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Sun 18 Oct
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Tactics

How matches are actually won, explained with the data.

Illustration for the Tactics article “The midfield contest at the heart of Spain versus Croatia”: an AI-generated editorial illustration showing an empty training ground at dawn with cones and markers laid out, with the headline set over it. Illustrative only, not a photograph of a real event.
Tactics
The midfield contest at the heart of Spain versus Croatia

Both sides want the ball and want the middle of the pitch, but they get there by…

30 Sep 2026 · Tom Whitfield
Illustration for the Tactics article “Belgium and France force each other into structural compromises”: an AI-generated editorial illustration showing an empty training ground at dawn with cones and markers laid out, with the headline set over it. Illustrative only, not a photograph of a real event.
Tactics
Belgium and France force each other into structural compromises

Belgium and France meet rarely, and almost always with something at stake. The interest…

30 Sep 2026 · Tom Whitfield
Illustration for the Tactics article “Break down Spain against Croatia: a tactical viewing guide”: an AI-generated editorial illustration showing an empty training ground at dawn with cones and markers laid out, with the headline set over it. Illustrative only, not a photograph of a real event.
Tactics
Break down Spain against Croatia: a tactical viewing guide

Spain against Croatia is a structural contest rather than a spectacle: a possession side…

30 Sep 2026 · Tom Whitfield
Illustration for the Tactics article “Spain v Croatia: the recurring test of midfield control”: an AI-generated editorial illustration showing an empty training ground at dawn with cones and markers laid out, with the headline set over it. Illustrative only, not a photograph of a real event.
Tactics
Spain v Croatia: the recurring test of midfield control

Spain against Croatia has become one of European football's repeat fixtures: two…

30 Sep 2026 · Tom Whitfield