Windsor Park was the perfect stage for the Italians to correct the errors of 2017 and bag a place in the World Cup. Or so it seemed. Mancini’s maneuvers in a 3-1-3-3 shape backfired, leaving his men to confront the horrors of the past in their totality via the playoffs. Tactical analysis and match report […]
Italy and Switzerland remained level on points at the top of Group C in the European section of the 2022 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers, as Silvan Widmer’s goal was cancelled out by Giovanni Di Lorenzo to give both teams a share of the points. With only the group winners going through to next year’s tournament, […]
How do you crack a disciplined, determined 4-4-2 block? In the ultimate form of attack versus defense, Sweden forced Spain to grapple with this task once more. What followed was a low scoring but intriguing affair between two of the most organized outfits on the national circuit, setting the stage for a divisive figure to […]
In a grim year for a gifted outfit, qualification for the World Cup would have been consolation for the Portuguese. But Serbia had other ideas. Stellar names made the hosts the favorites, but they fell foul to a familiar problem, enduring dramatic heartbreak to leave the nation in stasis. Tactical analysis and match report by […]
The road to qualification prioritizes results over performances: a stumbling block for Spain in the past. But the visitors rose to the task that awaited them. Breaking down a deep 5-4-1 block, they held onto the win, setting up a tense duel with Sweden where everything is on the line. Tactical analysis and match report […]
Coming into this game as underdogs, Poland hoped to be a stubborn outfit for their guests to crack once more. But even they ended up getting more out of this duel than they had bargained for. Organizing themselves in a familiar 5-3-2 defensive shape, they secured a result that could make all the difference on […]
Germany’s clash with Armenia ought to have been a formality, and so it proved. In a one-sided affair from start to finish, a mixture of old and new roles produced a brand of full-throttle football; the away team’s 4-4-2 deep block had no answer. Tactical analysis and match report by Emmanuel Adeyemi-Abere. Germany’s early EURO […]
Failing to break down Sweden at the EUROs, Spain hoped to make amends this time around. But a quick start proved to be false hope. Frail at the back and impotent upfront, a familiarly flawed display handed the home team a window of opportunity that they could hardly refuse. Tactical analysis and match report by […]
Taking an early lead, England hoped to put an understrength Poland to bed. But the guests battled hard in their 5-3-2 shape and took their chances when they came to force a late winner and a narrow result out of their hosts. Tactical analysis and match report by Emmanuel Adeyemi-Abere. Amid all the baggage that […]
This match was the beginning of a new Germany chapter, as Joachim Löw’s team showed some exciting ideas. A glamorous performance from Sané and Gündoğan highlighted the cohesive left flank of Germany’s 4-3-3 formation, supported by Kimmich and Goretzka shining centrally. Iceland failed to deal with this threat as the game was effectively decided in […]