Gareth Southgate should learn from the French to beat... France.

It will be no secret when England face France. Not only because many French players have played football in England, but also because manager Gareth Southgate and his team of analysts have been studying the French national team for the past few years.

Southgate's study of France wasn't just for tonight's quarter-final. He studied France's playing style when they were runners-up at Euro 2016 and then champions of the 2018 World Cup to learn how to transform his England team into champions. His team considered the smallest details: the best way to get through the group stage, how to take penalties, how to conserve players' energy…

Southgate has conveyed to his players what he has studied, the first of which is that to win the championship, you must have a well-organized defense. The winning teams in 2014 and 2018, Germany and France, kept a clean sheet in 4 out of 7 matches. At Euro 2020, England kept a clean sheet in 5 out of 7 matches. Currently, they have kept a clean sheet in 3 out of 4 matches, and are on the right track.

England will face defending champions France in a battle for a place in the semi-finals. (Photo: FRANCE FOOTBALL)

In 2018, coach Didier Deschamps managed Antoine Griezmann's playing time very well, often substituting him early in matches. This allowed him to perform well in the semi-finals and final. Southgate did the same with his star player, Harry Kane, helping him perform at his best in two consecutive 120-minute matches against Denmark and Italy at Euro 2020. At this World Cup, Kane is also frequently substituted early, waiting to explode during crucial stages of the tournament.

England's pursuit of clean sheets doesn't mean they have to play exactly like other teams. France's defensive approach in 2018 was quite minimalist. Goalkeeper Hugo Lloris preferred long balls, France dropped deep and executed quick counter-attacks. France's style of play wasn't always convincing, but it helped them win the tournament. This taught Southgate that you don't need to play the most flashy football to win a competition.

The biggest question for Southgate when facing France is how to stop Kylian Mbappé. The answer lies in defender Kyle Walker – who has a speed comparable to Mbappé's on the field, capable of running at 38 km/h with the ball at his feet. Southgate will likely assign Walker to man-mark Mbappé, keeping the French striker close to him on the pitch.

Finally, we saw a Southgate who was as scientific and pragmatic as his counterpart Deschamps on the other side of the pitch. But to beat France, England needed to play a bit more adventurous football, showcasing some unexpected tactics. Could Southgate still be holding back? Otherwise, he would have tried to drag the match to a penalty shootout to see who would be favored.

Source: https://nld.com.vn/the-thao/gareth-southgate-hoc-nguoi-phap-de-danh-bai-phap-20221209202405987.htm