Vesper

fuckkkkkkkkkkkkk handball

WE MUST BUY A WC GKer!!!!!!

thank fuck for CuCu WHAT THE FUCK was Sanchez thinking!!!!!!!

almost 2 nil

weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee sniper!!!!

white is better in the heat

no chance of that

Damian Čech, the goalkeeper son of Chelsea legend Petr Čech, signs pro contract with rival Premier League club Fulham

Chelsea must sell to register new signings for Champions League Club World Cup semi-finalists need to raise more than £60m in sales to ensure new arrivals can play in Uefa competitions after breaching body’s financial rules https://www.thetimes.com/sport/football/article/Chelsea-uefa-fine-transfers-champions-league-wn2dfwksd Chelsea are on course to hit the jackpot at the Club World Cup: their victory over Palmeiras in the quarter-final was worth £15.6million alone and took their total earnings so far to almost £60million. It is a handy windfall, particularly after Uefa inflicted its largest fine on the west London club last week — £27million unconditionally with the threat of a further £51.8million, part of a settlement agreement for breaching the body’s financial rules. Yet it is not the fines that may have a particularly punitive impact on Chelsea. Rather, it is the sporting sanction to which the club have agreed, as have Aston Villa, who were similarly sanctioned, that poses an interesting dynamic for the rest of the summer transfer window — and likely ups the pressure on selling players. Club World Cup Team Earnings Semi-finalists Chelsea are England's highest earners in the tournament. Team Participation Match Earnings Total Prize Money Real Madrid £26.2m £34.1m £60.3m Paris Saint‑Germain £22.8m £33.4m £56.2m Chelsea £21.1m £33.3m £54.4m Fluminense £11.1m £33.4m £44.5m Bayern Munich £24.5m £18m £42.5m Borussia Dortmund £19.5m £18.7m £38.2m Manchester City £27.9m £9.8m £37.7m Palmeiras £11.1m £17.9m £29m Inter Milan £17.7m £9.1m £26.8m Al Hilal £7m £18m £25m Benfica £12.7m £9.1m £21.8m Flamengo £11.1m £9.1m £20.2m Botafogo £11.1m £8.4m £19.5m Juventus £11m £8.4m £19.4m Porto £16m £1.5m £17.5m Atletico Madrid £14.4m £2.9m £17.3m Inter Miami £7m £8.4m £15.4m Monterrey £7m £8.4m £15.4m River Plate £11.1m £2.2m £13.3m Boca Juniors £11.1m £1.5m £12.5m RB Salzburg £9.3m £2.2m £11.5m Mamelodi Sundowns £7m £2.2m £9.2m Al Ahly £7m £1.5m £8.5m Al Ain £7m £1.5m £8.5m Esperance de Tunis £7m £1.5m £8.5m LAFC £7m £0.7m £7.7m Pachuca £7m £0m £7m Seattle Sounders £7m £0m £7m Ulsan HD £7m £0m £7m Urawa Red Diamonds £7m £0m £7m Wydad AC £7m £0m £7m Auckland City £2.6m £0.7m £3.3m Table: The Times and The Sunday Times Chelsea will not be able to add players to their squad for the Champions League next season unless their “List A transfer balance is positive”. That’s a requirement in place for at least two seasons. In short, it means that any spending to add to their Uefa-registered squad list must be covered by the income of outgoing players. No Club World Cup bonus can help with that. Chelsea have a lot of players still to register, having signed Liam Delap, João Pedro and Jamie Gittens, while Estêvão Willian, Dario Essugo, Andrey Santos, Mamadou Sarr and Mike Penders — should they not go on loan — may also need to be added. On Friday Enzo Maresca, the Chelsea head coach, said it was not something “he had paid attention to”. But that may not be so easy. Chelsea’s “List A” refers to the last squad they registered with Uefa, which was delivered in February for the knockout phase of the Conference League. Crucially, that means Romeo Lavia and Wesley Fofana will need to be registered too, as they were not on that List A. They, along with new signings, will add costs to the incoming column. The cost of registering a new signing takes into account the salary and amortised transfer fee. So Delap’s £30million signing, spread over his five-year contract, amounts to £6million for this year. Uefa does not accept contract lengths of more than five years, which it limited back in 2023. A rough calculation of amortised transfer fees alone, not including salary costs, suggests Chelsea may need to find north of £60million to register all the players mentioned above and achieve Uefa’s “positive balance” requirement. Notwithstanding any new deals for players like Fofana or Lavia, which could bring their amortised transfer fee numbers down, the pressure turns to sales. Fortunately for Chelsea, it appears outgoings do not have to be solely from last season’s List A. Those that were left out of Chelsea’s Club World Cup squad and are due back in training at Cobham from Monday — including João Félix, Raheem Sterling, Ben Chilwell, Renato Veiga and Axel Disasi — can count towards improving their transfer balance. They can be added to List A before the September 2 submission deadline and thus income from their sales will count. It is only if Chelsea’s overall transfer balance is negative after the list is submitted that new players could be prevented from registering. But moving unwanted players for permanent sums can be troublesome, as Chelsea know well. So others may fall into the picture. Christopher Nkunku’s future is already uncertain, and he is expected to court offers this summer. Noni Madueke, meanwhile, who has been one of Maresca’s better performers and an important player en route to Champions League qualification last season, will not see the club stand in his way should he want to leave, amid interest from Arsenal. “Noni has been very important for us during this season,” Maresca said. “But my message to the players and to the club is that I want just players that are happy to be with us. The ones that are not happy, they are free to go. It’s not for Noni, it’s for all the players we have.” Another key performer during the second half of last season is the new England international Trevoh Chalobah, and an exit for him cannot be ruled out either, despite some high praise from Maresca. “All the players that are here with us, I don’t want to lose them,” Maresca said last week. “We made the Champions League and that’s also because of Trevoh. He helped us a lot. We are happy with him. Unfortunately, when the window is open, anything can happen.” Chelsea sources remain confident that they will not be adversely affected by this settlement agreement. They stress they are not forced to sell players like Madueke — unless they want to go — and are not concerned about registering players for the Champions League. Indeed, they have not ruled out further moves in the window either. West Ham United’s Mohamed Kudus is of particular interest and should Madueke go, a move for the Ghanaian is set to become more likely. “He is not our player, so I cannot say anything,” Maresca said. “The only thing is I have known about Kudus since he was in Ajax.” Unsurprisingly, though, it is very clear that sales will need to precede any other business.

selling player after player after player for around a third to 2/5ths of the buy price (and only 1 to 3 years after buying them) would quickly put us in 'banned from UEFA comps for FFP rupture' territory we have a tiny, massively outdated stadium, and will not have increased revenue streams from a new one for likely 8 to 10 years, so there is no magic bullet coming from that area

Nicolas Jackson wants to stay and fight for his place at Chelsea despite intense competition https://sportsview.co.uk/2025/07/nicolas-jackson-wants-to-stay-and-fight-for-his-place-at-Chelsea-despite-intense-competition Chelsea striker Nicolas Jackson is willing to stay and fight for his place despite being linked with a move away from the club. There have been talks of interest in the 24-year-old after Chelsea signed Liam Delap and Joao Pedro to compete for his starting berth. According to journalist Rahman Osman, “Jackson doesn’t want to leave Chelsea this summer. His aim is to put the last few games behind him and get back to his best form. “He’s taken on board all the criticism and competition. He sees it all as a call to improve.” It did not help that the Senegal international had a dreadful end to the campaign. An awful scoring drought tainted a decent start before he picked up two red cards late in the season, making matters worse. Chelsea fans will be hoping that Jackson can rediscover his best form. On his day, he is a dangerous attacker and a key player for Chelsea. Former manager Mauricio Pochettino said he has the potential to be a ‘fantastic striker’. Chelsea could consider giving Jackson some playing time on the left wing. He has the skill set to deliver out wide and could shine there, rather than the club paying to sign another attacker. Despite adding Jamie Bynoe-Gittens to the ranks, there continues to be noise around Chelsea signing another winger, but they need to tighten their belt. Chelsea must focus on trimming their incredibly bloated squad, especially after being sanctioned by UEFA for breaching financial rules. The Blues are reportedly required to sell before registering players for next season. Noni Madueke is a candidate to leave the club, and Arsenal are preparing an offer. The Blues already have Estevao Willian waiting in the wings to replace him.

in a vacuum, sure BUT we dropped an inflation-adjusted £40m on the rotter, so it will be a substantial loss (almost 40 per cent when directly comparing the buy price to the sale price). Amortisation (for only 2 years) aside, that is a bad business model in action.

£10m less is significant as it will effect all the rest of our sales if we start dumping at desperation sales prices especially if you look at in in terms of euros (it is around €12m less) as we are selling some players to mainland euro zone clubs

we paid £38.5m for that piece of dogshit (£40m with inflation of the last 2 years) and now we are going to get only around £25m for the turd 🤬 fuck off BlueCo (for the original buy)

Romano: Galatasaray will approach Napoli again for Victor Osimehn with new proposal after €60m turned down. The agreement with Osimhen is done until June 2028 but Napoli want more than €60m and also with better payment terms. €60m is around £51.5m so they would very likely take £60m (€70m) with decent terms pretty crazy that for only £5m more that Elanga cost you can buy Osimhen

Arse would be quoting us at least £60 to £65m if the roles were reversed especially as Noni is both HG AND an English Sr National team member

Elanga valued at £36m goes for £55m Noni valued at £34.5m only £1.5m less and they are almost the exact same age and Noni has almost double the goals in 127 less minutes what will we get for him?

FUCK AC Milan those cheap fucking game-playing Italian fucks coming in with a lowball bid like that

Jamie Gittens to Chelsea: Transfers TLDR https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6461153/2025/07/07/jamie-gittens-to-Chelsea-transfers-tldr/ Chelsea confirmed the signing of Jamie Gittens from Borussia Dortmund for a fee of £48.5million with a potential £3.5m in add-ons over the weekend. The 20-year-old has signed a seven-year contract at Stamford Bridge. As part of this summer’s transfer coverage on The Athletic, in addition to breaking news, tactical analysis and in-depth reads, our Transfers TLDR series (you can read them all here) will bring you a quick guide to each of the key deals. Give me their backstory in 100 words… A former member of Manchester City’s academy, Gittens moved to Dortmund in 2020 in the midst of the pandemic. He made his debut the next season, but a succession of untimely injuries stymied his progress, meaning he was unable to establish himself until the 2023-24 season. Initially, that was as a difference-making substitute under Edin Terzic, who used him to break games open and target isolated full-backs, but Gittens became much more of a focal point in the first half of Dortmund’s campaign last season, providing nearly all the thrust down the left side before fatigue and Nuri Sahin’s departure as coach slowed his progress. Seb Stafford-Bloor Gittens with Sahin in August 2024 (Stuart Franklin/Getty Images) What should and shouldn’t I expect to see? Perhaps a slow start? Gittens’ game is built on speed and skill, but also confidence, and he was short of that towards the end of his time at Dortmund. Niko Kovac changed the team’s formation, moving away from using wingers, meaning Gittens’ minutes on the pitch tended to occur in unfamiliar roles. It showed, too, in tentative displays and a lack of rhythm. But, when fully confident, he is a counter-attacking threat, but also capable of disrupting a low-block through the speed of his footwork and capacity to get shots off under pressure. He’s good in space, but he doesn’t necessarily need it to be effective. Defending? A work in progress. He does not contribute a lot without the ball and that’s an area that will have to improve. It will come with more experience, though. Seb Stafford-Bloor What You Should Read Next Jamie Gittens will fill a left-wing gap for Chelsea and is one of Europe’s most direct dribblers Analysis of what the England Under-21 international will bring to Stamford Bridge How will they fit tactically? Noni Madueke and Pedro Neto are currently Chelsea’s only reliable wingers. Jadon Sancho has departed, Mykhailo Mudryk is still suspended, and Geovany Quenda is only 17. In that context, Gittens is a necessary addition. The 20-year-old is a front-footed winger who enjoys one-on-one duels. His 9.3 take-ons per 90 was the highest among wide players in the Bundesliga last season. A success rate of 45 per cent at such a high volume is testament to his dribbling ability. Gittens’ acceleration and trickery, along with his comfort with the ball at either foot, make him a difficult assignment. He is a threat in transition, but fitting into Enzo Maresca’s more measured style and Chelsea’s pressing scheme will take time. Gittens’ eight Bundesliga goals last season hinted that his final product is improving, too. Anantaajith Raghuraman What’s their injury record? In his teenage years, injuries were a significant issue for Gittens. Torn ankle ligaments kept him sidelined for around four months in the late summer and autumn of 2021 before persistent shoulder issues kept him out for four different spells, two of which were lengthy, in 2022 and 2023. Since then, he has not missed any football due to injuries, sitting out just a few days of training last season due to a minor knock. Steve Madeley Someone who knows him says… “His development is great,” Lars Ricken, Dortmund’s chief executive for sport, told The Athletic in October 2024. “When we signed him, it was really a cooperation between our scouting, professional and youth departments. He perhaps wasn’t on the level of someone like Jadon Sancho, but we said, ‘OK, we can develop him into a great player’. “I think he made his debut under Marco Rose (in April 2022), but since then it’s been great development.” Steve Madeley What do we know about the finances of the deal? Gittens has joined Chelsea on a seven-year deal, signing up for life at Stamford Bridge until June 2032. Chelsea have paid Borussia Dortmund an initial £48.5m for Gittens, who leaves Germany five years after joining Dortmund from Manchester City’s youth setup. A further £3.5m could be due in future add-ons. Chris Weatherspoon What impact will this have on both clubs’ PSR calculation? Assuming agent fees of 10 per cent on the transfer plus associated levies, Gittens’ signing will add £11.1m in amortisation costs to Chelsea’s annual expenses, at least in terms of profit and sustainability calculations, up to the end of the 2029-30 season. While Gittens has signed a seven-year deal with his new side, both Premier League and UEFA regulations dictate clubs can only amortise transfer fees over a maximum of five years. There’ll therefore be a disconnect between Gittens’ annual cost in Chelsea’s PSR calculation against their publicly disclosed accounts. In the latter, Gittens’ fee will be amortised at a rate of £7.9m annually over seven years – £3.2m less than the annual PSR cost. Gittens’ wage is unknown, but with a seven-year contract inked, it’s clear the total cost to Chelsea of buying and keeping him will stretch some way beyond the estimated £55.3m in initial fees spent. For Dortmund, acquiring Gittens at a young age from City’s academy means they’re able to bank just about all of the £48.5m fee as profit in 2025-26. Owing to his age when he departed City, no sell-on clause was possible in respect of Gittens either, so Dortmund retain all of the fee, with one small exception. Gittens completing an international transfer means five per cent of the fee paid by Chelsea, or £2.4m, is distributed as a solidarity payment to those clubs with a hand in his development up to the age of 23. The catch here is Gittens is still only 20, so Dortmund also retain a majority of that sum. The Athletic estimates Gittens’ youth spells at Reading and Manchester City entitle the pair to around £0.4m each. Dortmund, by extension, will bank just shy of £48m profit on the sale. Chris Weatherspoon

The improvements in Noni Madueke’s game that have attracted Arsenal https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6470817/2025/07/06/arsenal-noni-madueke-tactical-profile/ One thing Arsenal might have learnt from 2024-25 is the value of having options to choose from. Last season the club’s Premier League and Champions League chances were impacted by unfortunate injuries, which left them short of replacements at key moments. More game time for a selected group of players increased their physical load, and by the end of the season there were moments when Mikel Arteta’s side looked fatigued. Load management is another area where having a stronger squad has its benefits. It allows you to rest your star players without dropping the overall level of the team. Currently, Arsenal are looking at different profiles for a more versatile attacking player, with Eberechi Eze, Morgan Rogers and Noni Madueke all in the mix. Rogers’ and Eze’s profiles have common characteristics, but Madueke is more of a winger who operates better near the touchline. It is with Madueke that the club have agreed personal terms, as reported by The Athletic, and here is what may make him appealing to Arsenal. (Mike Hewitt/Getty Images) Let’s start with Madueke’s obvious strengths. The 23-year-old is a direct dribbler who thrives in one-versus-one situations and is able to play on either flank, with the majority of his minutes coming down the right wing. Arsenal’s focus on attacking those areas plays to Madueke’s profile, and his ability out wide would offer Arteta an additional option, and the chance to rest Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli more often. Madueke’s dribbling is the most eye-catching part of his game, with his speed and ability to go both ways being vital. Last season, 33 per cent of his total carries in the Premier League were progressive, defined as carries greater than five metres and move the ball at least five metres towards the opposition goal — only Jeremy Doku (38 per cent) had a higher share among players who played at least 900 minutes. Madueke is able to drive at defenders while controlling the ball close to him and pushing it forward at the right moment, as in this example from Chelsea’s 2-2 draw against Bournemouth. His other dribbling option in the wide areas is taking the defender on the outside, as illustrated in his carries map below. Down the right flank, Madueke’s dribbling on the outside theoretically puts him on his weaker foot, but his ability to use his right foot to strike at goal or pick one of his team-mates is actually one of his strengths. Here, against Nottingham Forest in October, Murillo decides to force Madueke to dribble outside, something the right winger is more than happy to do. Madueke drives past the Forest centre-back, before playing the cutback with his right foot to Cole Palmer. Another feature of Madueke’s game is his ability to create shooting situations for himself. The fact that he is able to shoot with either foot from different angles makes him unpredictable, and that is complemented by his talent in opening up shooting angles by taking small touches of the ball. In this example, from the 3-2 victory against Luton Town in December 2023, Madueke is in a one-versus-two situation with Malo Gusto’s late run providing support. Alfie Doughty’s position prevents Madueke from setting up a left-footed shot, but Gusto’s run grabs the attention of Amari’i Bell, and the right winger capitalises. Madueke brings the ball onto his right foot… … and strikes it from a narrow angle, with Bell trying to close the space between himself and Doughty. The fact that Madueke can dribble in both directions and shoot with either foot affects the defender’s body shape, giving the winger a fraction-of-a-second advantage if he takes the correct touch. Here, in the same match against Forest, Alex Moreno is in a neutral body shape to be able to defend both directions… … but Madueke realises the space is inside and dribbles towards that area as Forest’s left-back adjusts his shape. The weight of Madueke’s second touch creates enough separation from Moreno, and opens up the shooting angle, allowing Chelsea’s right winger to score the equaliser. Last season, Madueke got into better shooting situations compared with his first full season in the Premier League, scoring seven goals to help Chelsea finish in fourth place. The winger’s 0.42 non-penalty expected goals (xG) per 90 was more than double his rate in 2023-24, while the average quality of his shots also improved. The defensive aspect of the game is something Madueke has been working on in recent seasons. “I feel like a lot of my improvement is coming and needs to come on the defensive side,” he told Chelsea’s official channels last year. “I feel like I am strong on the offensive side of the game. I just (need to) keep chipping away at those weaknesses and try and make them strengths.” Throughout 2024-25, Madueke’s hard work helped Chelsea when they didn’t have the ball, especially in the pressing phase. The right winger has a strong understanding of how to curve his runs to block passing lanes and knows the right moment to pounce on the defender. In this example, from the 1-0 victory against Everton in April, Madueke is defending the left side as Nicolas Jackson presses Jake O’Brien. Initially, Madueke’s closed body shape indicates that he is anticipating a pass towards Everton’s right-back, Nathan Patterson… … but when he feels that O’Brien may play the ball through the lines, he slightly opens his body to be ready for that pass. Everton’s right centre-back plays the ball to Patterson and Madueke moves in his direction… … but once the right-back takes a heavy touch that forces him inside the pitch, Chelsea’s left winger arcs his run to block the in-field passing lane because that is the only available option. Under pressure, Patterson dribbles backwards and Madueke harries him, eventually winning possession. Arsenal’s interest in Madueke makes sense considering how Arteta’s team likes to attack and the importance of their out-of-possession phases. Madueke’s directness and ability to create shooting situations are skills that suit Arsenal, while his finishing and improved crossing are areas that can be developed. Out of possession, his explosiveness and understanding of pressing roles fit Arsenal’s strengths and may explain part of his appeal. Having Madueke alongside Saka, Martinelli, Leandro Trossard and Ethan Nwaneri would bolster Arsenal’s options in the wide areas, and prevent the forward line from being stretched, either because of injuries or sheer physical load.

Jamal Musiala set for at least four months out with fractured fibula https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6475892/2025/07/06/jamal-musiala-injury-bayern-munich/ Bayern Munich playmaker Jamal Musiala is set to be sidelined for at least four months with a fractured fibula suffered at the Club World Cup. The Germany international sustained the injury in Bayern’s quarter-final defeat to Paris Saint-Germain on Saturday just before half time, following a collision with Gianluigi Donnarumma. Musiala rolled off the pitch and received treatment before the half ended, and was then replaced by Serge Gnabry for the second half. The 22-year-old is returning to Munich on Sunday to undergo surgery and it is anticipated he will be unavailable for Vincent Kompany’s side until November at the earliest. What You Should Read Next Jamal Musiala’s horrific ankle injury: The impact, Bayern Munich’s reaction and what happens now Some in Bayern Munich ranks harshly pointed the finger at Gianluigi Donnarumma for the challenge that left the youngster seriously injured The fibula (calf bone) is located on the outer side of the lower leg, extending from below the knee down to the ankle. It is the smaller of the two bones in the lower leg, with the the tibia (shinbone) the weight-carrying bone in the lower leg. Donnarumma was criticised by Bayern goalkeeper Manuel Neuer for his role in the incident, who said his opposite number was “taking a risk” by the manner in which he went into the challenge. Italy international Donnarumma later posted his well wishes to Musiala on social media. https://www.instagram.com/p/DLvNToJotW4/ Bayern coach Kompany said in his post-match news conference he has “rarely been so angry” as he was at half-time, but he did not suggest this anger was directed at Donnarumma. He had earlier said the collision was an “accident”. Bayern board member for sport Max Eberl described Musiala’s injury and absence as “a real shock for Jamal and all of us.” “Everyone knows how immensely important Jamal is for our game and what a central role he has for our team,” said Eberl. “In addition, the human significance is enormously difficult, we all feel for him: Jamal has just recovered from an injury and will now be missing for a long time again. “He will get everything he needs from us. We will accompany him and be at his side and are already looking forward to him back on the field.” Musiala missed the final two months of the 2024-25 season with a hamstring injury, which caused him to miss his side’s Champions League quarter-final defeat to Inter. The former Chelsea youth player, who signed a new contract at Bayern in February, had returned for Bayern’s Club World Cup opener against Auckland City FC, in which he scored a hat-trick after being brought on as a substitute.

Real Madrid are using Valverde to protect Alexander-Arnold – how will that go against PSG? https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6476803/2025/07/07/alexander-arnold-valverde-real-madrid-psg/ As Xabi Alonso imposes his tactical ideas on Real Madrid, there have been compelling, subtle tweaks across the tournament. That continued as Madrid defeated Dortmund 3-2 at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, with a fluid, adaptable shape that shifted when Alonso’s side were in and out of possession. Given their difficulties with ball progression against Juventus, Alonso returned to a back-four system in possession, with Aurelien Tchouameni starting in his familiar midfield position rather than the central defender in a back three. This meant that Madrid were able to shift the ball laterally and vertically to threaten Dortmund’s shape. While Arda Guler would occasionally drop between Madrid’s centre-backs or into a left-back position to allow Fran Garcia to stay high and wide, the below example was a typical structure from which they built. How Madrid looked out of possession is where things looked interesting. New signings Trent Alexander-Arnold and Dean Huijsen have assimilated well into the back line, and Alonso has expressed his satisfaction of the team’s chemistry within the early weeks. Madrid are the only side not to have fallen behind in a game across all Club World Cup teams. With Alexander-Arnold not particularly known for his one-v-one defending, Alonso has put structural tweaks in place to mitigate against any vulnerabilities, via Federico Valverde. The Uruguay international has deputised at right-back on many occasions for Madrid, but his discipline to protect Alexander-Arnold on Madrid’s right was a notable theme of the game against Dortmund. As ever, Valverde was everywhere — bringing safety on the ball, pushing forward, and catalysing Madrid’s attack when needed. Off the ball, he was often playing as a wing-back. With Dortmund’s Karim Adeyemi drifting towards the touchline, Alonso was acutely aware of the threat that the pacy 23-year-old could offer — particularly when supported by wing-back Daniel Svensson. Valverde was tasked with dropping in and forming a back five out of possession. Sometimes this would mean Alexander-Arnold taking a narrow position — almost as the right centre-back — across Madrid’s back line… …but on other occasions, the England international returned to his wider position to track Adeyemi, with Valverde tucking in to close any gaps Dortmund could exploit and stay goalside of any runners in behind. Such was the tactical intelligence from Alonso’s players, that the back five would be retained even if the configuration of players themselves were different. After 23 minutes, when Antonio Rudiger was pulled into a wide position, Alexander-Arnold tucked in, Huijsen shuffled across, and Tchouameni was the one to drop into the defensive line to ensure that those gaps remained filled. There were countless other examples, but another benefit of this situational back five is that it allows centre-backs Huijsen and Rudiger — both of whom are front-footed in their defensive style — to jump out and snuff attacks at source, knowing they have the protection of their team-mates to shuffle across. When he is not deputising as a right-back, Valverde has been known for supporting Dani Carvajal defensively under Carlo Ancelotti — but the extent to which Valverde was dropping into the back line has been notable under Alonso. A perfect example of Alexander-Arnold and Valverde dovetailing is shown in the second half. As Alexander-Arnold steps forward to engage with left wing-back Svensson, Valverde steps back to cover the space and shut out Felix Nmecha’s underlapping run. A pulley system that will please Alonso as much as their finishing and shot-stopping. “It has been a tactical tweak that we wanted,” Alonso told The Athletic after the Dortmund game. “He had to decide when he was dropping and when he was pressing a little bit higher, but we know with Fede that he is such a complete player that he gives you whatever you need, and we use him in different tasks. So when Trent was tired, we used him as a right-back. I’m really happy to train him, and he is a top player for us.” So, why is this so relevant? Well, Alexander-Arnold and Valverde have the unenviable task of shutting down Europe’s most threatening left-sided attacks on Wednesday against Paris Saint-Germain in the semi-final. The skills of Khvicha Kvaratskhelia are one thing, but the underlapping runs from supporting team-mates means that Madrid will have to be particularly switched on in wide areas. It might be the direct running of left-back Nuno Mendes, any one of PSG’s forward line, or a supporting midfielder — typically Fabian Ruiz — but Luis Enrique’s side have a knack for pulling players out of position. In their quarter-final with Bayern Munich, it was Desire Doue’s run that Kvaratskhelia found in the disorganised back line of Vincent Kompany’s team. Doue’s subsequent cutback to the edge of the area found Ruiz in space, and a better finish would have seen PSG punish Bayern midway through the first half. Even when that run is not found, it is still threatening as a decoy. The best example of this comes from PSG’s last-16 match against Inter Miami with another penetrative underlapping run from Doue. This time, Kvaratskhelia cuts inside and drives straight towards the goal with no Miami player able to get near to him without making a foul. While you might point to poor defending above, the speed, conviction and fluidity with which PSG drag opposition defenders away to create space is attacking play of the highest level. For Madrid fans, the good news is that flexibility and fluidity is starting to show under Alonso, in and out of possession. Wednesday’s match will be the biggest test of that under their new head coach. If Madrid are going to shut down PSG’s threat on the left, they will need to combine Alexander-Arnold and Valverde to great effect again.