Pep Guardiola and Jürgen Klopp do not know how to disappoint. Shaking off any malaise from the World Cup, their men produced a thriller in which the more dominant outfit got their way. Tactical analys...

The passing of the torch or the crowning of a glorious legacy? Two stars graced the grandest global stages in a fixture whose symbolic significance would dominate the narrative. Only one could take ho...

Morocco have not shied away from any challenge and did not shrink in this fixture either. The setback of an early deficit did not dissuade them from showing other weapons in their armory, but the shar...

France and England have not always appeased fans but now compete as two of the favorites to claim the trophy. This preview shows how their leaders have followed similar paths to reach the quarter-fina...

Luis Enrique proudly paraded his tournament record in the prelude to the World Cup. He might want to think twice about such action now, tripping at the same hurdle as Spain did in 2018. In a contest w...

  The tables would turn against the villain of the 2010 World Cup if not for a minor miracle. Luis Suárez duly stole the show, downing the Ghanaians in an inspired collective performance. But fate wou...

On the back foot, a goal behind, and suffering in a low block, Japan had given up their spot in the knockout stages. But their manager’s masterful, befitting the tradition of his nation, pulled ...

If adversity is the measure of character, the Germans had to live up to their reputation in this contest. They did. In a high-caliber clash, the suffering at the hands of the Spanish broke but did not...

Trials and tribulations continue to torment the Germans at tournaments. The spanner in the works of an opening matchday defeat at a third major competition in a row has placed the country at risk of a...

Spain’s style is one of the most discernible in international football. If you let them carry out their standard patterns, they can wear you down. But Costa Rica resigned themselves to defeat fr...