In a highly contested affair, Italy and Spain played out a 1-1 draw after extra time, and needed penalty kicks to settle the match. After missing just one of their spot kicks, Italy sent themselves through to the final of the tournament, extending their impressive unbeaten run to 33 matches in all competitions. Here is our tactical analysis of the match!
When establishing a style of play, all top-level managers face the same pragmatic questions: How will positional defenders become functional attackers (and vice versa) as changes in possession occur? Where is the balance between earnest advancement and cautious reserve? And how is that equilibrium expressed, implicitly and explicitly, on the team sheet?
The knockout stage of an international tournament always serves as an emphatic reminder of what we all would claim to know: even the best laid plans can prove insufficient over the course of 90 minutes of football. And while the team who keeps their shape is often assumed to be in the ascendancy, adaptation undoubtedly preempts success; that is to say, some of the greatest examples of tactical prowess in sport are evidenced when the first blink leads to the last laugh. For instance, during their Euro 2020 round of 16 clash versus Wales, Denmark employed at least THREE different formations, modifications which ultimately tipped the result in their favor. Here, we take a closer look at the incentive and effect behind each change.
In a match full of energy and fire, one that felt almost like a semi-final, France came out on top with relative ease over a fruitless Germany team. Didier Deschamps men secured a 1-0 victory at the unfortunate hands (or feet) of Mats Hummels banging the ball into the back of his own net, allowing the world champions to jump up into second in the group. Here is our tactical analysis of the match!
Austria's ability to achieve reasonable success at Euro 2020. The Austrians did not disappoint in meeting that expectation in their first match against North Macedonia, easing to a 3-1 win. What made Austria's victory so incredibly impressive, is that they did it through players operating in unexpected roles, substitutes coming off the bench, and a variety of mechanisms for creating chances.
After Italy's strong victory over Turkey on the opening day of Euro 2020, the pressure was on Wales and Switzerland to match Italy stride for stride and put greater distance between themselves and the Turks. Switzerland dominated the game both through their possession and overall approach, but Wales snatched a surprise goal to level the score at 1-1. Here is our tactical analysis of the match.
Euro 2020 has officially kicked off, with Italy smashing Turkey to pieces in the second half of the opening fixture. The match was a fairly dull affair in the first half, with Turkey defending resolutely, and Italy only got going once they abandoned their attempts to have all of the possession. By relinquishing more control over to Turkey, Mancini's team ultimately gained more control in the final third and were able to unbalance Turkey's defensive structures to win the match comfortably 3-0. Here is our tactical analysis of the match.
The day has finally come. The 2020 Euros are here in 2021. Match 1 of 51 kicked off in Rome on Friday as Italy played host to Turkey. Italy come into the tournament in good form, winning all ten of their qualifying matches, and not losing a competitive match since September of 2018. But with an interesting first test against Turkey, another team in good form, many were excited to see if Italy could continue their impressive run of results on the big stage.
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