Italy scored early and seemed in control in their 3-5-2 system against a passive Norway press. However, Norway became more aggressive in the second half and gained momentum against a fading Italy side, before Erling Haaland left Italy reeling with two goals in two minutes. Tactical analysis and match report by Josh Manley. We decided to […]
The penultimate matchday in the World Cup qualifying campaign saw the Netherlands take a decisive step toward the 2026 finals with a hard-fought 1–1 draw against Poland in Warsaw. The match was a classic contrast of styles, with Ronald Koeman’s possession-dominant side registering low Expected Goals (xG) of 1.08, struggling to break down a resilient […]
Thomas Tuchel will take no great plaudits for bringing one of the best nations in the game into the World Cup, but he is taking value from every encounter that allows him to construct firm foundations for his project as the manager of a nation with high expectations. With another professional performance under their belt, […]
Kylian Mbappé fired France into the World Cup with two goals – reaching 400 in his career – in the 4-0 win over Ukraine. Didier Deschamps’ side dictated the tempo from start to finish, blending patient, structured circulation with explosive final-third combinations. Despite Ukraine’s deep 5-3-2 block and disciplined defensive effort, France’s multi-layered positional play—particularly […]
Bolivia needed a win and for Venezuela not to win in order to secure their playoff spot for the 2026 World Cup, but they faced the tough mission of beating Brazil, and they pulled it off. Their main ally was their new “home,” El Alto, a stadium located at more than 4000 meters above sea […]
England earned an easy victory in this World Cup Qualifier, enjoying full control throughout the game. Their right-sided dynamics showed promise in their 4-3-3 system, and they took their chances from set-pieces to run up a 5-0 scoreline in the end. Tactical analysis and match report by Josh Manley. England traveled to Serbia for the fifth […]
In a rollercoaster of emotions and defensive mistakes, Italy secured a decisive victory to keep their hopes alive for a spot in the next World Cup. Beyond the three points, this match should raise more than a few question marks about the system and some of the players deployed tonight, in order to avoid further […]
The favorites for the top spots in Group E of the UEFA World Cup qualifiers met on matchday two. At kickoff, they were level on points, but if there was any doubt about who should finish at the top of the table, it had died by full time as La Roja reminded everyone of their […]
Already qualified for the World Cup, Brazil completely dominated Chile, which no longer had any chances of qualification. In this context, both managers decided to run tests, each with a different purpose, and many players given opportunities by Ancelotti performed well in a match where the Brazilian collective drew plenty of attention. Tactical analysis and […]
In what was a major upset, Slovakia stunned Germany in Bratislava by winning their FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualifier 2-0. A goal from David Hancko gave Slovakia the lead in the first half, while David Strelec’s superb solo effort made it 2-0 in the second half. The Slovakia defense held firm to deny the Germans […]