France had the majority of possession, yet ended the game without a shot on target. This was the result of a weak possession game which Turkey’s disciplined defense found easy to repel. As well as not being able to break Turkey down, France were punished at the other end from a set piece and defensive […]
Vladimir Petković’s Switzerland were full of tactical intrigue in this surprisingly energetic first semi-final of the UEFA Nations League. Switzerland’s plan in midfield enabled them to intricately pick holes in Portugal’s shape, which resulted in them generating countless great attacking moments. Most of them fizzled out into nothing, however, giving Ronaldo the chance to take […]
Switzerland dominated the majority of the game, grabbing a three goal lead in the process. They looked very solid in a conservative style of play which allowed them to bypass Denmark’s pressure. But things took a turn in the final stages of the game. Denmark pushed forward in hope of a consolation, and Switzerland started […]
In a very one-sided affair, France completely dominated the game and produced a brilliant performance to beat Iceland 4-0 in Stade de France. Iceland parked the bus and managed to keep a one-goal margin until the late stages, but France was never really threatened here and completely outclassed their opponents. Having not impressed in possession […]
After being played off the pitch in the first half, Norway found more success after the break, using a man-oriented high press. Since Spain were ineffective in front of the goal the whole match, Norway were close to stealing some undeserved points, something Spain have only themselves to blame for. Tactical analysis and match report […]
Gareth Southgate’s England continued their good form with an impressive victory at Wembley Stadium to kick start their qualifying campaign for the European Championships. Dominance in possession, impressive runs from wingers and fast breaks forward would break down an inferior but well-organised Czech Republic – for a good hour at least. Tactical analysis and match […]
Group I’s first set of matches pitted two of last year’s big-story-nations – Belgium and Russia – against each other. In an affair that saw Belgium rule over Russia with their individual quality, Roberto Martínez’s tactical tweaks partly helped his side escape a troubling start. Tactical analysis and match report by Peter M. As both […]
More often than we fans would like to admit, the result of a game of football has very little to do with which team actually played better. This Nations League match between Germany and the Netherlands was a prime example of that. The Dutch left Gelsenkirchen with a fully undeserved, but nonetheless crucial point against […]
Gareth Southgate’s side displayed fluid rotations and movements that enabled England to pull apart the Croatian midfield throughout the first half. After they failed to convert those chances, once again, set pieces saw them home and dry in the second half. Tactical analysis and match report by Peter M. Compared to their last UEFA […]
Italy’s possession game outplayed a conservative Portugal in the first half thanks to the efforts of the Jorginho-Verratti-Insigne triangle. In the second half, Portugal defended more aggressively to successfully stifle Italy’s attack. Tactical match report by José Perez. Roberto Mancini was handed the unenviable task of restoring Italy after their historic failure to quality for […]