This Nations League fixture gave both countries a prospect of turning around the fortunes of their campaign. The Swiss gambled on a familiar chink in the Spanish armor to hold onto their stake in this duel, but their improvement after the break could not make up for a fatal deficit. Tactical analysis and match report […]
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 […]
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 […]
Italy edged past their visitors the last time the two outfits met but were not so fortunate this time around. Thanks to a twist on an old ploy and an aggressive high press, Spain proved that there are chinks in Italy’s armor after all. Tactical analysis and match report by Emmanuel Adeyemi-Abere. In a game […]
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 […]
The reignition of an age-old rivalry promised a spectacle between two advocates of a new school approach. But amid over two hours of entertainment, old habits died hard. The masters gave a lecture of the highest caliber, but conceding the stylistic battle, the pretenders won the war. Tactical analysis and match report by Emmanuel Adeyemi-Abere. […]
Everyone remembers the EURO 2012 final, where the Spanish golden generation won a third trophy in a mere four years. But as one mission came to an end, another had begun. From then on, Italy swore itself to a path of vengeance. Antonio Conte would engineer a 2-0 victory four years down the line to […]
Three games left and we will know the winner of EURO 2020. In this article we zoom in on the offensive patterns and habits of the four semi-finalists, who have all demonstrated they have mastered more than one way to create chances. Written by Ahmed Walid. During the group stages, doubts were raised about three […]
Eight minutes in, Spain looked well on their way to slide into the last four of EURO 2020. But dominance of the ball and territory alone does not win games. A familiar lack of penetration around the Swiss box and the fierceness of their opponents kept the door ajar for two hours of action, another […]
The clash of two methodical setups on a mild afternoon in Copenhagen gave the impression that Spain’s match with Croatia would be a terse affair. But, the contest could not have gone any more differently. In a matchup of needless excitement, blunders from the back and suspect game management gave way to one of the […]