Athletic Club — opposition report

La Liga 2026/27 · 9 matches (2026-08-22 to 2026-10-25) · W3 D3 L3 · goals 12–9 · npxG 12.0–8.7 · WhoScored event data, every sequence rebuilt from the raw feed

Early season: built from 9 league matches. League ranks and splits move a lot at this stage — read them as provisional, and lean on the clips.

The short version

Build-up runs through Unai Simón (24% of touches), Aymeric Laporte (16% of touches), Aitor Paredes (9% of touches), Yuri Berchiche (8% of touches) -- the goalkeeper is a real part of it.
On the right, Jesús Areso gives the width in the final third (8% in from the touchline) and Robert Navarro plays inside him (29%) -- the full-back overlaps, the winger comes in.
On the left, Yuri Berchiche gives the width in the final third (17% in from the touchline) and Nico Williams plays inside him (21%) -- the full-back overlaps, the winger comes in.
Out of possession: 29 defensive actions a match in the opponent's final 40%. Opponents got out of their build-up into the next third 48% of the time (204 build-ups).
After losing the ball they are most exposed down their right: 42% of the xG they concede there, against 29% of their own attacking xG.
Turnovers the opponent turned into a fast attack: 16%: 2nd lowest of 20 in La Liga (league median 24%).

How to beat themgame plan

Each line is generated from a finding that cleared its evidence bar; nothing here is a generic coaching point. The grey line says what it rests on; the button opens the sequences.

Beating their press

Copy the sides that escaped it: Barcelona got out 86% (long on 7%), Atletico got out 63% (long on 21%).
Average escape rate against them is 48%.

Transitions

When you win it, go down their right side immediately.
42% of the xG they concede after losing the ball comes down their right side (44 attacks, 6 shots), against 29% of their own attacking xG through that channel.

Where to press

Let the ball go to Unai Simón and press him when he receives.
Build-up exits made by Unai Simón: the build-up carried on cleanly 50% of the time, vs 82% through anyone else (36 times).

Set pieces

Avoid conceding corners; mark Aymeric Laporte first.
30% of their corners end in a shot; first contacts: Aymeric Laporte (4), Yeray Álvarez (3), Iñigo Ruiz de Galarreta (2).

Shape and structurein possession, by phase

Where each player takes the ball in each phase of their possession, and who passes to whom. Event data has no off-ball positions, so this is the shape of their touches — the standard event-data proxy. A phase is defined by where the ball is, so the dots sit inside that phase's third (shaded): read the order and the width, not the depth of each line. Athletic Club attack left to right.

attacking → · shaded = the build-up zone

Most involved

Unai Simón52% of build-up phases
Aymeric Laporte34% of build-up phases
Aitor Paredes18% of build-up phases
Yeray Álvarez17% of build-up phases

Main connections

Aymeric Laporte → Unai Simón47
Unai Simón → Aymeric Laporte40
Aitor Paredes → Unai Simón29
Unai Simón → Yeray Álvarez24
Unai Simón → Aitor Paredes22
Aymeric Laporte → Yeray Álvarez22

458 build-up phases. Dot = the median spot of a player's touches in this phase; size = share of touches; lines = consecutive touches between two players.

Build-up runs through Unai Simón (24% of touches), Aymeric Laporte (16% of touches), Aitor Paredes (9% of touches), Yuri Berchiche (8% of touches) -- the goalkeeper is a real part of it.
Iñigo Ruiz de Galarreta drops level with the centre-backs to receive (median build-up touch x=28 vs centre-backs x=26).
Hugo Rincón plays inside in build-up -- an inverted full-back.
On the right, Jesús Areso gives the width in the final third (8% in from the touchline) and Robert Navarro plays inside him (29%) -- the full-back overlaps, the winger comes in.
On the left, Yuri Berchiche gives the width in the final third (17% in from the touchline) and Nico Williams plays inside him (21%) -- the full-back overlaps, the winger comes in.

Their pressout of possession

29defensive actions per match in the opponent's final 40%

48%of opponent build-ups got out into the next third

3.9high regains per match

26%of those regains led to a shot

Who presses

Álex Berenguer24
Nico Williams24
Iñaki Williams22
Beñat Gerenabarrena19
Iñigo Ruiz de Galarreta19
Oihan Sancet16

Tackles, interceptions, recoveries, blocks, challenges and fouls in the opponent's final 40%.

Every ball won in the opponent's third, by source

213 in the window. The press on a build-up = the first two rows: 30 (3.3 a match).

source	times	share	per match	shot
press: settled build-up taken off them	29	14%	3.2	17%
press: their restart forced into an error before they settled	1	0%	0.1	0%
counter-press: won straight back after losing it	14	7%	1.6	7%
second ball: the opponent touched it but never controlled it	169	79%	18.8	24%
↳ rebound after their own shot (saved or blocked)	17	8%	1.9	41%
↳ their cross / ball into the box, cleared	73	34%	8.1	30%
↳ their long ball, only headed or touched away	11	5%	1.2	9%
↳ after their own throw-in / set piece	15	7%	1.7	7%
↳ loose ball in their combination play (pass blocked or tackled)	53	25%	5.9	19%

What triggers a regain

opponent was	share	league	rank
passing forward	34%	25%	2 / 20
dribbling or a loose touch	20%	27%	17 / 20
passing to a full-back	17%	16%	8 / 20
passing sideways	14%	5%	2 / 20
going long	9%	12%	14 / 20
passing back	3%	0%	4 / 20
passing to the keeper	0%	2%	13 / 20
a loose ball	0%	0%	1 / 20
taking a throw-in	0%	2%	12 / 20

Who got out, and how

The opponents who went long most (42% of build-ups) got out 35% of the time; those who mostly played short (20% long) got out 59%. That is a real difference (p=0.0464).

Best escapes: Barcelona 86%; Atletico 63%; Celta Vigo 55%. One dot per match; hover for the opponent.

Transitions

When they win it

12.6fast attacks per match (counters, high transitions, high ball-wins)

19%end in a shot

Most often started by Beñat Gerenabarrena (11), Álex Berenguer (11), Yuri Berchiche (11), Peio Canales (10).

Counter-press: losing it, by where

lost in	losses	won back within 5s	led to a shot
own third	26	31%	15%
midfield	180	31%	2%
final third	396	27%	1%

When they lose it — where the damage comes

11.6 opponent attacks per match after winning the ball in open play that broke forward fast or reached the final third. Shading and % = share of the xG they produced, by the channel they used. Athletic Club's goal is on the left. Central attacks carry more xG for every team, so compare with Athletic Club's own attacking xG in the same kind of channel (centre, or the average flank): right 42% conceded vs 29% own, left 38% conceded vs 29% own, centre 20% conceded vs 42% own.

Right

Left

Centre

Transition types

Every real turnover, named by the situation it came from. "Fast" = the side with the ball reached the final third within 10 seconds. Only real turnovers appear here: for everything the press wins high, including restarts it forced into an error, see "Every ball won in the opponent’s third" in the press section.

When they win the ball

type	times	share	fast	shot	xG
Won high from a settled build-up (press)	29	5%lg 5%	34%	14%lg 12%	0.2
Won after their long possession (10+ passes)	58	9%lg 12%	17%	0%lg 4%	0.0
Won straight back after losing it (counter-press)	76	12%lg 11%	41%	7%lg 9%	0.2
Won by stopping their counter	23	4%lg 4%	17%	4%lg 3%	0.1
Won in midfield	180	29%lg 24%	39%	8%lg 7%	1.8
Won deep in own third	231	37%lg 39%	16%	3%lg 3%	0.5
Won from their set piece	23	4%lg 5%	26%	4%lg 3%	0.1

When they lose the ball

type	times	share	opponent fast	shot against	xG
Lost in own build-up under pressure	21	3%lg 5%	33%	19%lg 12%	0.2
Lost after own long possession (10+ passes)	85	12%lg 11%	9%	0%lg 4%	0.0
Lost straight after winning it	59	9%lg 12%	29%	12%lg 9%	0.5
Lost during own counter	34	5%lg 4%	9%	0%lg 3%	0.0
Lost in midfield	149	22%lg 25%	23%	5%lg 6%	0.5
Lost in the final third (attack broke down)	301	44%lg 37%	11%	2%lg 3%	1.1
Lost from own set piece	38	6%lg 5%	16%	11%lg 4%	0.3

Possessions and turnovers in detailsub-categories

Every controlled possession is typed by how it was played, and every real turnover (a possession that was established and then lost) by what the losing side was doing, how it lost the ball and what the winner did next. "Settled" = sustained or worked possessions; "unsettled" = short, second-ball, counter and direct possessions.

16%of their turnovers the opponent turns into a fast attack · league 24%

52%Lost balls the opponent can’t keep · league 49%

3%of balls lost from settled possession lead to a shot against · league 4%

5%of balls lost from unsettled possession lead to a shot against · league 5%

27%of the balls they win become a fast attack · league 23%

5%of the balls they win produce a shot · league 5%

How they play their possessions (830 controlled open-play possessions)

type	times	share	ended in a shot	avg passes
sustained circulation (10+ passes)	111	13%lg 13%	12%lg 13%	13.6
worked possession (4-9 passes)	253	30%lg 27%	11%lg 10%	6.1
direct attack	104	13%lg 13%	3%lg 2%	1.7
short possession (0-3 passes)	142	17%lg 23%	3%	1.7

When they lose the ball (687 turnovers) — their rest defence

the side losing it was in…	times	fast attack	secured	lost straight back	can’t keep it	shot	xG	how it was lost
sustained circulation (10+ passes)	85	9%	11%	21%	49%	0%	0.0	pass cut out 45, failed dribble 13
worked possession (4-9 passes)	187	15%	12%	12%	50%	4%	1.3	pass cut out 114, bad touch 27
direct attack	86	17%	16%	5%	57%	1%	0.0	pass cut out 40, long ball lost 34
short possession (0-3 passes)	122	20%	12%	5%	58%	9%	0.6	pass cut out 58, long ball lost 24
second-ball possession	126	17%	17%	9%	46%	3%	0.2	pass cut out 70, long ball lost 23
counter / fast transition	43	9%	12%	14%	56%	2%	0.1	pass cut out 24, bad touch 8
set piece	38	16%	13%	16%	47%	11%	0.3	pass cut out 19, bad touch 8

How they lose it

mechanism	times	share	led to a shot against
pass cut out	370	54%lg 48%	3%
long ball lost	129	19%lg 23%	3%
bad touch	92	13%lg 14%	7%
failed dribble	55	8%lg 7%	2%
tackled / dispossessed	34	5%lg 6%	9%

When they win the ball (620 turnovers) — what they do with it

the opponent was in…	times	fast attack	secured	lost straight back	can’t keep it	shot	xG	how it was lost
sustained circulation (10+ passes)	59	17%	10%	10%	61%	0%	0.0	pass cut out 35, long ball lost 15
worked possession (4-9 passes)	165	18%	12%	10%	52%	6%	0.7	pass cut out 82, long ball lost 38
direct attack	99	41%	19%	6%	25%	5%	0.4	pass cut out 43, long ball lost 42
short possession (0-3 passes)	146	36%	12%	9%	43%	6%	1.0	pass cut out 64, long ball lost 35
second-ball possession	102	23%	12%	4%	55%	6%	0.6	pass cut out 47, long ball lost 22
counter / fast transition	26	23%	12%	8%	50%	4%	0.1	pass cut out 14, bad touch 5
set piece	23	26%	13%	4%	43%	4%	0.1	pass cut out 16, long ball lost 6

Fast attack = their final third or box reached within 10s. Secured = kept 10s+ or 4+ passes. Lost straight back = controlled, then lost within 5s. Can’t keep it = won the ball but never got it under control (cleared it, headed it away, blocked it or lost it at once).

Phase by phase: the typessub-categories

Each phase split into the situations it is made of, every row with its league median and clips. Shots are their own category: a possession that ends in a shot has finished, it has not lost the ball.

Build-up: how it starts and how it gets out (191 build-ups)

type	times	share	got out	reached the box	lost in build-up	shot
from the keeper / goal kick, played out short	35	18%lg 18%	97%	17%	6%	3%
from the keeper / goal kick, went long (bypass)	24	13%lg 11%	50%	4%	38%	0%
from the keeper / goal kick, stuck / recycled	13	7%	0%	8%	15%	8%
from the back line, played out short	22	12%lg 10%	82%	45%	14%	9%
from the back line, went long (bypass)	11	6%lg 5%	55%	9%	36%	0%
from a throw-in, played out short	11	6%lg 5%	73%	27%	27%	18%
from a throw-in, went long (bypass)	5	3%lg 3%	40%	0%	40%	0%
straight after winning it, played out short	31	16%lg 17%	84%	32%	10%	6%
straight after winning it, went long (bypass)	14	7%lg 10%	43%	7%	50%	7%
straight after winning it, stuck / recycled	18	9%	0%	6%	44%	6%

Their press: what happens to every opponent build-up (228)

outcome	times	share	opponent shot
won it high	21	9%lg 9%	0%
forced long, then won it back	50	22%lg 23%	0%
forced long, they kept it	16	7%lg 5%	12%
they played through short	80	35%lg 37%	11%
kept them stuck (recycled back)	61	27%lg 26%	8%

Won high = the ball won in the opponent's own third. Forced long = the opponent left its third with a long ball (then either lost it in that possession, or kept it).

Chance creation: what created their shots

created by	shots	share of open play	xG	xG per shot	goals
cross	11	12%lg 6%	1.1	0.10lg 0.11	0
cutback	8	9%lg 7%	0.6	0.08lg 0.10	0
through ball	3	3%lg 4%	0.6	0.19lg 0.25	1
short pass / combination	44	47%lg 54%	4.5	0.10lg 0.08	4
long ball	6	6%lg 4%	0.3	0.06lg 0.07	0
individual (dribble / self-made)	10	11%lg 12%	0.9	0.09lg 0.08	0
rebound / second ball	11	12%lg 8%	1.2	0.11lg 0.08	2
corner (set piece)	24	–	1.9	0.08	2
free kick (indirect) (set piece)	7	–	0.4	0.05	1
direct free kick (set piece)	2	–	0.0	0.02	1
throw-in (set piece)	7	–	0.4	0.05	0
penalty (set piece)	2	–	1.6	0.79	1

Chances they concede: what created the opponent's shots

created by	shots	share	xG	xG per shot	goals
cross	8	11%lg 9%	0.9	0.11	0
cutback	5	7%lg 7%	0.5	0.11	1
through ball	3	4%lg 4%	0.4	0.13	1
short pass / combination	37	53%lg 55%	2.7	0.07	2
long ball	5	7%lg 5%	0.4	0.07	0
individual (dribble / self-made)	7	10%lg 10%	1.1	0.16	2
rebound / second ball	5	7%lg 9%	1.3	0.26	2
corner (set piece)	12	–	0.8	0.06	0
free kick (indirect) (set piece)	4	–	0.5	0.12	0
direct free kick (set piece)	5	–	0.1	0.03	0
penalty (set piece)	1	–	0.8	0.79	1

How their shots end

ending	shots	share
goal	11	8%lg 9%
keeper held it	11	8%lg 11%
keeper parried it	12	9%lg 13%
blocked	28	21%lg 25%
off target	69	52%lg 39%
hit the woodwork	2	2%

Penalties excluded. A "save" by an outfield player is a block.

Keeper transitions

After their keeper held a shot (11), median release 10s; league share turned into a fast attack 17%:

their keeper held it, then…	times	share
keeper released fast -> fast attack	1	9%
keeper released quickly, no fast attack	3	27%
keeper slowed the game	7	64%

After their own shot was held by the opponent keeper (11); league share broken against fast 18%:

the opponent keeper held it, then…	times	share
keeper released fast -> fast attack	1	9%
keeper released quickly, no fast attack	0	0%
keeper slowed the game	10	91%

Fast = the keeper's side reached its final third within 15s of the save. Quick = first pass within 6s.

When it breaks downevery phase

The other half of each phase above. Their own phases break down when they lose the ball (real turnovers only); their press and block break down when the opponent gets through. Each card: how often, how, where, who is involved, and what it costs them.

Build-up breaks down

94 balls lost in 458 build-up phases (21%)

giveaways per 10 build-up phases: 1.8/10 · league 2.7/10

How

long ball lost60
pass cut out22
bad touch6
error2

Where

centre29
left half-space24
right wing18
right half-space13

Who

Unai Simón42
Aitor Paredes9
Yeray Álvarez9
Aymeric Laporte6

What it costs: 24% turned into a fast attack · 64% the opponent can’t keep · 4% led to a shot · 0.2 xG

Progression breaks down

267 balls lost in 753 middle-third phases (35%)

giveaways per 10 middle-third phases: 3.1/10 · league 2.8/10

How

pass cut out158
long ball lost40
bad touch40
failed dribble17

Where

centre73
left half-space64
right wing45
left wing43

Who

Oihan Sancet30
Iñaki Williams23
Iñigo Ruiz de Galarreta21
Peio Canales19

What it costs: 19% turned into a fast attack · 44% the opponent can’t keep · 7% led to a shot · 1.8 xG

Final third breaks down

293 balls lost in 573 final-third phases (51%)

deliveries into the box that fail to arrive: 63% · league 57%

How

pass cut out179
bad touch43
failed dribble35
long ball lost18

Where

centre109
left half-space71
right half-space52
right wing31

Who

Nico Williams59
Álex Berenguer38
Iñaki Williams27
Robert Navarro21

What it costs: 8% turned into a fast attack · 57% the opponent can’t keep · 1% led to a shot · 0.2 xG

81 deliveries into the box did not arrive

Counter-attacks fail

43 of 62 counter-attacks lost (69%)

attacking transitions that produce a shot: 19% · league 17%

How

pass cut out24
bad touch8
failed dribble7
long ball lost3

Where

centre20
left half-space9
right half-space6
left wing6

Who

Nico Williams7
Álex Berenguer7
Robert Navarro6
Iñaki Williams5

What it costs: 9% turned into a fast attack · 56% the opponent can’t keep · 2% led to a shot · 0.1 xG

62 counters: 16 ended in a shot, 43 were lost, 3 slowed down or went out

Their press is beaten

98 of 204 opponent build-ups got out (48%)

opponent build-ups that get out cleanly: 48% · league 50%

How

short pass54
long ball22
carry15

Where

left wing25
right wing24
right half-space19
left half-space15

Who

centre-back46
full-back22
goalkeeper12
central midfielder5

What it costs: 32% reached the final third · 13% led to a shot · 0.7 xG

Sides are their own: "down the left" = down their left.

Their block is broken

99 box entries in 375 opponent final-third phases (26%)

opponent final-third phases that create: 48% · league 48%

How

carry53
short pass26
cross8
dribble5

Where

left half-space28
centre26
right half-space25
right wing13

Who

wide midfielder28
winger21
full-back20
striker19

What it costs: 38% led to a shot · 5.6 xG

Sides are their own.

Set pieces backfire

38 set pieces lost in open play

How

pass cut out19
bad touch8
long ball lost7
failed dribble3

Where

centre14
left half-space9
right half-space8
right wing5

Who

Nico Williams6
Robert Navarro5
Iñaki Williams4
Oihan Sancet3

What it costs: 16% turned into a fast attack · 47% the opponent can’t keep · 11% led to a shot · 0.3 xG

Their corners and free kicks that were lost in open play, and what the opponent did next.

Set piecesattacking corners

54corners (6.0 per match)

30%end in a shot

1.5xG from corners

Delivery

central43%shot 35% · 1.1 xG
near post31%shot 29% · 0.2 xG
far post19%shot 20% · 0.2 xG
short7%shot 25% · 0.0 xG

Who

Takers: Álex Berenguer (26), Robert Navarro (10), Yuri Berchiche (8)

First contact in the box: Aymeric Laporte (4), Yeray Álvarez (3), Iñigo Ruiz de Galarreta (2), Oihan Sancet (2), Robert Navarro (2)

Key players

What each player does in the phases, counted over the window. Only lines that clear a minimum count are shown.

Nico WilliamsW

gets it into the box 35 times (29% end in a shot)
15 shots, 1.1 npxG, 1 goals

Yuri BerchicheFB

takes it into the final third 25 times (40% become a chance)
15 shots, 0.5 npxG, 1 goals

Oihan SancetAM

gets it into the box 18 times (56% end in a shot)
17 shots, 2.6 npxG, 1 goals

Álex BerenguerW

gets it into the box 20 times (35% end in a shot)

Iñaki WilliamsST

gets it into the box 14 times (43% end in a shot)
19 shots, 3.0 npxG, 2 goals

Robert NavarroW

takes it into the final third 15 times (40% become a chance)
gets it into the box 12 times (42% end in a shot)

Iñigo Ruiz de GalarretaCM

takes it into the final third 27 times (48% become a chance)

Aymeric LaporteCB

plays 22 build-up exits (82% carry on cleanly)
takes it into the final third 20 times (45% become a chance)

Aitor ParedesCB

plays 16 build-up exits (75% carry on cleanly)
takes it into the final third 18 times (61% become a chance)

Where a player changes the outcome (p<0.05)

Unai Simón -- build-up exits: the build-up carried on cleanly 50% vs 82% for everyone else (36, p=0.0002)

Against the leaguesupporting evidence

The comparison behind the report: each behaviour as a rate per opportunity, ranked among the 20 La Liga clubs' full seasons, with how many of the 9 matches sat on the same side of the league median. "Style" is never a verdict.

	behaviour	Athletic Club	league median	rank	matches
style	long ball flick on per 100 progression phases	1.7/100	0.8/100	2 / 20	7/9
strength	turnovers the opponent turned into a fast attack	16%	24%	19 / 20	8/9
weakness	shots off target	52%	39%	2 / 20	7/9
style	box entries from the left	51%	37%	2 / 20	7/9
strength	build-up giveaways per 10 build-up phases	1.8/10	2.7/10	19 / 20	9/9
style	box entries from the right	24%	36%	19 / 20	8/9
style	turnovers lost straight after winning it	9%	12%	20 / 20	8/9
strength	build-ups that carried on into the next third under control	60%	48%	2 / 20	8/9
style	turnovers lost in the final third	44%	37%	2 / 20	6/9

Their most dangerous routes

phase	route	times	shot	their average

How they change against different opponents

split	behaviour	a	b	p
against the more aggressive pressers vs the deeper / passive sides	build-up exits played by the goalkeeper	37%	21%	0.0402
against the more aggressive pressers vs the deeper / passive sides	high-press regains	3.0/match	4.6/match	0.0489
when leading vs when level	middle-third phases that progressed into the final third	61%	83%	0.0009
when leading vs when level	build-up exits by carrying it out	0%	18%	0.0133
when trailing vs when level	middle-third phases that progressed into the final third	72%	83%	0.0302
when trailing vs when level	box entries with a cross	16%	5%	0.0387
second half vs first half	build-up giveaways that led to an opponent shot within 15s	0%	9%	0.043

The 9 matches

date	opponent	result	npxG	opponent press	what happened
2026-08-22	vs Sevilla	L 1-3	1.3–0.7	mid-intensity press	Lost 1-3 despite the better chances (1.34 v 0.72 xG) -- a finishing / goalkeeping defeat more than a tactical one. Sevilla pressed at roughly league-average intensity (strict PPDA 14.1, league median 14.6).
2026-08-27	at Barcelona	L 0-2	0.3–3.1	pressed aggressively	Lost 0-2 and the chances agreed (0.31 v 3.12 xG). Barcelona pressed harder than a typical La Liga side does (strict PPDA 8.1, league median 14.6). Biggest departure from their norm: non-penalty xG conceded 3.12 xG, far above their usual 0.97 xG.
2026-08-30	at Celta Vigo	W 2-0	2.5–0.5	sat deep / passive	Won 2-0, chances 2.51 v 0.53 xG. Celta Vigo defended deep and let them have the ball (strict PPDA 21.2, league median 14.6). Biggest departure from their norm: final-third entries by carrying it in 43%, far above their usual 16%.
2026-09-05	vs Atletico	W 3-0	1.2–1.0	sat deep / passive	Won 3-0, chances 1.17 v 0.97 xG. Atletico defended deep and let them have the ball (strict PPDA 18.3, league median 14.6). Biggest departure from their norm: chance-creation phases that produced a shot 50%, far above their usual 31%.
2026-09-12	vs Elche	D 1-1	2.8–0.0	sat deep / passive	Drew 1-1 (2.79 v 0.02 xG). Elche defended deep and let them have the ball (strict PPDA 34.5, league median 14.6) and went long on 67% of their own build-ups. Biggest departure from their norm: counter-attacks 2.0/match, far below their usual 6.2/match.
2026-09-19	vs Alaves	D 0-0	1.1–0.1	sat deep / passive	Drew 0-0 (1.10 v 0.09 xG). Alaves defended deep and let them have the ball (strict PPDA 21.3, league median 14.6) and went long on 53% of their own build-ups. Biggest departure from their norm: build-up exits with a long ball 7%, far below their usual 37%.
2026-10-17	at Valencia	D 0-0	0.7–1.1	sat deep / passive	Drew 0-0 (0.66 v 1.09 xG). Valencia defended deep and let them have the ball (strict PPDA 19.5, league median 14.6) and went long on 50% of their own build-ups. Biggest departure from their norm: build-up exits down the left 85%, far above their usual 44%.
2026-10-21	at Levante	L 1-3	1.4–1.8	sat deep / passive	Lost 1-3 and the chances agreed (1.36 v 1.76 xG). Levante defended deep and let them have the ball (strict PPDA 22.8, league median 14.6) and went long on 50% of their own build-ups. Biggest departure from their norm: giveaways regained within 5s (counter-press) 19%, far below their usual 28%.
2026-10-25	vs Getafe	W 4-0	0.7–0.4	sat deep / passive	Won 4-0, chances 0.72 v 0.39 xG. Getafe defended deep and let them have the ball (strict PPDA 26.0, league median 14.6). Biggest departure from their norm: final-third phases that created (box entry or key pass) 40%, far below their usual 50%.

Method and limits

Every sequence is rebuilt from the raw WhoScored feed (37 event types) and split into phases: build-up, progression, final third, and transitions. A restart is how a possession began, not a phase.
Transition means a real turnover. A side only "had the ball", and so only lost it, when the ball reached it under control: a completed pass, carry or successful dribble followed by another touch, or the ball kept 3+ seconds. A header won and headed straight back, a clearance or a scramble of loose touches is a second ball: what happens after it is not counted as a counter-attack, and the lost duel is not counted as a giveaway.
Shape is the median position of each player's touches per phase. No tracking data: off-ball runs and the defensive block's shape are not visible, and none are claimed.
Rates are per opportunity, not per match, so possession share does not inflate them. Significance: Wilson intervals, two-proportion z-tests; a behaviour is called consistent when at least 60% of matches sit on the same side of the median.
Non-penalty xG throughout; set pieces are counted on their own and kept out of open-play figures.
Coordinates: 0–100 on both axes, x towards the opponent's goal, y=0 the right touchline.