The Euros have officially kicked off! This week the Futbol Masterminds break down everything going on in the Euros so far, with a special look at the first seven matches of the tournament taking place between June 11th and June 13th. Follow @futbolmasterminds on Instagram to see more of the show and subscribe via Itunes and Spotify!
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.
The moment we've been waiting for...that's taken a year to arrive...is now finally here this Friday as the UEFA European Championships of 2020 kick off. The Futbol Masterminds break down their predictions and thoughts on all six groups, and discuss who is most likely to win the tournament. Follow @futbolmasterminds on Instagram to see more of the show and subscribe via Itunes and Spotify!
Ahead of the European Championships set to kick off this Friday, we take a look at five underrated players to watch at the tournament.
Italian striker Ciro Immobile has been one of the most lethal goal scorers in world football over the last five years, yet still does not get the full recognition that he deserves as one of Europe's top strikers. So far in 2019-20, only Polish striker Robert Lewandowski has scored more goals than Immobile in Europe's top five leagues, and many consider Lewandowski to be the best centre-forward in the world. 14 goals in 12 Serie A matches is more than just an impressive feat, it's something absolutely outstanding, particularly as part of a team where he doesn't have the same level of service or team possession that someone like a Lewandowski or Lionel Messi would have. After failed spells at Borussia Dortmund and Sevilla, Immobile completely revitalized his career with Lazio back in 2016-17 and now at the age of 29, is on pace to set his most impressive goal return of his career. But how does the Italian striker play and what makes him so unique as a centre forward? This is The Mastermind's Tactical Analysis of Ciro Immobile.
For a while, tiki taka, highlighted by the intricate triangles created in Spain's Xavi-Iniesta years, prevailed as the dominating tactic of the beautiful game. However, with Spain's struggles in recent tournaments and the much talked about "possession without purpose" that has haunted many teams in recent modern day matches, I pronounce the death of tiki taka.
TheMastermindSite 