Scotland’s 5-2-1-2 shape against the ball posed a puzzle for England’s 4-3-3 system, and they were unable to solve it for the most part, lacking the movements to combine through midfield. England were able to force Scotland a bit deeper in the second half, but continued to lack creativity and were unable to play at […]

Italy made it back-to-back impressive showings as they handily dealt with Switzerland. The Italians were not fazed by the Swiss pressure, regularly cutting through. Their numbers in the attacking third were tough to deal with, both centrally and on the flanks, while clinical play, led by a Locatelli brace, ensured they cruised to victory. Tactical […]

Belgium are through to the knockout phases, but it wasn’t without concerns. Denmark dominated the first half with smart pressing and easy progression, whilst Belgium lacked solutions. Then Roberto Martínez flew his main man in and Kevin de Bruyne changed the game.  Tactical analysis and match report by Joel Parker.  No matter what happened next for […]

The Germans suffered the trademark defense plus counterattacking strategy of Deschamps’ France. Looking at shot count and expected goals might wrongly show Germany as the dominant side, as these numbers were just a result of the game state. After France’s 20th-minute goal, Les Bleus mostly sat back and let the Germans come to them. The […]

Portugal’s possession play was not the strongest, but their reliance on individual ability in attack was able to create them a couple of reasonable chances in the first half. They were defensively stable enough to contain Hungary’s attack despite Ádám Szalai’s best efforts, and eventually got their goals in the closing minutes.  Tactical analysis and […]

Spain’s matchup with Sweden pitted two sides on either end of the tactical specturm. Spain notoriously thrives on the ball, while Sweden is renownedly resolute without it. In a ninety minute drill of attack versus defense, only one team looked likely to score for the most part. But in the end neither outfit could muster […]

Scotland started poorly, with their possession structure unsuitable for breaking through the Czech defensive block. With the ball, Czech Republic were also relatively compact and overloaded the areas around the ball. Goals either side of half-time from Patrik Schick were enough to dispatch Scotland, despite an improved performance in the second half from Scotland who […]

In the most entertaining game of EURO 2020 so far, the Netherlands’ tactical approach led to endless transitions, lots of individual players making their mark and five goals in one half. When the dust had settled in, The Netherlands had erased Ukraine’s commendable comeback to start the tournament with three points thanks to a late […]

England came into the game with a positive attitude and proactive tactical plan, which saw them dominate the game in the opening period, featuring some good left sided combinations and attacks into depth, as well as strong pressing. Croatia’s midfield were able to bring calm to the game temporarily, however, Raheem Sterling’s goal early in […]

The second matchday will be remembered for its traumatic events hours before, but we got a game of football. Romelu Lukaku dedicated a fine victory to Christian Eriksen, in which the Belgian striker was the centerpiece in a flexible Belgium attack.  Tactical analysis and match report by Joel Parker.  Group B of the European Championship contains […]