How I Approached This Marsella vs Benfica Analysis
So yesterday I saw the Champions League draw and thought – damn, Marsella got a tough one against Benfica. Wondered if they even stood a chance. Grabbed my notebook and started scribbling ideas like a madman during lunch break.
First thing I did was pull up both teams’ recent games on YouTube. Watched Marsella’s last three matches twice – once just enjoying the game, second time with pen and paper noting down patterns. Saw how they kept trying fancy through balls that never worked. Then binged Benfica’s games while eating leftovers. Spilled soda on my keyboard when I noticed their defenders always step up too early.
Next morning I made a giant mess with sticky notes all over my desk. Wrote down Marsella’s strengths on green notes – their winger speed, set piece height. Benfica’s weaknesses on red notes – slow center backs, right back catching yellows. Rearranged these for like an hour until patterns clicked.
Here’s the battle plan I cooked up:
- Tell Marsella’s players to stop forcing Hollywood passes early. Make Benfica’s lumbering defenders run backwards constantly instead.
- Order wingers to sprint at Benfica’s card-happy right back immediately. Get him booked before halftime.
- Position tall Marsella players near Benfica’s tiny goalkeeper during corners. Guy can’t catch crosses to save his life.
Tried simulating this in FIFA with my nephew later. Made Marseille sit deeper first half like I planned. Kid kept shouting “boring!” until we scored two counter-attack goals in 10 minutes. He threw his controller when Benfica’s right back got red carded just like my notes predicted.
Woke up at 3AM realizing I forgot about midfield battles. Dragged myself to the kitchen table and sketched out pressing traps while eating cold pizza. Benfica’s playmaker always turns left under pressure – realized Marsella could surround him like pigeons on a breadcrumb.
Final piece came when remembering last season’s game footage. Benfica completely unravels if you score first. Told my cat “they fold like cheap lawn chairs” – she wasn’t impressed but I wrote it down anyway.
Whole process took about twelve coffees and two dead pens. But seeing that simulation work? Felt like cracking a cheat code. Still buzzing about it while typing this!
