moussa Wague (Barcelona B , free)

Transfers from: Malcolm (Zenit, £ 36m), Jasper Cillessen (Valencia, 31m), Andre Gomes (Everton, £ 22m), Paco Alcacer (Borussia Dortmund, £ 19 m), Denis Suarez (Celtic Vigo, £ 11 m), Emerson (Real Betis, £ 5 m), Marc Cardona (Osasuna, £ 2 m), Segi Palencia (Saint-Etienne, £ 1.8 million), Thomas Vermaelen (Vissel Kobe, free), Douglas (Besiktas, free), Adrian Ortola (Tenerife, free), Marc Cucurella (Getafe, loan)

Last season: 1st

It's fair to say that Barcelona is in front and in the mid den has stood as the co me to the greatest stories of the transfer window this summer. After finally capturing Antoine Griezmann from Atletico Madrid in a £ 108 million controversial deal, the Catalan giants still don't look like they are stopping to end Neymar & # 39; s sensational return to the Nou Camp.

Who else would be the most important man of Barcelona than the unstoppable Lionel Messi

But as you look past the drama, Ernesto Valverde has quietly enjoyed a good window. The Barcelona boss has added depth to the full back with the addition of Junior Firpo from Real Betis, while Grandson is replacing Jasper Cillessen, as Marc-Andre Stegen & # 39; s understudy has a goal.

So far, Frenkie de Jong looks like he has played his entire career in Barcelona and is seamlessly integrated. However, their preparations for the season took a knock when Lionel Messi sustained a minor injury during training just days after returning, so Valverde will hope and get his talisman back as soon as possible.

Key man: Lionel Messi

Who else?

Even if Neymar returned this summer, Barcelona will continue to rely on the little Argentinian who will ridiculously give you 30-50 goals in all competitions.

CELTA VIGO

Head coach: Fran Scribe

Transfers in: Ivan Villar (Celtic Vigo B, promotion), Jorge Saenz (Valencia, loan), Santi Mina (Valencia, free), Joseph Aidoo (Genk, £ 7.2 million), Denis Suarez (Barcelona, ​​£ 11.6 million)

Transfers from: Dennis Eckert (released), Nemanja Radoja (released), Robert Mazan (CD Tenerife, loan), Gustavo Cabral (Pachucha, free), Facundo Roncaglia (Osasuna, £ 225k), Andrew Hjulsager (KV Oostende, £ 450k), Emre Mor (Galatasaray, loan fee £ 540k), Mathias Jensen (Brentford, £ 3.42 m), Maxi Gomez (Valencia, £ 13 m)

Last season: 17th

Celtic Vigo cam dangerously close to dropping last season and only a disaster averted after an inspiring second half of the season.

They may not be one of the favorites to go down, but Vigo can have a hard time again during this period. Maxi Gomez, who scored 13 important goals in La Liga last season, will be a big miss.

The Uruguayan played an important role in beating the drop but left earlier this summer for only £ 13 million to Valencia. Denis Suarez is a solid asset, but the Spaniard has found it hard to find his best shape and stay fit in recent years.

If he can reach the level he is capable of, there is no doubt that he will be a big player for them. But it is in attack where you fear that Vigo can be exposed. They lack firepower and the pressure will lie on the aging of Iago Aspas to deliver an abundance of goals again this time.

Key Man: Iago Aspas

Yes, he is still around and still popping targets for Celta Vigo. Only the 20 goals for him last season. There is no doubt that Vigo's hope will be on the Spaniard. But at the age of 32 it will become clear whether he can stay fit or not.

Iago Aspas is the go-to man of Celta Vigo, hoping that Denis Suarez can have the real impact

ALAVES

Head Coach: Asier Garitano

Transfers in: Lucas Perez (West Ham, £ 2.07 m, Joselu (Newcastle, £ 2.02 m), Ramon Mierez (Tiger, £ 2.01 m), Luis Rioja (Almeria, £ 1.8 m), Saul Garcia (Deportivo La Coruna, free) ), Tachi (Atletico Madri d B, free), Aleix Vidal (Seville, loan)

Transfers from: Antonio Cristian (Fuenlabrada, free), Carlos Vigaray (Real Zaragoza, free)

Last season: 11th

For a previous season it turned out that Milds would cause a shock by finishing in the top four.

However, a disappointing conclusion of the campaign meant that she ended up at the mid-table, and they now have a new coach at the helm in Asier Garitano, who replaces Abelardo.

Many of Alaves & # 39; s most important campaigns were only on loan to the club, and people like Takashi Inui, Borja Baston and Jonathan Calleri have all left.

Alaves responded by bringing in two attackers who were struggling to make a big impact in the Premier League – Lucas Perez and Joselu. They also loaned Aleix Vidal, previously from Barcelona, ​​to Seville.

It may turn out to be a difficult season for Alaves, with much depending on whether their new strikers can run to the ground.

Key Man: Lucas Perez

Perez collected only four league goals in his spells in England with Arsenal and West Ham.

The 30-year-old, however, will have great expectation to impress Alaves when he returns to La Liga.

During a loan period with Deportivo La Coruna two seasons ago, Perez scored nine times in La Liga, and he will try to improve that number because he wants to play a major role for Alaves.

Lucas Perez struggled a major to make impact for Alaves

EIBAR

Head coach: Jose Luis Mendilibar

Transfers in : Edu ​​Exposito (Deportivo La Coruna, £ 3.6 m), Quique (Deportivo La Coruna, £ 2.97 m), Pedro Bigas (Las Palmas, £ 2.7 m), Roberto Alabe (Atletico Madrid B, £ 2.52 m, Takashi Inui (Real Betis, £ 1.8 million), Esteban Burgos (Alcorcon, free), Roberto Correa (Cadiz, free), Alvaro Tejero (Real Madrid), Asier Benito (Bilbao) Athlet ic, free), Ruben Lobato (Oviedo Vetusta, free)

Transfers from: Joan Jordan (Sevilla, £ 12 m), Ruben Pena (Villarreal, £ 7.2 m), Marc Cucurella (Barcelona, ​​£ 3.6 m), Pablo Hervias (Real Valladolid, £ 900,000), Pere Milla (Elche, free), Unai Elgezabal (Alcorcon, free), Jose Antonio Martinez (Granada, loan), Asier Benito (Ponferradina, loan), Roberto Olabe (Albacete, loan), Nano (Cadiz, loan)

Last season: 12th

Eibar has become somewhat predictable, with last season they returned to the midtable end.

A 12th place followed by 9th place and 10th in the previous two campaigns, with the expectation that they will end up in a similar position again this time.

The departure of midfielder Joan Jordan is a blow, but Edu Exposito, who became a member of Deportivo La Coruna, should be able to tuck in quickly.

Experienced coach Jose Luis Mendilibar remains in charge and his side must be able to easily avoid relegation.

Key Man: Charles

He is perhaps 35 years old, but Charles was very impressive for Eibar last season, as he scored 14 goals in La Liga.

Eibar will hope that the attacker can continue to find the net for at least one more campaign.

]

Charles may not be younger, but he still knows always where the back of the net is

ESPANYOL

Head coach: David Gallego

[1945902] Transfers in: Matias Vargas (Velez Sarsfield), £ 9.45 million), Fernando Calero (Real Valladolid, £ 7.2 million), Other Iturraspe (Athletic Bilbao, free), Andres Prieto (Leganes, free), Bernardo Espinosa (Girona, loan)

Transfers from: Mario Hermoso (Atletico Madrid, £ 22.5 m), Aaron Martin (Mainz, 5.4 m), Hernan Perez (Al Ahli , free), Roberto (West Ham, free), Alvaro Vazquez (Sporting Gijon, free), Oscar Duarte (free)

Last season: 7th

Espanyol did quite well last season because they finished in seventh place in La Liga and earned a place in the Europa League qualifiers.

However, the departments of some important players in the summer can hit the club hard.

Mario Hermoso, for example, joined Atletico Madrid, and as a result Espanyol can be considerably less resilient at the rear.

In addition, if they eventually make progress in the Europa League, this may prove to be a hindrance to their domestic form, with manager David Gallego, who has replaced Ruby, facing a difficult task.

Key Man: Marc Roca

Roca, a product of Espanyol & # 39; s academy, delivered a number of consistent performances last season.

This campaign, with several players going further, the defensive midfielder may have more difficulty taking responsibility if Espanyol appears to be enjoying an impressive campaign.

Roca was connected to Bayern Munich earlier this summer, but chose to stay with Espanyol. If he continues to perform at such a high level, he will certainly not be long before there is more speculation about his future.

Highly regarded midfielder Marc Roca could be a crucial figure for Espanyol this campaign

GETAFE

Head coach: Jose Bordalas

Transfers in: Enric Gallego (Huesca , £ 5.4m, Faycal Fajr (Caen, £ 1.35 million), Jack Harper (Malaga, £ 1.35 million), Raul Garcia (Girona, free), Xabi Etxeita (Athletic Bilbao), Marc Cucurella ( Barcelona, ​​loan), Allan Nyom (West Bromwich Albion), not disclosed

Trans fers from: Roberto Ibanez (Osasuna, £ 1.8 m), Jack Harper (Alcorcon, loan), Gaku Shibasaki (Deportivo La Coruna, free), Alvaro Jimenez (Albacete, loan), Miguel Rubio (Fuenlabrada, loan ), Ignasi Miquel (Girona, loan), Mathieu Flamini (released), Chuli (released)

Last season: 5th

Getafe got a place in the Europa League group stage after being on last season fifth place in La Liga ended

They want to push this campaign even further and have designs to reach the top 4.

Coach Jose Bordalas will have to manage his team carefully so that his most important players do not get too exhausted by the Europa League.

However, Getafe has a talented team and is unlikely to be pushovers when confronted with La Liga & # 39; s leading lights.

Key Man: Jorge Molina

Molina was a key factor behind much of Getafe & # 39; s impressive displays last season, as evidenced by the fact that he scored 14 goals in La Liga.

The sharp shooter managed to achieve 62 percent of his effo rts on goal, because he caused numerous problems for the defense.

Even at the age of 37 he has shown no signs of delay and this campaign will be fruitful again.

The 37-year-old Jorge Molina was impressive last season and will want to be in again catch the eye

GRANADA

Head Coach: Diego Martinez

[1945902] Transfers in: Darwin Machis (Udinese, £ 2.7 million), Domingos Duarte (Sporting Lisbon, £ 2.7 million), Yan Brice (Seville, £ 900,000), Fede Vico (Leganes, £ 225,000), Roberto Soldier (Fenerbahce, free), Neyder Lozano (Elche , free), Yangel Herrera (Manchester City, loan), Jose Antonio Martinez (Eibar, loan)

Transfers from: Adrian Castellano (Numancia, £ 270,000), Sergio Pena (FC Emmen, free), Pablo Vazquez (Badajoz CD, free), Jose Antonio Gonzalez (Cordoba, loan), Alberto Martin (released), Fran Rico (released), Nicolas Aguirre (released), Raul Baena (released)

Last season: 2nd, Second Division

One of the newly promoted games, Grenada returned to La Liga after two seasons.

They hope to get it sooner than their last top flight campaign, when they ended up at the bottom of the table.

In particular, there have not been many large departments from Granada this summer, and coach Diego Martinez has earned a lot of praise.

However, it will still be very difficult for his party to prevent him from leaving immediately.

Key Man: Roberto Soldado

Former Spanish striker soldier accompanied Granada this summer for a free transfer after his departure from Fenerbahce.

With a lot of La Liga experience, the 34-year-old will be trusted this season by Granada.

Last season, Soldaat scored six league goals in 21 games for Fenerbahce, but he hopes he will be able to score more often for Granada.

Roberto Soldier will are excited to impress Granada after joining the club on a free transfer

Leganes [1945904]

Head coach: Mauricio Pellegrino

Transfers in: Martin Braithwaite (Middlesbrough, not disclosed), Juan Soriano (Sevilla, loan), Aitor Ruibal (Real Betis, loan), Aitor Ruibal (Port B, not disclosed), Andre Grandi (Madrid International , free), Sabin Merino (Athletic Bilbao, free), Alex Martin (Real Madrid Castilla, free), Roberto Rosales (Malaga, £ 1.08 million), Juan Munoz (AD Alcorcon, £ 1.35 million), Jonathan Silva (Sporting Lisbon, £ 2.7 million), Kenneth Omeruo (Chelsea, £ 4 Million)

Transfers from: Mamadou Kone (Deportivo de La Coruna, loan), Dani Ojeda (Albacete, loan)), Andres Prieto (Espanyol, free), Ezequiel Munoz ( Lanus, free), Nabil El Zhar (Al Ahli Sports Club, free), Fede Vico (Granada CF, £ 225k), Gerard Gumbau (Girona, £ 450k), Luciano (Gremio, 900k)

Last season: 13th

Now starting their fourth consecutive campaign in La Liga, Leganes wants to build on last season when they finish 13th – their highest position ever.

They made the news in September by beating Barcelona 3-1 and moved permanently to Martin Braithwaite after being impressed during a loan period.

season it would not be surprising if Leganes ended up at the mid-table again. However, they have a difficult start because they host Atletico Madrid.

Keyman: Youssef En-Nesyri

He played a crucial role for Leganes last season and scored nine goals in La Liga.

That led to interest in the Moroccan from a large number of clubs, including Brighton.

Leganes rejected an offer of £ 18 million from the seagulls, leaving En-Nesyri frustrated and whether he remains interesting to see if the commitments of the 22-year-old remain the same.

Youssef En-Nesyri was the subject of interest from Brighton after an impressive season

Levante

Head coach: Paco Lopez

Transfers in: Ruben Vezo (Valencia, £ 4.5 m), Sergio Leon ( Real Betis, £ 3.6 m, Gonzalo Melero (SD Huesca, £ 3.2 m), Carlos Clerc (Osasuna, free), Oscar Duarte (Espanyol, free), Jorge Miramon (SD Huesca, free), Hernani ( Postage free, Borja Mayoral (Real Madrid loan)

Transfers from: Ruben Garcia (Osasuna, £ 2.7m), Chema (Nottingham Forest, 450k), Esteban Saveljich (Rayo Vallecano, £ 270k), Pedro Lopez (SD Huesca, free), Jason (Valencia, free), Pepulu (Tondela, loan), Ivi Lopez (SD Huesca, loan), Raphael Dwamena (Real Zaragoza , loan), Koke (Deportivo, loan)

Last season: 15th

Get up with a jumble of the season, but will bring some confidence in the season after relegating Majorca rivals in their last friendly match have been defeated. It will be important that they start quickly with matches against Real Madrid and Real Betis that come within the first month.

They comfortably defeated the drop last season, kept floating seven points and will come out to maintain their position in the top flight.

Ze hebben wat opwindend talent, met name aan de bovenkant van het veld en zouden genoeg moeten hebben om de prestatie van vorig seizoen om op te blijven herhalen.

Key man: Roger Marti

13 De competitiedoelen zijn voor iedereen een behoorlijke terugkeer, maar het feit dat Marti zo vaak in een worstelend team de achterkant van het net heeft weten te vinden, maakt het nog indrukwekkender.

Levante genoeg over hen om punten te verzamelen, zelfs Marti schiet niet, maar als de 28-jarige vorm kan vinden zoals vorig seizoen, moeten ze weer veilig zijn.

Roger Marti wordt beschouwd als de belangrijkste speler van Stand-up na zijn overvloed aan doelpunten

RCD Mallorca

Hoofdcoach: Vicente Moreno

Transfers in: Lumor (Sporting Lissabon, lening), Aleksandar Sedlar (Piast Gliwice, gratis), Josep Sene (Leonese Cultural, gratis), Alex Joy (Real Betis, gratis), Aleksandar Trajkovski (Palermo, gratis), Aleix Febas (Real Madrid Castilla, gratis), Pablo Chavarria (Stade Reims, gratis), Igor Zlatanovic (Radnik, £ 1,17 m), Martin Valjent (Chiev o, £ 1,35 m), Ante Budimir (Crotone, £ 1,98 m)

Transfers uit: Carlos Castro (CD Lugo, lening), Sergio Buenacasa (SD Ponferradina, lening), Enzo Lombardo (Racing Santander, lening), Pablo Valcarce (SD Ponferradina, lening), Bryan Reyna (Barakaldo CF, lening), Stoichkov (Alcorcon , lening), Franco Russo (SD Ponferradina, lening), Alex Lopez (Extremadura, lening), Salva Ruiz (Valencia, gratis), Fernando Cano (Lleida Esportiu, gratis), Alvaro Bustos (Pontevedra, gratis), Leandro Montagud (Cultureel Leoness, gratis), Pol Roige (GIF Sundsvall, gratis), Alejandro Faurlin (Marbella FC, gratis)

Vorig seizoen: 5e, tweede divisie

Overal boven de onderste drie wil van Mallorca this season just to restore some normality.

Lago Junior will be La Liga new boys Mallorca's biggest scoring threat

In the last three seasons they have been relegated, then promoted and promoted again.

They came up via the play-offs, but unlike in the Championship, it is far from the richest game in football, so Mallorca have had to operate on a shoestring budget this summer.

It's going to be a real struggle for them, but the fact they lost the first play-off leg 2-0 and won the second leg 3-0 to secure promotion suggests they have the mettle to at least put up a good fight.

Key man: Lago Junior

Any side that has just gone up into a new league has to rely on a striker grabbing them enough goals to win matches.

That responsibility for Mallorca falls firmly on the shoulders of Lago Junior this season. He was their top scorer last term, netting 11 times in the league.

The jump to La Liga is a big one, but Mallorca will hope Junior is up for the test and can come close to his tally last campaign.

Osasuna 

Head coach: Jagoba Arrasate

Transfers in: Pervis Estupinan (Watford U23s, loan), Raul Navas (Real Sociedad, loan), Jaume Grau (Real Madrid Castilla, free), Adrian Lopez (FC Porto, free), Facundo Roncaglia (Celta Vigo, £225k), Darko Brasanac (Real Betis, £900k), Brandon (Stade Rennais FC, £1.8m), Robert Ibanez (Getafe, £1.8m), Marc Cardona (Barcelona, £2.25m), Chimy Avila (San Lorenzo, £2.43m), Ruben Garcia (Levante, £2.7m)

Transfers out: David Rodriguez (released), Xisco (released), Miguel Olavide (released), Jaume Grau (CD Lugo, loan), Miguel Diaz (CD Tudelano, free), Carlos Clerc (Levante, free), Imanol Garcia (Cordoba, fr ee)

Last season: 1st, Segunda Division 

Osasuna raced away to win the Spanish second division and bounce back to La Liga at the first time of asking.

But this season will be very different. They will not experience the winning feeling as often as they did in the Segunda and they must be prepared for that.

Osasuna have been a yo-yo club since their relegation from the top-flight in the 2013-14 season and will be eager to take this opportunity to re-establish themselves as a La Liga club.

First season, just stay up by any means necessary, that will be the goal.

Chimy Avila has a big role to play for Osasuna after proving himself in La Liga last season

Key man: Chimy Avila

Avila was a very smart buy by the La Liga new boys.

The midfielder scored some eye-catching goals last season during his loan spell at Huesca and his overall play is neat and tidy.

He bagged an impressive 10 goals last time around and will be key to Osasuna's chances of survival.

Real Betis 

Head coach: Rubi

Transfers in: Borja Iglesias (Espanyol, £25m), Giovani Lo Celso (PSG, £20m), Nabil Fekir (Lyon, £20m), Juanmi (Real Sociedad, £7m), Emerson (Barcelona, £5m), Dani Martin (Sporting Gijon, £4.5m), Alfonso Pedraza (Villarreal, loan)

Transfers out: Pau Lopez (Roma, £21m), Junior Firpo (Barcelona, £16m), Giovani Lo Celso (Tottenham, loan fee: £14.5m), Sergio Leon (Levante, £3.5m), Ryad Boudebouz (Saint Etienne, £3m), Takashi Inui (Eibar, £2m), Victor Camarasa (Crystal Palace, loan), Darko Brasanac (Osasuna, £900,000), Alin Tosca (Gazisehir, free), Alex Alegria (Mallo rca, free), Aitor Ruibal (Leganes, loan), Julio Gracia (Badajoz, loan), Liberto Beltran (Lleida Esportiu, loan)

Last season: 10th

A side with real potential that at times showed just what they were capable of last season.

Betis had a care-free and attractive style of playing but the core of their side has been cut up this summer.

Pau Lopez, Junior Firpo and Giovani Lo Celso, who was instrumental in midfield last term, have all gone on to bigger and brighter things, but you can't help but wonder had Betis kept hold of them that they could have made a real push to break the top six.

As it happens, that is not the case. Fans will be however be delighted by the capture of Nabil Fekir, who decided to join from Lyon despite seemingly having a number of more appealing offers.

Borja Iglesias was prolific for Espanyol last season too, so his signing will add further firepower to their goalscoring threat. The ambition will be to finish in those European places. Whether they can do it or not is another thing entirely.

Key man: Nabil Fekir

It will be interesting to see how the Frenchman takes to La Liga.

Fekir has only ever played in France, so it will be a challenge for him to adapt to his new surroundings. If he can be even half the player he was at Lyon then Betis have got a gem.

He scored a shed load during his time at Lyon and assisted almost just as much for his team-mates. The 26-year-old is Betis' most talented player and will revel in being the star man and their focal point of attack.

The arrivals of Nabil Fekir (L) and Borja Iglesias (R) adds significant firepower to Betis' attack

Real Madrid 

Head coach: Zinedine Zidane

Transfers in: Eden Hazard (Chelsea, £150m), Luka Jovic (F rankfurt, £54m), Eder Militao (Porto, £45m), Ferland Mendy (Lyon, £49m), Rodrygo (Santos, £40m), Alberto Soro (Real Zaragoza, £2m), Luca Zidane (Real Madrid Castilla, free), Javi Sanchez (Real Madrid Castilla, free), Jorge de Frutos (Real Madrid Castilla, free)

Transfers out: Mateo Kovacic (Chelsea, £40m), Marcos Llorente (Atletico Madrid, £27m), Raul de Tomas (Benfica, £18m), Theo Hernandez (AC Milan, £18m), Jesus Vallejo (Wolves, loan), Alberto Soro (Real Zaragoza, loan), Martin Odegaard (Real Sociedad, loan), Dani Ceballos (Arsenal, loan), Borja Mayoral (Levante, loan), Jorge de Frutos (Real Valladolid, loan), Sergio Reguilon (Sevilla, loan), Javi Sanchez (Real Valladolid, loan), Andriy Lunin (Real Valladolid, loan), Luca Zidane (Racing, loan )

Last season: 3rd

It all looked so promising for Real Madrid at the start of the summer window as Zinedine Zidane looked to get all of his transfer business done and dusted ahead of the new campaign. Real brought in Eden Hazard, Luka Jovic and Ferland Mendy in what looked to be the new era of Galaticos.

However, their pre-season came tumbling down in an instant when they were truly humbled by a new-look Atletico Madrid side in America. There were complaints that Hazard had packed on the pounds while Real's aging midfield continued to be a thorn in Zidane's side.

The Frenchman is still desperate to bring in Paul Pogba but Manchester United's valuation of the World Cup winner looks to have killed any potential move.

The Spanish giants have often looked disjointed and out of sorts during pre-season and even Marca have stated that the idea of Real winning a trophy this season is 'farcical'. While keeping that in mind, you'd expect Real to challenge Barcelona and Atletico for the league this season given the amount they've shelled out this summer.

Key man: Eden Hazard

Brought in for a deal worth up to £150million, Hazard will be that go-to player whether he starts out on the left or in the No 10 position behind Benzema. Zidane will need to drum out that 'unselfish' characteristic Hazard possesses if he's going to become a goal-machine for Los Blancos.

Real Madrid will expect a lot from Eden Hazard this season after becoming their record signing

Real Sociedad 

Head coach: Imanol Alguacil

Transfers In: Alex Sola (Real Sociedad B, promotion), Robin Le Normand (Real Sociedad B, promotion), Aihen Munoz (Real Sociedad B, promotion), Andoni Zubiaurre (Real Sociedad B, promotion), Ander Barrenetxea (Real Sociedad B, promotion), Ander Guevara (Real Sociedad B, promotion), Martin Odegaard (Real Madrid, loan), Alex Remiro (Athletic Bilbao, free) Modibo Sagnan (Lens, £4.05m), Alexander Isak (Borussia Do rtmund, £5.85m), Portu (Girona, £9m)

Transfers Out: Alex Sola (Numancia, loan), Jon Guridi (Mirandes, loan), Martin Merquelanz (Mirandes, loan), Jon Bautista (KAS Eupen, loan), Hector Moreno (Al Gharafa Sports Club, free), Eneko Capilla (Asteras Tripolis, free), Geronimo Rulli (Montpellier, £1.35m loan fee), Juanmi (Real Betis, £7.2m)

Last season: 9th  

There will be a notable change for Sociedad this season, with the renovation of their Anoeta Stadium set to be completed.

A major plus for the club this summer was retaining the services of wingers Mikel Oyarzabal.

However, the departure of defender Hector Moreno, among others, could prove to be problematic.

Key man: Mikel Oyarzabal

There was much speculation about Oyarzabal's future this summer, with Manchester City among the clubs to have been linked with him.

However, the winger ended up staying at Sociedad and will be seeking to build upon a hugely impressive 2018-19 campaign, when he scored 14 goals and provided four assists in La Liga.

This season Sociedad are set to again be heavily reliant upon the 22-year-old.

Mikel Oyarzabal ended up staying at Real Sociedad despite much speculation over his future

Real Valladolid 

Head coach: Sergio

Transfers in: Javi Sanchez (Real Madrid, loan), Jorge de Frutos (Real Madrid, loan), Pedro Porro (Manchester City, loan), Sandro Ramirez (Everton, loan), Andriy Lunin (Real Madrid, loan), Federico Barba (Chievo, loan), Pablo Hervias (Eibar, £900k)

Transfers out: Moises Delgado (Racing Santander, loan), Antonio Dominguez (Algeciras CF, free), Fernando Calero (Espanyol, 7.2m)

Last season: 16th

Ronaldo may have splashed out to purchase a majority share in the club last season, but the former Brazil star's wallet has remained firmly shut this summer.

Despite last season's struggles to beat the drop, Pablo Herbvias has been the club's only permanent signing, moving from Eibar for £900k.

The loan signing of Sandro Ramirez however could prove to be a great piece of business. He may have flopped at Everton and failed at Real Sociedad last season, but the Barcelona academy product has proven he can score regularly in La Liga, having netted 14 times for Malaga in the 2016-17 campaign.

Having scored the least amount of goals last season (32), Sandro's acquisition provides Valladolid's attack with the firepower it has so desperately been lacking. Fernando Calero will be a big loss for them though after the talented defender joined Espanyol. Just staying up will be the goal this season.

Key man: Sandro Ramirez

The pressure will fully be on Sandro Ramirez to score goals this season.

His confidence will be at an all-time low after failing to score a single league goal in 24 games at Real Sociedad last season, but if he can recapture his best form, he could have a sole impact on where Vallodolid end up this term.

Sandro Ramirez has struggled for form but can play a big part in Real Vallodolid's survival bid

Sevilla 

Head coach: Julen Lopetegui

Transfers in: Rony Lopes (Monaco, £22.5m), Jules Kounde (Bordeaux, £22.5m), Lucas Ocampos (Marseille, £13.5M), Diego Carlos (Nantes, £13.5m), Munas Dabbur (RB Salzburg, (£13.5m), Joan Jordan (Eibar, £12.6m), Luuk de Jong (PSV, £11.25m), Oliver Torres (Porto, £10.8m), Fernando (Galatasaray, £4.05m), Nemanja Gudelj (Evergrande, free), Sergio Reguilon (Real Madrid, loan).

Transfers out: Wissam Ben Yedder (Monaco, £36m), Pablo Sarabia (PSG, £16.2m), Quincy Promes (Ajax, £14.13m), Luis Muriel (Atalanta, £13.5m), Yan Brice (Granada, £900k), Gabriel Mercado (Al Rayyan, free), Marc Gual (Girona, loan), Giorgi Aburjania (Twente, loan), Ibrahim Amadou (Norwich, loan), Carlos Fernandez (Granada, loan), Juan Soriano (Leganes, loan), Aleix Vidal (Alaves, loan).

Last season: 6th

Big things are expected at the Ramon Sanchez-Pizjuan Stadium this season with a new manager in place and £100m spent on new talent.

Sevilla's biggest summer signing Rony Lopes can shine for them in La Liga this season

Returning director Monchi has got straight down to work with 11 new signings to help Julen Lopetegui rebuild his reputation after quitting as Spain manager on the eve of the World Cup for a disastrous spell with Real Madrid.

The Spaniard faces the task of getting the new-look side to gel together as quickly as possible but improving on last year's sixth-placed finish should be achievable.

Key man: Rony Lopes

The attacking midfielder will be desperate to b anish the though ts of last season's nightmare with Monaco and begin a new chapter at Sevilla.

Two years ago, Lopes was linked with just about every major club in Europe after banging in 15 goals. Last season he managed just the four as Monaco narrowly escaped relegation.

Sevilla have clearly seen something in Lopes to splash out £22.5m off the back of such a disappointing campaign and will look to him to be their creative spark this term. A cultured midfielder who is great on the ball, can pick out a pass and has an eye for an goal, he possesses all the attributes to shine in this league.

Valencia 

Head coach: Marcelino García Toral

Transfers in: Jasper Cillessen (Barcelona, £31m), Maxi Gomez (Celta Vigo, £13m), Denis Cheryshev (Villarreal, £5m), Manu Vallejo (Cadiz, £5m), Jorge Saenz (Tenerife, £2m), Salva Ruiz (Mallorca, free), Alex Carbonell (Cordoba, free), Jason (Levante, free), Eliaquim Mangala (Manchester City, free), Jaume Costa (Villarreal, loan)

Transfers out: Neto (Barcelona, £23m), Simone Zaza (Torino, £11m), Ruben Vezo (Levante, £4.5m), Jeison Murillo (Sampdoria, loan), Nacho Gil (Ponferradina, free), Aymen Abdennour (Kayserispor, free), Jorge Saenz (Celta Vigo, loan), Santi Mina (Celta Vigo, free), Alex Blanco (Real Zaragoza, loan), Toni Lato (PSV, loan), Uros Racic (Famalicao, l oan), Alex Carbonell (Fortuna Sittard, loan)

Last season: 4th

Valencia survived a turbulent summer which saw the futures of general manager Mateu Alemany and head coach Marcelino Garcia Toral almost leave the club.

Alemany appeared ready to walk away from Valencia and Marcelino vowed he would follow him through the exit doors if he did, but the latter had a change of heart and the two have remained.

Keeping hold of Marcelino was a huge coup for Valencia, considering he led them to a Champions League spot and Copa del Rey glory last term – the club's first trophy since 2008.

Having achieved so much, it will be difficult for Valencia to maintain the high standard, but they have invested well, bringing in the likes of Jasper Cillessen, Maxi Gomez and Denis Cheryshev. A top-four finish will be the expectation.

Keeping hold of their head coach Marcelino was a huge coup for Valencia this summer

Key man: Goncalo Guedes

There's no doubt that Guedes possesses the potential to be a big hitter in La Liga. Since joining Valencia from Paris Saint-Germain in 2017, he has shown glimpses of a world class player but has not performed on a consistent basis.

You can't help but think that this could be the season he finally announces himself as a top player in the league.

There will be less pressure on him to score goals regularly following Gomez's arrival and he is expected to be given a new licence of freedom in an attacking role behind the main striker, which he could really flourish in.

Goncalo Guedes has shown glimpses of class but has not performed on a consistent basis

Villarreal

Head coach: Javier Calleja

Transfers in: Ruben Pena (Eibar, £7.2m), Raul Albiol (Napoli, £4.5m), Moi Gomez (Sporting Gijon, £1.2m), Alberto Moreno (Liverpool, free), Andre Zambo Anguissa (Fulham, loan), Enric Franquesa (Villarreal B, promotion), Xavi Quintilla (Villarreal B, promotion), Simon Moreno (Villarreal B, promotion)

Transfers out: Pablo Fornals (West Ham, £24m), Nicola Sansone (Bologna, £6.75m), Roberto Soriano (Bologna, 6.75m), Denis Cheryshev (Valencia, £5.4m), Ruben Semedo (£4m, Olympiacos), Victor Ruiz (Besiktas, £2.25m), Javi Fuego (Sporting Gijon, free), Juan Ibiza (UD Almeria, free), Alvaro Gonzalez (Marseille, loan), Simon Moreno (UD Almeria, loan), Miguelon (SD Huesca, loan), Enric Franquesa (CD Mirandes, loan), Jaume Costa (Valencia, loan), Alfonso Pedraza (Real Betis, loan), Daniel Raba (SD Huesca, loan)

Last season: 14th

Given the talent in the squad, there can be no arguments that last season fell way below expectations.

Although it could have been much worse with Villarreal staring relegation in the face at one point. A strong finish to the season saw them finish comfortably in 14th in the end.

It will be tall ask for them to better that this time around after losing key players such as Pablo Fornals and Denis Cheryshev in the summer window but it would be foolish to label them as mid-table languishers just yet.

They have some highly-rated prospects in Samuel Chukwueze and Santiago Caseres and will have genuine ambitions to crack the top 10.

Key man: Santi Cazorla

You've seen all the videos on social media, he may be 34-years-old and only recently recovered from an injury that kept him out of action for two years, but Cazorla still has plenty to offer.

He pulled the strings in midfield last season and has retained all the flair and technical skills that made him one of the best exports the Premier League has seen.

He even earned a recall to the Spain squad for his performances last season. Cazorla has that rare ability to pull a big moment out of the bag when needed and with another tough season expected, he will have a significant role to play.

Santi Cazorla is Villarreal's maestro in midfield while Samuel Chukwueze could be important

LA LIGA BETTING ODDS

La Liga winner

Barcelona – 4/9

Real Madrid – 7/4

Atletico Madrid – 12/1

Valencia – 100//1

Sevilla – 150/1

La Liga relegated

Mallorca – 5/7

Granada CF – 5/4

Valladolid – 7/5

Osasuna – 9/5

Alaves – 2/1

Levante – 3/1

La Liga top goalscorer 

Lionel Messi: 4/6 

Eden Hazard: 9/1 

Luis Suarez: 10/1 

Antoine Griezmann: 14/1 

Karim Benzema: 16/1

*Odds provided by SportNation.bet 

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Copa Del Rey 2018/19 Tactical Analysis: Athletic Bilbao vs Sevilla

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Copa Del Rey 2018/19 Tactical Analysis: Athletic Bilbao vs Sevilla

Artwork by @chapulana

Sevilla hosted Athletic Bilbao at the Ramon Sanchez-Pizjuan stadium in the second leg of their Copa del Rey round of 16 fixture, marking the third occasion these sides have met in as many games. With a La Liga fixture sandwiched between the two-legged cup tie, there was an air of familiarity between the sides.

With Sevilla in third place in La Liga and looking to close the gap on Barcelona, and Athletic facing the threat of relegation for the first time in their history, both sides could be forgiven for having their priorities elsewhere. Nonetheless, Sevilla would see this as a realistic chance of silverware this season, while Athletic have real pedigree in this competition as the second most successful side in its history with 23 titles.

Taking a 3-1 advantage into the fixture after a convincing win at the San Mames a week ago, Sevilla scraped through 3-2 on aggregate. A late scare added some drama that had been lacking throughout a majority of the game.

Source: Sofascore

How they lined up

Sevilla lined up once again in Pablo Machin’s favoured 3-5-2/5-3-2 system, despite naming a much-changed team from the 2-0 reverse against Athletic at the weekend. Only Roque Mesa, Wissam Ben Yedder & Joris Gnagnon retained their places in the side. In-form striker Andre Silva had to settle for a place on the bench.

Athletic also rotated heavily. Setting up in 4-2-3-1/4-3-3, manager Gaizka Garitano made 10 changes to his side, with only Oscar de Marcos keeping his spot in the team.

With so many changes for both sides and priorities perhaps elsewhere, it was understandable that this game wasn’t of the highest quality. Players less used to playing with each other will not have the same level of communication and connection. For this reason, there was a distinct lack of flow to proceedings.

Nevertheless, there were some interesting aspects on show, particularly in the match-up between systems. Whereas Sevilla used wing-backs in their 3-5-2 system, they were faced with Athletic’s more standard back-four structure. Unsurprisingly, the most interesting theme of the match was going to be how each team approached the wide areas, and the match-ups the clash of systems brought about.

Athletic Bilbao’s issues in possession

Athletic began the game dominating possession without offering any real offensive threat, in part due to a conservative approach when in possession.

Conservative positioning of full-back as Athletic offer no threat to Sevilla’s backline (Wyscout).

In this example, Sevilla are in their 5-3-2 defensive shape but Athletic miss the opportunity to offer a threat to the backline. With just one player (Guruzeta) occupying Sevilla’s last line, the three centre-backs can step out of their shape at any point without the threat of someone running into depth. Notice also how the right-sided Susaeta has moved inside to the half-space drawing the attention of Promes, Sevilla’s left wing-back. This would have been a perfect opportunity for De Marcos to sprint into the vacated space on the flank in behind Promes, but he passes up the opportunity.

Ibai Gomez’s high-to-low movement creates space that isn’t exploited in behind (Wyscout)

This example once again shows a disconnect in Athletic’s attacking play, as De Marcos’ movement once again provokes an opportunity to be exploited. This time he uses a high to low movement (using a double movement to separate himself from his marker) which attracts Gnagnon, the left-sided centre-back, to follow him.

Notice the gap left between centre-backs which is begging for the centre forward to use a blindsided run, or a midfield third man run to exploit this space. Once again, De Marcos does not make a run in behind and around the back of Promes.

Athletic offering no presence in between the lines (Wyscout).

This example shows a further issue with Athletic’s build up play. Notice how there is no presence in between the midfield and defensive lines, with only Guruzeta occupying the defensive line. This was a theme throughout the match, despite Athletic trailing by two goals from the first leg. Here their midfield trio are all in front of Sevilla’s block and not looking to receive in between the lines.

Another theme throughout the game was Athletic’s conservative positioning of their full-backs. In this instance, the left-back Balenziaga could position himself higher to pin back Vidal, Sevilla’s right wing-back, and threaten the last line of defence. Whilst this would make Athletic vulnerable in transition, it is perhaps a risk you may want to take when trailing by two goals in a cup tie. Predictably, Athletic were forced into a speculative long ball to the lone centre-forward which was dealt with easily by Sevilla.

Athletic’s wide player and full-back movement creates space inside which isn’t exploited (Wyscout).

Athletic found progressing the ball through the middle of the pitch difficult throughout, so they would often use the wings. Again, a lack of coordinated movements was evident as they failed to get inside and in behind the Sevilla block.

In this example, the left-sided wide player, Ibai Gomez receives as Balenziaga makes a forward run to drag Sevilla’s covering central midfielder out of position. This opens up a large gap in the half-space (highlighted). However, no Athletic player exploits this newly created space with a chance to run at an exposed backline. Ibai Gomez has to resort to recycling the ball backwards, and the opportunity goes begging.

After a lot of non-threatening possession, it was noticeable that Athletic’s most clear-cut opportunity in the game came from a direct counter-attack via a long throw from goalkeeper Unai Simon.

Sevilla on the front foot

After the first half in which Athletic had dominated the ball with little progression and penetration, Sevilla assumed control after the break. Chances had been at a premium in the first half, with Sevilla content to not exert too much energy in a game they did not have to win.

They did, however, step it up in the second half, with wing-backs Vidal and Promes coming into the game far more with their aggressive high positioning when Sevilla were in possession. They were covered at all times by the back three and the diligence of Ibrahim Amadou who was always stationed behind the ball to defend counter-attacks. These four players behind the ball were more than enough to cover any counter-attacks, particularly with an Athletic forward line lacking in pace and numbers.

High positioning of Vidal to receive a diagonal pass (Wyscout).

The high positioning of both wing-backs almost produced a goal in the opening exchanges of the second half. Here Vidal is occupying the last line with the intelligent against-the-grain movement of Sevilla’s two forwards opening up space for a diagonal switch. With Vidal arriving in acres of space, he is able to pick out Munir who guided his shot first time into the side-netting.

Sevilla well positioned to progress ball and free Vidal on the right flank in space (Wyscout).

Here Sevilla are well positioned to progress the ball through an inadequate Athletic press. They do not screen the forward diagonal pass, and leaving far too much space for Roque Mesa (circled) in between the lines to turn and drive at an exposed defence. As soon as the ball has been played into Mesa, this is a trigger for both Sevilla wing-backs to join the attack. This resulted in a dangerous low cross from Vidal, the right wing-back.

The ‘English’ goal

Despite the issues Athletic faced in their build-up and wide play, they took an unexpected lead in the 77th minute through Gorka Guruzeta, the 22-year-old’s first goal for Los Leones.

Athletic use a wide rotation to free De Marcos to cross for Guruzeta (Wyscout).

At last, Athletic put together a good sequence on the right flank where a wide rotation with Susaeta coming inside dragging his marker with him freed up right-back De Marcos to put in a cross. Guruzeta met the ball with a powerful header from a standing start, the ball looping into the top corner. It was the classic ‘English’ goal and a wonderful headed finish.

It was an interesting goal because it tapped right into the psyche of Athletic. The club is one that has British heritage running through it, as Jonathan Wilson wrote:

“Athletic is the home of the giant defender and the battering-ram striker, of rain and mud, and roaring fans, of long balls and powerful headers”.

Whilst the goal was only a side-note of this cup tie, it demonstrated a long-held characteristic of Athletic and maybe a potential tool for them to steer clear of relegation in La Liga. They may consider sending a few more players into the box in future if this tactic is to be effective, however.

A glimpse into Machin

Once Athletic had got back in the tie with Guruzeta’s goal, they had 13 minutes plus stoppage time remaining to score a second and progress on away goals. Suddenly, Athletic had their tails up and decided the most effective route to a winning goal indeed lay in their English roots using long balls and crosses.

The manner in which Sevilla responded may have just given us a glimpse into the philosophy of Pablo Machin. Rather than drop deep, defend their goal and try to hang on to their slender advantage, Sevilla pushed for a winner and decided the best course of action was to push players forward in possession and defend turnovers high up the pitch.

With a slender one-goal advantage, Sevilla continued to push forward (Wyscout).

With a narrow one-goal margin, Sevilla maintained an aggressive attacking mentality. Here, both wing-backs highlighted are high up the pitch, with eight Sevilla players (one out of the picture) inside Athletic’s half.

On this occasion they turnover the ball but immediately counter-press to thwart any potential counter-attack from Athletic.

Sevilla counter-pressing a turnover high up the pitch (Wyscout).

Rather than dropping off, which is to be expected in this instance, the Sevilla player closest to the ball immediately presses the ball carrier. The Sevilla block steps up to close the spaces between lines, and all routes of escape are blocked off.

This may be revealing of Pablo Machin. In adopting an attitude that prioritised attack as the best form of defence, was this revealing of his wider philosophy of the game? The question remains as to whether he will replicate this against one of the La Liga heavyweights, or in even in the latter stages of the Europa League.

It is, however, likely that this approach was schemed from more of a tactical perspective. With Sevilla successfully managing to push Athletic back with the high positioning of their wing-backs throughout, they successfully isolated Guruzeta as the striker. With little threat in behind, a theme we saw all game from Athletic, condensing the play high up was a successful ploy.

It will be interesting to watch how Machin would approach a similar situation in the future, and whether he is a coach wedded to a philosophy, or one that reacts flexibly to the situation he is faced with.

Conclusion

This was, on the whole, quite a scrappy match that never really fully got going, which is understandable due to the wholesale changes to personnel both teams made. Despite losing the game 1-0, Sevilla will feel like they should have put the tie to bed earlier with the better quality of chances they created.

Whilst this was far from a tactically enthralling spectacle, there were several aspects that will be interesting to watch out for in the remainder of the season. In particular, the mechanisms of Machin’s back-three system and the use of both wing-backs hold the key to how Sevilla will function.

For Athletic, they were not tactically effective enough when in possession of the ball to damage Sevilla, but there are some signs a more basic and direct approach may benefit them. You sense that with relegation a distinct threat they will not be too fussed to exit the Copa del Rey, although it may disappoint fans who are looking for their first Copa since 1984. Staying in La Liga however should be the utmost priority for the only club other than Barcelona and Real Madrid never to have been relegated from the top division in Spain.

If you love tactical analysis, then you’ll love the digital magazines from totalfootballanalysis.com – a guaranteed 100+ pages of pure tactical analysis covering topics from the Premier League, Serie A, La Liga, Bundesliga and many, many more. Buy your copy of the January issue for just ₤4.99 here, or even better sign up for a ₤50 annual membership (12 monthly issues plus the annual review) right here.

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Football Bet of the Day: Super Sevilla to make their mark

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Football Bet of the Day: Super Sevilla to make their mark Please share.

Kev’s enjoying the Copa del Rey this week, so he’s picked out another selection from that competition. “Athletic have improved in recent weeks, but they’ve still had a poor season overall, and there seems little justification for Sevilla to be outsiders here.”

Back Sevilla Draw No Bet at [2.04]

Sevilla to add to Athletic woesAthletic Club v SevillaThursday 10 January, 18:30Girona’s remarkable run of draws against Atletico Madrid continued last night, as their Copa del Rey first leg ended 1-1. For the second night running, we successfully opposed an odds-on favourite, so we have a spring in our step as we head to the Basque Country for another cup tie. Athletic Club of Bilbao are up against Sevilla, and I fancy the visitors to pick up a positive result.These are tough times for Athletic, who have a proud record of having never been relegated from La Liga. After the disastrous reign of Cuco Ziganda, Eduardo Berizzo fared no better, so now Gaizka Garitano has the reins. The former reserve team boss has sparked something of a revival, and the Basque giants are unbeaten in five matches in league and cup. Athletic are still just two points above the dropzone, and while their Basque-only player policy is highly laudable in today’s commercialised age, it does restrict their ability to make significant changes in the winter window.There are no such problems for Sevilla, who are third in the standings, and flying under former Girona boss Pablo Machin. The Andalusian side have suffered just one defeat in their last 15 games in all competitions, and they are still alive in the Europa League.Sevilla have drawn their last five domestic away matches, and I think that run lends itself to a wager using the Draw No Bet market. Sevilla are slight underdogs here, and I don’t think they should be against a team that has improved of late but in general has had another awful season. I’ll back Sevilla to edge this.

2019 P/L Points Staked: 3Points Returned: 6.15P/L: +3.15 points

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[creativedogtrainingonline]

Prague The Mother of Cities

Due to that Prague is among the most popular tourists locations in Europe it counts will a fair adequate accommodation facilities.

Prague, the capital city of the Czech Republic, lies on the Vltava River. It’s a city with a long and happy history as the cultural, financial, and political center of the Czech state for more than 1000 years. Today, approximately 1.2 million people call the city home.Prague is one

of the most popular traveler locations in Europe. In truth, it ranks 6th in popularity behind London, Paris, Rome, Madrid, and Berlin. It is considered by numerous to be among the most lovely cities on the Continent also. Some of its labels include “The Mom of Cities,” City of a Hundred Spires,” and “The Golden City.”

Among the reasons Prague is believed to be so stunning is that it experienced much less destruction during World War II than did other cities. As a result, much of its historic architecture remained undamaged. The structures of Prague represent a variety of architectural designs, such as Art Nouveau, Baroque, Renaissance, Cubist, Gothic, Neo-Classical, and modern.Prague consists of many fascinating and gorgeous sights as well as cultural destinations. One popular location to go to is Old Town, an incredibly charming part of Prague. It was the initial location of the first settlement in Prague. The city then grew in the 14th century when Charles IV established New Town. Within Old Town stands the Prague Astronomical Clock in Old Town Square. The clock holds on the southern wall of Old Town hall. It’s consisted of three main parts. The astronomical dial represents the sun and the moon in addition to a number of other astronomical details. The Stroll of Apostles reveals the figures of the Apostles of Jesus Christ each hour; all twelve Apostles make a look at midday every day. The calendar dial has medallions that stand for the months of the year. Together with the showing of the Apostles on the hour,

four figures who stand to either side of the clock are likewise set into movement. These figures represent the four things despised by the individuals of Prague at the time of the clock’s production. These things are: Death, who looks like a skeleton; Vanity, who holds a mirror; Judaism, who brings a bag; and the Turkish, wearing a turban.Another interesting sight within the city of Prague is the Lennon Wall. Originally, this wall was nothing more than a plain historical wall. Nevertheless, starting in the 1980s, people have covered it with graffiti honoring vocalist John Lennon. And, in 1988, the wall was used by young individuals for noting complaints versus the communist program. The wall modifications constantly and the portrait of John Lennon that was among the initial works of

graffiti is now obscured by layers of paint. Although authorities have actually attempted throughout the years to stop the graffiti by painting over the wall, brand-new graffiti constantly appears sometimes as quickly as the second day. Today the wall is owned by the Knights of the Maltese Cross who allow the graffiti to continue as a sign of love and peace.Tourists preparing to visit Prague will delight in the lodgings the city needs to use, such as its hotels and

vacation apartments.Examples of hotels in Prague are: Palace Hotel, Prague: This Vienna Art Nouveau design hotel lies in Wenceslas Square at the center of Prague. There are 124 glamorous spaces in this sophisticated

building. Each room is decorated with duration furnishings and has many contemporary features also, such as satellite television, Internet access, mini-bar, and choice to link a facsimile machine. Hilton Prague Hotel: 788 spaces are consisted of in this huge modern-day glass building. The hotel lies in a quiet location of Prague and features a magnificent atrium. There are 3 various kinds of rooms offered classic, organisation, and executive so this hotel is sure to meet your requirements whatever they are. Attractions like Old Town Square, Charles’Bridge, and Prague Castle are within strolling distance.Green Lobster Hotel, Prague: This four-star hotel remains in 2 successive 14th Century structures that have been entirely refurbished to their existing baroque design. If the colorful name isn’t really adequate to gain your attention , the hotel is luxuriously supplied in duration furnishings and spaces are geared up with all the modern benefits, including LCD satellite tv, Web gain access to, mini-bar, and a spacious restroom. The area of the hotel makes it a fantastic place for vacation remains given that it is close to Prague Castle and Charles’Bridge.Examples of vacation houses in Prague are: Sazavska Apartment or condos: There are 26 apartments over four floors in a 19th century palace available to travelers as holiday lodgings. The structure was just recently remodelled in an Italian design and provides a stunning quality with contemporary aspects. Apartment or condos sleep approximately six people

and have completely equipped kitchens. The structure is located near tram and metro services.Zizkov Historic: This brilliant apartment lies in a 19th century historic structure near Old Town Square and Wenceslas Square. In its 3 bed rooms, it sleeps up to eight guests. Other neighboring destinations include the Art Nouveau Municipal House, Jindriska Tower, and the cemetery where Franz Kafka is buried.Little Quarter View House: This two-bedroom home was one the Prague Mayors ‘homes. It’s just around the corner from Charles ‘Bridge and a five-minute walk to the Prague Castle. The apartment’s 10 windows overlook Lesser Town Square. With its wonderful destinations and luxurious holiday lodgings, it’s truly not a surprise that Prague is such a popular holiday location. Tourists looking for an excellent mix of culture, landmarks, and charm will not leave the city disappointed. Gaizka Pujana is the co-owner of Barcelona Residences, S.L. which is a company focused on providing short-term tenancy options in Seville and Barcelona through its web pages Barcelona Things Seville Things Barcelona Holiday apartments pixabay

[thedrown]

 Bad Luck and a Bank Robber- Gaze

 Coming from the Residential Quarter, Gaizka Machin finds himself much in the same situation as many of Makina-Hiria’s youth: Colour Gangs. Gaizka is a bit different however in that he actually longs to be a among them rather than finding himself wrapped up in one as most do nowadays. He has an innate superiority complex and revels in bullying anyone he views as weak and easy prey. Gaizka himself is in actuality little more than a thug, a brawler with endless aggression and drive but zero technique who simply seeks out gangs as a means to assert his will to do and take whatever he wants.. That said when he does wind up in fight with a strong opponent he almost always gets pummeled and often resorts to dirty tricks especially his butterfly knife. Despite his “charisma” he failed to join any of the major colour gangs being rejected from the Tong Long for not being from The Wharf and clubbed by The Batters for lacking any hint of their tact and subtly. It was when he came upon The Darts, not so much a gang as a loose group of violent thugs, that he crossed the line for the last time..

 The Darts were exactly what Gaizka was looking for, aggressive, quick to anger, and who couldn’t care less about who they jump and harass. Except for one thing, they were hoodlums without ambition without any desire to use their will to do anything beyond random havoc and for the first time, Gaizka was the one to reject the gang instead of the other way around. Needless to say, they took great offense and he was scarcely out the door before they jumped him pinning him to the floor as the head of the group took a knife to Gaizka’s eyes. Screaming until he lost his voice he eventually made his way to the city streets again before passing out and later being taken to hospital. Giving in to his inherent inferiority while bedridden he quickly fell into a deep depression viewing his life as over given his blindness making him, in his eyes, weak. After months in the hospital he received a transplant and thanks to cybernetics was able to regain his sight. 

 He felt nothing but anger upon being released, having regained his sight he now intended to kill his attackers in revenge and upon finding some Darts he promptly rushed and stabbed one of them with his balisong before the other two pulled out pistols. Gaizka froze and strangely didn’t feel the bullets enter him. Shook, the Darts yelled at him as to how he dodged bullets only to attempt to shoot him again as his body jerked out of the way. Amazed, he rushed one of them and when the other went to stab him with a pocket knife it’s as if he saw the attack was coming in slow motion and moved out of the way with ease turning the knife back on the crook. Standing victorious, he soon heard a voice in his head explaining it was a safety predictive analytic operating system within his cybernetic eyes run real time simulations of any incoming threats to his safety so he may react appropriately, and if he can’t/doesn’t, then the OS will send the signals necessary to do it for him. Thrilled, Gaizka now plotted not only revenge on The Darts, but now to use his new eyes to do what he’s always dreamed. While maintaining a somewhat normal life enrolled in the Zaldun-Akademia, Gaizka has created a guise for his underworld exploits and his notoriety as the thorn in the side of the gang world known as Gaze.

[thedrown]

BLAABR- Zurine Abasolo and Class 1-I

Lordy this took me awhile to finish, anywho hope you guys like seeing some of the guys in their school uniforms. Zurine’s backstory and close up pics below!

Zurine Abasolo is the homeroom teacher for Class 1-I at the Zaldun Akademia eta Ostatatu Eskola. She's young, attractive, and very proper making her a quick crush of her male students and fellow teacher Iago Ferreiro who she's become close friends with seeing his attempts to woo her as humourous and flattering. In terms of academics she teaches chemistry, physics, and writing classes at the academy and with her charms has little issue keeping her rowdy homeroom class in line by tapping into their interests and incorporating them into their studies. That and frequently mixing her class with Ferreiro's Class 1-K keeps them plenty entertained and motivated and most important to her: in school and out of trouble. She's polite and soft spoken but very firm in her passion for teaching and guiding troubled youth, seeing her job more akin to parenthood than teaching. As it typically goes with alternative schools, her class is very small with her 8 student class being made up of (from left to right) Jin Shen, Xiulan Zao, Usoa Kaikuegi, Abga, Ayoka Akaregi Zaldibar, Gaizka Machin, Frantziska Marmo, and foreign exchange student Ingo Amsel. 

[letterstosestrilles]

Dear Athan,

A while ago, we asked you to look into Liadon Technologies—the weapon the CEO was trying to build, and failed to, and how to stop her from trying to do it again. And now we’ve got … it could, I should begin, be a complete coincidence. Things that happen on different planes, years apart, are generally coincidences, even if they’re the same kind of tragedy or near-tragedy.

But after this long on the road, I’ve come to trust that if I see a possible connection, it doesn’t hurt to ask. The situations are rarely quite as dire as I build up in my head, but that doesn’t mean I’m not somewhere on the right track. And Maliah and Niko both agree to the extent that Niko has given me permission to share some personal information about what brought her to this plane.

We’ve told you about Niko—you might have even met her, as she transited to and from Nosirion-1, since we definitely told her the inn we stay at up on Mir. You probably know she’s a paladin of Reorx, that she’s from the Elemental Plane of Air, and that when she left it, it wasn’t for happy reasons. That she was—is—seeking redemption.

We knew a few details before, the very vaguest sketch of the story (and, she tells us, in those early days the trauma was so new that she only had the vaguest sketch of the story herself, and some of the details wrong besides. She thought all of it happened in a different place than it did, even, which I have to say makes me very nervous. Trauma makes the memory strange, but so does magic, and there were a few times Cloudleaper—well. Nervous, you see). I have her permission to share what I need to share with you, because you’re already working on something that could be related.

(Gaizka Zebari is working on Liadon from the other end, as it were, among their many other jobs, and is getting a similar summary.)

One thing temples of Reorx (and their clerics and paladins) do is support the creative efforts of people who have an idea but not the resources to carry it through. Sometimes they need materials, sometimes design assistance, and Niko was well-reputed there, not high enough in the ranks to be in charge, but someone worth listening to.

It seems she was traveling, and a man approached her for assistance like this. He was part of a community, had moved there and been established for a few years. He gave his name as Aturav Onver, and appeared to be an ordinary denizen of the Plane of Earth. He had plans for a piece of agricultural technology, a machine that would pull planar energy from the ethereal plane and revitalize land that had been overused or damaged on purpose. For his community, he said. To help it. So Niko vouched for him.

She digressed a little, and so will I, to say that people trusted to vouch for and endorse projects like this are supposed to have good judgment. That creativity and destruction go very, very well together. She used her own weaving as an example—that looms have technology that could easily be turned to harm, especially on an industrial scale. Even what she weaves can cause harm—she weaved the fabric for my new gloves, and I’ve destroyed more than a few things with those.

And, well—you saw that technological description. Energy transfer can so easily turn into an energy weapon. And in this case, it did.

I’m still not sure how Niko was alerted. There are still gaps in the story I’d like to see filled, if it wouldn’t hurt her so badly to ask her about them. But she arrived a few hours after Onver used this agricultural tool to rip his community physically apart. The description was harrowing—imagine, if you will, every earth-related natural disaster happening in one place all at the same time. Tectonic shifts, a landslide, mountains crashing together.

She wasn’t the first one there. By the time she arrived, everyone in the community was dead, as far as she could tell. The ones who were still alive when help arrived before her said it wasn’t an accident, that Onver had done it on purpose, but there wasn’t more detail than that, and Onver couldn’t be found.

Maybe he died with the community. But people who would do this kind of thing, they’re never that sort of person.

This was all something like two years ago, just before Niko fell through a godsfall and landed on Nosirion-1. Liadon’s weapon was a decade or two ago, if I’m picking up context clues right, and if I remember right, it was some kind of drill. One that could be easily assumed to be mining equipment or similar.

Maybe I just want them to be connected. Onver deserves to be brought to justice, and that’s almost certainly not his name. Niko wouldn’t even swear that her description would be useful. He could easily have shapeshifted, or have an Amulet of Disguise. So if we want to help her find him, we’ll need to do it by his work. It just seems like the kind of work Liadon would find fascinating.

If they file a patent for agricultural technology, or anything about energy transfer from the ethereal plane, please let us know as soon as you can. Or if there are rumors that someone high-up in their R&D is from an Elemental Plane these days. As I said, Gaizka Zebari is on this too, and I figure between the two of you, our avenues are well-covered.

Hope Delthi’s doing well and had some time to rest and recover in the past few months. And all our best to Kian, of course! Hopefully we can come up to visit soon. Maliah and I are down on Nosirion-1 for at least a few days more dealing with another problem Niko has asked for help with (I believe one or the other of us asked you about creativity and whether you’ve noticed changes in people’s creative output in the past year or two—it’s that problem, which I am praying to every possible god is not connected to the one I’m writing about now. Though knowing our luck, I don’t have my hopes up), and may be out of touch for some of it, but wherever we end up going next, we’ll come through Mir.

All our best,

Elyn

[freebestbettingtips]

Copa del Rey 2018/19 Tactical Analysis: Athletic Bilbao vs Sevilla

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Copa del Rey 2018/19 Tactical Analysis: Athletic Bilbao vs Sevilla

Artwork by @chapulana

January means domestic cups, doesn’t it? Every league has their own version of knockout competition and after a busy league schedule in December, the long-awaited cup matches return. England has their beloved FA Cup and the Carabao Cup, Italy has Coppa Italia, and Spain has its own version in the Copa del Rey.

One of the matches in the round of 16 of the competition is a clash between a struggling Athletic Bilbao against the current third place holder in La Liga, Sevilla. The meeting at San Mames Barria on January 10 marked their first play-off-like series of three matches against each other (two legs of Copa and one La Liga encounter) in eight days.

Despite being in a relatively good form throughout this season, Sevilla came into this match without a win since December 17. Meanwhile, the home side started the year with a joyful 1–2 away win against Celta Vigo. Although the recent results from both teams prior to this match favoured Athletic, Sevilla actually came out as the winning side; via a dominant 1–3 win that gives them the advantage in the second leg. But how did the match unfold?

Starting XI

Lineup from both teams (sofascore.com).

Gaizka Garitano decided to start Mikel San Jose alongside Ander Iturraspe in the middle of the park. In front of them, the trio of Inigo Cordoba, Gorka Guruzeta, and Markel Susaeta supported the lone striker, Aritz Aduriz. Some popular names such as Inaki Willams, Inigo Martinez, and Iker Muniain had to start from the bench.

In the other side, Pablo Machin also opted to bench some of his big-name players, such as Ever Banega, Jesus Navas, and their number-one-goalkeeper, Tomas Vaclik. The gaffer decided to pack his midfield with Roque Mesa, Ibrahim Amadou, and Franco Vazquez. Up front, Milan-loanee Andre Silva started alongside ex-Manchester City player, Nolito.

Silva’s scintillating start

Sevilla started the game with their usual 3–5–2/5–3–2. Early in the game, they would use long balls in their attacks with Andre Silva as their main target. The long passer varied between one of the three CBs or the goalkeeper, Juan Soriano. The Portuguese heating up since the first whistle and his aerial ability gave Athletic’ defence a lot of problems inside the first five minutes.

Bilbao’s promising young defender, Unai Nunez, was his victim. In the fifth minute, Nunez miscalculated a long ball thus giving Andre Silva a clear space to attack. Roque Mesa, who went forward, scored from the situation but his goal was cancelled due to the earlier foul to Unai Simon. Less than a minute later, Nunez made another costly mistake. The away side didn’t let him off this time. Vazquez roamed forward and then slotted the ball into the pathway of Nolito. The latter then scored easily past Simon just six minutes into the game.

Nunez mistimed his header; the loose ball dropped into Andre Silva’s feet. Then he squared the ball into Vazquez. Less than 10 seconds later, Sevilla got their first goal.

Athletic’ approach

On the ball, Athletic used 4–2–3–1. They sent their full-backs, Ander Capa and Mikel Balenziaga, high early in the game with their double pivots controlling the game from the halfway line. The home side’s attacking midfielders were quite narrow and mainly positioned between the lines in order to give the team a superiority in the dangerous area. Their talisman, Aduriz, usually dropped to combine with the attacking midfield trio.

Early in the game, Bilbao exploited Sevilla‘s 5–3–2 defensive shape quite well. They did this by pushing their full-backs high and wide, with Capa as the more offensive full-back. They would build the game through the left side before sending the ball to Capa. Susaeta’s positioning in the right half-space pinned both Capa and Vazquez with him thus giving Capa a lot of space to roam.

Aduriz dropped to receive a forward pass from San Jose. The striker then would switch the play into the right side, with Capa already waiting in the empty space.

To my surprise, Bilbao didn’t do this often after the first 10 minutes despite the good progress they were having. Instead, they would play safer for most of the remaining 35 minutes of the first half. By safer I mean they didn’t try to find Capa, who already roamed forward, but the midfielder would return the ball into the CB before sending the ball into the right-back. The ball movements were also relatively slower and more predictable. Weird, to say the least.

In this sequence, Capa had a lot of room to receive and attack, and Iturraspe possessed more than enough time and space to play the ball into the path of the right back. The latter opted for a backward pass instead. Confusing.

Athletic’s safe-but-confusing approach allowed Sevilla’s midfielders to reorganise. Mesa-Amadou-Vazquez then would arrive comfortably to the side where the ball is being played. The midfield trio then would be able to prevent Capa and Susaeta from creating problems to the defenders behind them. This also forced Bilbao to play in counterproductive U-shaped build-ups.

Because of the visitors’ early lead and their tendency to sit back, Athletic got the lion’s share of possession in the first half. Bilbao rarely had to defend for more than 30 seconds due to that fact. When they did lose the possession, they would shape themselves in 4–4–1–1.

Athletic’ 4–4–1–1 against Sevilla’ 3–1–4–2 (Kjaer not in picture).

Remember Andre Silva and his supreme ability to deal with long balls? Let’s get back to that. Apart from long balls sent by Gabriel Mercado, Simon Kjaer, or Daniel Carrico, Sevilla also had another option. This time by using goal-kicks from their goalkeeper, Soriano. Soriano’s goal-kicks were usually accurate to find Andre Silva high up the pitch.

Garitano, who didn’t want the opposing striker to dismantle his defensive department anymore, tasked Iturraspe to drop into the last line; thus creating a temporary 5–1–3–1. This approach succeeded to reduce Andre Silva’s aerial threat because the striker had to face at least two towering men in order to win the ball.

Notice how far Iturraspe dropped from his initial midfield position.

Athletic varied their approach by sending a lot of (early) crosses into the box. They hoped their gunman, Aduriz, could convert the crosses into dangerous chances. Most of them failed, due to Sevilla’s disciplined CB trio preventing the ball arriving at Aduriz’s head.

He did score, by the way, but his goal was cancelled by a VAR decision due to his offside position earlier in the build-up of the goal. To add more misfortune for the home side, Aduriz was forced to be taken off before the first half finished. This happened because of a knee injury midway the first half.

VAR fairly ruled off the equaliser. Ah, we do love a good use of technology, don’t we?

Machin’s machine

As we can see before, Sevilla played with 5–3–2 defensively. With that shape, they allowed Bilbao huge spaces next to their midfield trio. Lucky for them, the home side didn’t exploit this for most of the first half.

Machin also tasked his men to play very compact vertically by reducing the distance between each line. This meant Bilbao’s players had less time and space on the ball, thus forcing them to make errors in possession. The away side’s defensive department was also very sound and discipline. Despite playing a relatively high line for some moments in the first half, they allowed zero successful through passes behind them.

Sevilla’s compact 5–3–2.

On the ball, Sevilla opted to play in 3–1–4–2. The absence of Banega in the first half can be felt because of Amadou’s lack of game-controlling ability. When they got the ball in the midfield, Roque Mesa and Vazquez were tasked to bring the ball forward; either by distributing the ball to the flanks or carrying the ball by themselves. When the ball reached the final third, Sevilla’s wing-backs (mainly Quincy Promes) would try to find one of the strikers with his crosses.

In this shape, both flanks occupied at all time by the wing-backs.

Alterations equal improvements, right?

To some extent, yes. That happened to Athletic. The home side switched into a back-three early in the second half, with Iturraspe dropping between Yeray Alvarez and Nunez in order to help his team’s build-up process. Athletic then moved into a 3–4–3-ish shape with Muniain dropping next to San Jose, filling Iturraspe’s vacated position. Susaeta and Cordoba remained narrow; thus allowing Capa and Balenziaga to fill the flanks.

Iturraspe dropped between Yeray and Nunez from his normal position.

Muniain went deeper to help build-ups. Narrow forwards allowed the full-backs to provide width.

Less than a minute after Iturraspe dropped between the CB pair, Bilbao got a corner in their left-hand side. Susaeta was tasked to take the corner and he did it brilliantly. His superb cross combined with San Jose’s towering header resulted in a long-awaited goal for the home side. 1–1. Garitano’s genius alterations proved effective so far.

Not so quick, Gaizka…

Machin reacted to his rival’s alterations by making some adjustments to his squad. Nolito, who stood alongside Andre Silva in the first half, was tasked to drop a bit to play behind the striker. Sevilla’s shape in attack changed a bit into a 3–5–1–1.

The goalscorer then went crazy in his new position. He successfully destroyed Athletic’s defence by exploiting the huge gap between the lines. Four minutes after San Jose’s goal, Nolito received a ball between the lines without any pressure whatsoever. Then he played a perfectly-weighted through pass for Andre Silva, who scored with his first touch. Garitano’s tactical changes went into thin air, credit to Nolito’s magic.

Just look at that gap. Nolito found Andre Silva free in behind with his through pass, shortly after receiving. The latter then found the back of the net with his sublime first touch finish.

Again, Nolito received freely between the lines. His positioning successfully disorganised Athletic’s defence for plenty of times.

Bilbao had (almost) no answer to Nolito’s new role. Notice Nunez’s confusion. Stay with Andre Silva or follow Nolito?

Not only in attack, but Nolito also had a new role off the ball. From the start of the second half until the 60th minute, Machin tasked Nolito to drop back and fill the midfield in order to create 5–4–1. The 5–4–1 shape was introduced by Machin in order to reduce Capa’s offensive threats and to give Sevilla more solidity in midfield.

Left forward? Effective. Behind the main striker? Great. Left midfielder? Reliable.

Another Athletic adjustment

Different from his previous placement behind the striker in the first half, Muniain was given more responsibility in the second half. He got a full license to roam in the left half-space. In the 3–4–3-ish formation, Muniain dropped next to San Jose to collect the ball and make plays for his team. When his team moved into their initial 4–2–3–1, he went higher in order to create more the final third. This gave Bilbao problems because Muniain had supreme on-ball abilities.

Muniain deep in the left half-space to create plays.

Muniain played in a higher position when his team returned to 4–2–3–1. In that position, he would combine with Williams.

Bilbao’s attacking issues

After the 60th minute, Sevilla returned to their starting shape, 5–3–2; Bilbao were still unable to exploit this. What happened?

First of all, Garitano didn’t choose to make overloads in the flank, instead, he allowed his men to occupy the central lanes. That was counterproductive since Sevilla would always have more men in the central area. His team were also very slow in distributing the ball and often neglecting an option to switch; which actually could disorganise the opponent’s defence. Even the introduction of Williams added almost zero effect.

No overloads, slow ball movements, almost-static midfielders, and neglecting the switch option. Impotent football.

Well, Bilbao did try to overload the left-hand side once; with Muniain, Williams, and Balenziaga combining. Sevilla reacted well to this, by sending, Mercado, and Amadou to prevent the ball being played into Muniain. In this case, San Jose should move forward in order to fill the space left by Amadou. If San Jose moved forward, Amadou (and Mercado) would probably stay in their position thus enabled Muniain to receive more comfortably.

San Jose should have roamed forward in this occasion in order to pin Amadou and Mercado back. Throughout the game, Bilbao’s midfielders were so defensive-minded and very rarely made any forward runs.

Conclusion

What a night for Nolito. He played in three positions throughout the night (left striker, left midfielder, attacking midfielder), scored the opening goal, and assisted the other two. His brilliance came into light especially in the second half, by playing behind the main striker. In that position, he created chaos to the home side’s defence. Definitely unplayable.

But Nolito has to give credit where it’s due. Pablo Machin showed his tactical superiority in every aspect of this game by successfully adjusting to the demands of the game. In the other side, Gaizka Garitano’s side looked clueless at times. Garitano now has a huge responsibility to bring the confidence back into his team in this already-hard season.

Onto the next one.

If you love tactical analysis, then you’ll love the digital magazines from totalfootballanalysis.com – a guaranteed 100+ pages of pure tactical analysis covering topics from the Premier League, Serie A, La Liga, Bundesliga and many, many more. Get your copy of the FIRST of two December issues for just ₤4.99 here, or the SECOND of the December issues with an annual membership right here.