PSG v Barcelona: How PSG Beat the Press

Hi everyone,

Our PSG v Barcelona analysis looks at how PSG adapted to Barcelona’s two pressing systems, using both their structure and individual quality to find solutions.

We explore Hakimi’s role, the positioning of the midfielders and how the front three played against a man-to-man press.

Alongside the article, there’s a full 35-minute class with David and Mikey, talking through some of the key points in more detail and what we can take from them as coaches.

It’s all together in the collection, available to all Tactx subscribers.

Explore the PSG v Barcelona collection

Good afternoon, 

Practices 9 & 10 are now in subscriber libraries from the 3v3 collection, and they round off the 2v2 scenarios.

There are now 30 practices in this collection, and we will continue adding 3v2 scenarios starting tomorrow. 

The 3v3 Game: 2v2 Practice 08 is live (Balanced structure)

Practice 08 brings a scoring twist into the 2v2.

The rules:

• White #01 plays into orange #01, who returns the ball to start the 2v2 duel

• Attackers aim to score in one of the small goals on the opposite side of the pitch: 1 point from the defensive half, 2 points from the attacking half

• Defenders aim to win the ball and score in one of the small goals on the opposite side, with the same 1 and 2 point scoring

• 2nd ball: the team that scores the first ball gets the second ball from the coach. If no goal is scored, the coach can play to any team

• Change team roles after a set time or number of rounds

It's the latest practice in The 3v3 Game, the collection we're building with Peter Prickett, and 2v2 Practices 06 and 07 are in the library if you're working through in order.

The 3v3 Game: 2v2 Practice 07 is live

Today's release takes The 3v3 Game to 27 practices.

For anyone who hasn't dug into it yet, this is the collection we've developed in partnership with Peter Prickett. It breaks the game down into its smallest actions within a maximum 3v3 model: ten 1v1 practices to start, ten 2v1s, and the 2v2s now being added day by day.

Practice 07 is in the library now, and if you're working through the series in order, the full run from 1v1 Practice 1 is there to go back to.

The 3v3 Game: Practice 06 is live (Balanced structure)

The next practice in The 3v3 Game is now in the library.

For anyone new to the series: we're building The 3v3 Game as a bigger collection, one practice at a time. It breaks the game down and develops the scenarios and coaching points players will meet within a maximum 3v3 model. Practice 06 is a 2v2 duel that keeps flipping between attack and defence.

How it works:

• The coach passes the ball to one of the teams to start the 2v2

• The attacking team aims to score in the small goal in the opposite half

• The defenders aim to win the ball and score in the opposite goal

• When a team scores, they receive the next ball and attack the opposite goal

• The next team quickly enters the pitch and defends that goal

Practices 1 to 5 are already in the library if you're catching up, and there's more to come as the collection grows.

New in the library: Attacking Transition – Retain - Recorded Class

We've won the ball. Now what?

This collection is for the regains where a counter would hand the ball straight back. Everything is built around one clear language your players can use on the pitch:

Secure: protect the ball first. Show: give immediate support. Supply: play the pass that keeps it.

Inside:

✔️ 1-hour live class recording, with real match clips broken down

✔️ 20 practices with animations, session plans and coaching talkovers, from small possession games to full transition games with goalkeepers

✔️ 60-page digital booklet. Download it and take it to training

Every practice is coached three ways: Direct. Discuss. Discover.

Tip: watch the class first, then use the booklet to pick the practices that fit your group.

New for subscribers: the Attacking Transition: Retain booklet 📘

We've just added a 60-page booklet to the Attacking Transition: Retain collection. It's free for every subscriber, and it will be sold separately later on.

What's inside:

• What a successful Retain looks like (five passes after a regain) and when to choose it over Risk

• Secure, Show and Supply: the language we use with players

• All 20 Retain practices, each with setup, dimensions and coaching tips

• An interventions page for every practice: what to say, what to ask and what to challenge, plus what to look for

• QR codes that take you straight to each practice animation

You'll find it in the Retain collection now.

We're also recording a class on this collection in the next couple of days, where we'll walk through the practices and how to coach them. 

Have a read, try a practice, and let us know how it goes in here. We'd love to see your adaptations.