World Cup

SOUTH Korea will face a tough group.Portugal, Uruguay and Ghana won’t be easy adversaries, and in spite of the talent of their star Heung-Min Son – if match fit after suffering a facial injury in the Champions League against Marseille – Uruguay and Portugal are more likely to qualify for the Round of 16. 

Time will tell, however, if they will be lucky enough to defy the odds and try to face some of the teams from Group G, which could be Brazil if they finish second in Group H.
GET UP TO £100 IN FREE BETS ON THE WORLD CUP WITH SPREADEX
Predicted starting XI
Recently, South Korea have played with a 4-4-2 formation as well, but we believe they might go for a 4-2-3-1 considering the personnel available.
And because of the World Cup, Bento should be more reserved to get one more player in midfield, having more flexibility to switch between the two.
read more world cup news
But we do not completely rule out the chance they come with a back five if they feel Portugal and Uruguay are much stronger opponents — they could do that with a winger dropping deep to help the defenders.
From the defence to the attack, South Korea have good players from top European leagues. Centrally in the last line, Min-jae Kim is highly-rated thanks to his performances at Napoli, where he has shown great ball-playing and defensive techniques.
His performance will be crucial to the defence. 
In midfield, they have Olympiacos’ In-beom Hwang available, but we should not overlook Woo-young Jung, playing for Al Saad and who’s experienced the coaching of Xavi and Juanma Lillo as a holding midfielder. 
HOW TO GET FREE BETS ON THE WORLD CUP
South Korea’s predicted line-up
Most read in Football
Jung Woo-Young should also have the experience to drive the team in different phases of play.
South Korea have many good attacking players, including the Premier League duo Heung-min Son (Tottenham) and Hee-chan Hwang (Wolves), Mallorca attacker Kang-in Lee and Freiburg striker Ui-jo Hwang could also help the team when needed.
If Son cannot start the tournament, expect Wolves’ Hwang to get the nod.

Attacking phase
We have formed a good picture of South Korea’s playing style.
They try to play on the front foot with a strong mindset to breach the opposition lines.
They are fairly direct and try to hit spaces behind the opponent if possible with a high long pass.
FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALS – BEST NEW CUSTOMER OFFERS
South Korea boast a temporary back three when they are attacking
With the ball, South Korea always construct with four deep players.
They are consistently pushing the full-backs high and wide to occupy the outside zones.
As shown in this image, on the left of Min-jae Kang and Young-gwon Kim, South Korea used the midfielder, Woo-yeong Jeong dropping out to receive, so they had a temporary back three with In-beom Hwang behind the opposition’s first line.
Players for South Korea always prepare for runs
South Korea are a very aggressive side, they always have players preparing for runs behind the last line to catch the defenders out. 
Apart from structurally driving the team forward, Bento also allowed Heung-min Son some freedom as a wild card.
The Tottenham star could pick up the ball in the deeper area similar to Lionel Messi’s role, to work on his stuff and also combine with teammates in close proximity to go into advanced areas.
Attacking the penalty area with three to four bodies is crucial to South Korea’s play
In this image, you could see the winger released the left-back, and now Jin-su Kim is ready for a cross.
South Korea would love to have three to four players attacking the penalty zone — at least.
By getting lots of bodies in the box, they have a better chance to make first contact to score, and be first to the rebounds. 
Defensive phase
South Korea are an aggressive side without the ball, with promising numbers in terms of recovering area.
Moreover, they are such a high-pressing side who like to play with intensity without possession.
South Korea play with intensity without possession and press hard
Without possession, South Korea are consistently in a 4-1-3-2 when pressing high, although we believe they will drop off to a 4-4-2 more in a midblock against stronger opponents.
But when they pushed, they gave good energy and did it with two strikers to pressure the ball, to guide the ball to the outside and close the opponents there.
In the first image, we saw Heung-min Son chasing the centre-backs, so he invited the pass to the outside and keep pushing there, where Hee-chan Hwang also prepared himself to confront the defender as it happened.
Also, the far-side winger should come infield to maintain compactness, balancing the shape.
In this image, Chang-hoon Kwon moved in as the team was pressing on the other side, so he would not be isolated and kept the three-man second line as a unit.
South Korea press out wide when defending in the midfield areas
In the next image, we saw South Korea defending in the midfield areas, pressing out wide with the same concepts. 
A four-man last line can leave South Korea’s defence exposed
However, South Korea also had their weaknesses in their four-man last line. 
Transitions
In offensive transitions, South Korea always look to hit behind the last line as soon as possible to use the quality of their attackers, with most of them playing in top leagues in Europe.
For example, it would be very favourable if Heung-min Son is played into open spaces, charging towards the opponents as he does in the Premier League. So, Bento’s side possesses counter-attacking threats.
Heung-Min Son is protagonist and who South Korea look to to get on the ball
Heung-Min Son is always the protagonist and the player that all teammates try to give the ball to when they have a chance as we can see above.
If South Korea’s full-backs push too high in attack, they will concede spaces behind
In terms of rest defence, South Korea almost had a 3-1, based on how we explained their offensive organisation earlier.
But that would be a problem when the full-backs push too high to attack the flanks, as they are going to concede spaces behind in that scenario.
For example, UAE were able to develop a counter-attack from that weakness. Once the ball was regained, they moved it outside and supported it with runners forward.
In that instance, Jae-sung Lee struggled in a 1v3 situation, confronting runners when dropping back.
Their opponents in the World Cup would also be looking for similar conditions to attack South Korea in the transitions.
Attackers
We all know Heung-min Son will be the most important player in the South Korean squad; the Tottenham Hotspur star has experienced some ups and downs in this campaign.
South Korea also have other attackers such as Hee-chan Hwang from Wolves, but the Wolves player has not started any Premier League game since August, and his form is in doubt.
They also have Ui-jo Hwang from Olympiacos but the 30-year-old is yet to score any goal this season too, so similar to Heung-min Son, whether or not these players can pick up their game rhythm soon will be crucial.
Midfielders 
In midfield, South Korea rely on the partnership of In-beom Hwang and Woo-yung Jung.
Both have been important players in their respective teams – Olympiacos and Al Saad. 
Juanma Lillo also trusted Woo-yung Jung in his midfield; he has decent ability to recover possession. 
Defenders
South Korea’s defence is mainly formed by players in K-League 1 such as Hong Chul and Moon-hwan Kim, but this season Min-jae Kim impressed the whole of Europe with his sharp performances at Napoli. 
Key player
It was without a doubt that we had to pick Heung-min Son as the one to watch in the South Korean team, regardless of who else makes the squad.
The 30-year-old attacking player was the pride of Asia, when he won the Premier League Golden Boot last season alongside Mohamed Salah. 
Individually, he is a very good player and plays an important role in Bento’s side.
We expect Heung-min to be the main source of threat, given what he showed us in the Premier League.
Defensively, he will not be jogging and relaxing. Instead, as the team’s captain, Heung-min Son will set himself as a good example to the rest by leading the press or executing defensive responsibilities.
If he shines in key moments, South Korea will definitely have a better chance to qualify for the group stage, which would be the dream of their supporters.
If he cannot play a full part, you can write off South Korea’s chances of getting out of the group.
Tournament prediction
Although Uruguay and Portugal should be the favourites to qualify from the group stage, we should not overlook South Korea’s chances either because they have a motivated and committed squad with good quality.
They also have plenty of players in their prime with good experience in European football. 
The last time they made it into the last 16 was in 2010, and in their last six World Cup matches, South Korea has only achieved one win.
Read More on The Sun
Nevertheless, we believe they should at least add another one to the tally in Qatar and if they managed to resist the favourites, there could be surprises.
However, most pundits predict that Uruguay and Portugal are the most likely sides to qualify to the Round of 16, but if their main man Son plays and performs well, he could make the difference for South Korea.
For even more detailed analysis of all 32 teams in the FIFA World Cup 2022, download your copy of the November Total Football Analysis magazine here More

URUGUAY will have an interesting World Cup. In the last few years, they are a team that always had famous names in their squad, most notably, Suárez and Cavani.Now Suárez is likely to have a new teammate as a striker alongside him and Real Madrid midfielder Valverde is in top form which now makes him their key player in 2022.

The South Americans will face Portugal, South Korea and Ghana in Group H and they are expected to reach the Round of 16 easily.
Predicted starting XI
Diego Alonso has tried and tested many different formations during his time in charge.
He has played a 4-3-3 on plenty of occasions, however, but 4-4-2 can also be used. 
Fernando Muslera, 36, has been the first-choice keeper for over a decade and should be the regular again.
GET UP TO £100 IN FREE BETS ON THE WORLD CUP WITH SPREADEX
read more world cup news
Godín and José María Giménez, of Atlético Madrid, should bring some team chemistry from their previous club relationship to the national team.
There is a lack of pace in this area which is something that could cause problems. 
The left-back is a highly contested spot with Mathías Olivera and Matías Viña both being capable. Olivera has played more regularly recently.
The midfield area is filled with some hard-working quality midfield players.
How Uruguay could line up at the World Cup
Most read in Football
The central area is likely to be covered by Rodrigo Bentancur and Real Madrid’s Federico Valverde.
Both players complement each other well and provide energy which allows Uruguay to play so aggressively. 
The wide areas are a position that seems to change quite regularly, Nicolás de la Cruz and Facundo Pellistri likely to be the regulars. 
Onto the front line where it is expected to be made up of national heroes of the past and the future with Suárez and Núñez the likely partnership. 
The manager also has Edinson Cavani, Agustín Álvarez, and Diego Rossi available to play as strikers, so they have good squad depth in the position.
HOW TO GET FREE BETS ON THE WORLD CUP
Attacking phase
Uruguay are particularly strong in possession when making passes in the attacking third.
They also have good positioning, and the defensive players have good options to ping the ball forward.
Uruguay’s defenders have plenty of options to pass out of defence to
To do this, the strikers chop and change positions and that is always confusing for the opponents’ defensive players. 
The team’s midfield is a strong point. Valverde is having an incredibly versatile season at Real Madrid.

The player has a great capacity to finish as well as create chances and contribute with the man-marking. 
Furthermore, when Uruguay are looking to sustain possession in the middle of the pitch they create a diamond with their two centrebacks and two central midfield players.
When in possession, Uruguay like to create a diamond to create different passing angles
Doing this gives them a solid base to build upon and creates several passing angles. 
This shape creates a central overload and allows Uruguay to keep possession easily. 
Uruguay boast good team chemistry, as the full-back runs into space looking for a long pass
The above image shows the full-back making a run into the space and waiting for a long pass, which shows good team chemistry. 
Pellistri prefers to be a threat centrally than being a traditional winger
The above example shows how wide player, Pellistri, picks the ball up in a more central area than a traditional winger would and, due to good positioning, becomes a threat to the opponents.
Defensive phase
The stats are very telling about Uruguay without possession. They rank highly for interceptions which shows this will be one of their strengths.
The image below shows Uruguay trying to pressure in the attacking field.
An aggressive press helps Uruguay win possession back quickly
Two players are looking to directly apply pressure to the man receiving the ball with one man applying pressure to the next potential pass.
This aggressive press wins possession back high up the pitch and a goalscoring opportunity is created from this turnover. 
CASINO SPECIAL – BEST NEW CUSTOMER SIGN UP DEALS
Dropping to a flat back five allows Uruguay to be more solid at the back
Highlighted in yellow, Canobbio drops deep to create a flat back five.
Nicolás de la Cruz, playing wide left, tucks inside to create a narrow midfield three.
This formation allows Uruguay to be more defensively solid. 
As we can see below, working hard out of possession leads to Uruguay keeping short distances between each other as they shuffle across from side to side.
As they work hard out possession, Uruguay’s players keep short distances between each other
The Uruguayan defence plays extremely narrowly and encourages their opponents to play the ball out wide.
The risk that this carries is that if some quality attack is displayed then they will be broken down as they lack some speed at crucial moments, especially with the centre-backs. 
Transitions
Upon regaining the ball, Uruguay focuses on progressing by making the most of their short and long passing skills.
Transitions begin with short passes before a longer ball is launched
The example above involves three quick short passes before a longer one.
The nearest player is pressed by three Uruguay players
The image above shows how three players look to press the nearest opponent.
Attackers
Uruguay have strong names like Edinson Cavani, Luis Suárez, and Darwin Núñez.
The latter is starting to find his feet at Liverpool and he’s an important player in his national team.
Agustín Álvarez and Diego Rossi will also provide good cover and will gain valuable experience from being a part of the squad.
Midfielders
Federico Valverde, Rodrigo Bentancur, Lucas Torreira and Matías Vecino provide the central midfield with lots of depth and quality.
Valverde and Bentancur are likely the first-choice midfield partnership but all four are more than capable of playing throughout the duration of the tournament. 
Out wide, Nicolás de la Cruz, Facundo Pellistri and Agustín Canobbio will provide the main support for Alonso. 
Defenders
Fernando Muslera will most certainly be the regular goalie, and Diego Godín and José María Giménez in will be the regular centre-backs, forming an experienced couple. 
The left-back spot could be taken by either Matías Viña or Mathías Oliviera.
On the right, Damián Suárez could be challenged by Guillermo Varela. Both options provide a good cover.
Key player
Valverde is the key player for many reasons.
Not only he contributes defensively, making passes, keen assists and scoring goals, but also has a good age and is in top form.
One of the strongest weapons of Real Madrid these days is the capacity of Valverde to be a central midfielder as well as a winger when necessary. Uruguay will have a versatile player in top form.
Tournament prediction
Uruguay should progress to the Round of 16 and they have a good chance of reaching the quarter-finals. 
Read More on The Sun
They are the best team in their group together with Portugal, and if they are lucky to avoid Brazil in the eight-finals, then they surely have great chances of making it to the last eight.
The team has lots of experienced names that will need to be used carefully, but if the presence of the veterans is well-managed, they could go far in the World Cup.
For even more detailed analysis of all 32 teams in the FIFA World Cup 2022, download your copy of the November Total Football Analysis magazine here More

MURAT YAKIN will be hoping that his men make it to the knockout stages for a third consecutive time, after reaching the Round of 16 in the last two editions of the World Cup.They have a competitive group that consists of African giants Cameroon, Serbia and big favourites Brazil.

With a decent squad at their disposal, Switzerland will be hoping to exceed expectations in this tournament. 
Predicted starting XI
There are a couple of obvious choices from each department.
After Yann Sommer’s injury in the Bundesliga, it remains unclear whether or not he’ll be ready for the tournament.
Therefore, Dortmund’s Gregor Kobel is likely to be their number one. 
GET £40 WORLD CUP BONUS WITH 888SPORT
read more world cup news
In front of him, the obvious defenders would be Ricardo Rodriguez and Manuel Akanji together with Kevin Mbabu, Silvan Widmer, Nico Elvedi and Fabian Schär are also expected to make it into the final squad.
Among the midfielders, Granit Xhaka is going to be their main man. Freuler and Djibril Sow will be partnering him.

The other options could be Denis Zakaria who is also expected to make the squad.
The attacking department will be spearheaded by Breel Embolo while other viable options include Haris Seferovic, Ruben Vargas and Noah Okafor. 
FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALS – BEST NEW CUSTOMER OFFERS
How the Swiss could line up in Qatar
Most read in Football
Attacking Phase
Switzerland are not a very dominant team when it comes to playing with possession. 
They tend to use the long ball very often and at the same time, they don’t play many progressive passes.
Even when they play long balls they don’t look to play it quickly due to their conservative approach. 
Most of their chances come from crosses with the likes of Rodriguez and Widmer delivering dangerous balls from out wide.
In most situations, Switzerland look to play the ball out from the back by inviting the opposition to press.
Switzerland’s centre backs split as the goalkeeper helps the backline
Their shape is typically a 4-1-4-1, with Xhaka staying deeper in case of defensive turnovers and Freuler pushing forward next to Djibril Sow in attacking midfield. This helps to stretch the defence horizontally.
Xhaka’s importance to the team is huge; during their attacking phase, his positioning and ability to find players in space is crucial for Switzerland to move into the final third.
HOW TO GET FREE BETS ON THE WORLD CUP
A passing lane is created for a forward to receive the ball when a midfielder drops deep
We know they are very conservative on the ball. So Xhaka’s ability to progress the ball for them is very important to their attack.
We can see him dropping as a centre-back in lots of situations. This means that the player marking him has to commit forward leaving space behind him. 
The likes of Shaqiri can benefit from these sequences as he can drop into these central regions and drive forward.
Attacking players can benefit from this tactic and drive forward centrally
If they want to progress past the group stage against Brazil, Serbia and Cameroon, they need to get their attack firing at their best.
Their ability to get the most out of the likes of Embolo and Ruben Vargas will be crucial to their attack succeeding on the big stage.
Defensive Phase
Switzerland are less intense in pressing, but have conceded very few goals overall as they block the shots very well and Yann Sommer has done a good job of preventing goals. 
Switzerland deploy a ball-oriented pressing structure where they look to overload the ball side in most instances and try to force a turnover. 
The issue with this form of pressing is that it leaves a lot of space for the opposition on the far side and that can cause a lot of issues.
An example of that is given below where Switzerland has a lot of players committed to the ball side but have left huge space in front of the defence.
Switzerland’s ball-oriented press can leave a huge space in front of the defence
In their low block, they maintain a 4-4-2 system which is not that unusual.
They can transition into this shape quickly from the 4-2-3-1 and this formation also ensures quick counter-attacks are always a possibility. 
In a low-block Switzerland maintain a 4-4-2 system
Transitions
They use a similar set of principles even during transitions.
An example of this can be seen below where the Swiss players are tracking backwards while having the right body orientation so that Spain’s attackers don’t have the right options to pass or make runs into. 
Swiss stars track backwards and cut out Spain’s attackers passing and runs
During an offensive transition, Switzerland generally look to commit just their three forward players to the counter-attack.
By doing this, all three players are moving towards the centre instead of the wingers staying wide. 
With the likes of Embolo, Vargas and Okafor, Switzerland has several offensive players providing very good acceleration and high speed. An example of this can be seen in the image below.
Switzerland are blessed with pace offensively
With the pace and power from the likes of Embolo, Okafor and Vargas along with Xhaka and Sow providing creativity for them, Switzerland look to be a very threatening team on the break. 
Attackers
Overall, Switzerland have a decent attack with some exciting young talents and a couple of experienced campaigners.
The only concern is that they do not have forwards in their definite peak period with all the options either entering their peak or just leaving it, including Embolo who should be the regular striker.
Midfielders
Arsenal’s Granit Xhaka is their key progressor of the ball. Closely following him behind is Remo Freuler who has also seemed to be a good progressor for his club, Nottingham Forest. 
Zakaria, one of the most highly-rated defensive midfielders in world football, is not very progressive with possession. 
He does pretty well in finding teammates with progressive passes but does not record a lot of passes into the final third. Along with them, Djibril Sow will probably start. 
Defenders
Overall, Switzerland’s defensive department is stacked with some experienced faces and they have a variety of options available apart from Akanji and Rodriguez who are expected to be sure starters. 
Key Player
Despite having the likes of Embolo and Akanji in the squad, Granit Xhaka will be their key player and probably their best player going into the tournament.
While Arsenal under Mikel Arteta had a turbulent 2021-22 season, the Swiss was one of the low-key best performers at the club. 
And again in 2022-23, Xhaka provides outstanding performances.
Overall, his positives completely outweigh his certain negatives and the stats show why Xhaka is probably the best Swiss player going into the tournament.
Switzerland would be expecting him to be at his best for them to qualify and make it into the knockout stages.
Tournament prediction
With Brazil in their group, Switzerland would be the second favourite ahead of Cameroon and perhaps Serbia to qualify from their group into the next stage. 
Read More on The Sun
They will probably fight with the Serbians for the 2nd place in this group, and depending on what happens in Group H, they may have a chance to qualify for the quarter-finals. 
For even more detailed analysis of all 32 teams in the FIFA World Cup 2022, download your copy of the November Total Football Analysis magazine here More

JURGEN KLINSMANN has backed Harry Kane to fire England to World Cup glory and end his trophy drought – just like he did.The Germany legend, 58, helped fire his country to glory back in 1990.
Jurgen Klinsmann won the 1990 World Cup with Germany – his first major trophyCredit: News Group Newspapers Ltd
He believes Harry Kane can end his trophy drought in QatarCredit: Getty
But despite his glittering career, before that he had only won the Italian Super Cup.
Klinsmann would later go on to enjoy two memorable spells in the Premier League with Tottenham.
And it is still a club close to his heart – and he especially likes his old team’s talisman Kane.
The striker is bang in form for Spurs after failing to secure a move away to Manchester City last year and is closing in on becoming the all-time top scorer for both club and country.
READ MORE WORLD CUP NEWS
However, the 29-year-old is still searching for his first piece of silverware as a player.
Klinsmann believes that could happen this summer if the 2018 World Cup Golden Boot winner is on top form in Qatar.
Speaking to the Daily Mail, he said: “Harry is admirable. He is a complete No 9 and in the top five in the world.
“But we have suffered a bit for him because he is the kind of player for whom you wish trophies, you know.
Most read in Football
PLAY OUR DREAM TEAM WORLD CUP FANTASY FOOTBALL GAME TO WIN A SHARE OF £50k
“He gets closer and closer to do so with Spurs. Spurs have the capability of winning things now. They have the infrastructure and a beautiful stadium.
“But obviously he has that hunger for winning trophies and maybe it’s the moment now that it will happen for him in Qatar.”
He added: “I was actually in a similar situation when I played for Spurs.
“I left after a year because I got a call from Franz Beckenbauer at Bayern Munich and couldn’t say no because I knew I would immediately win things, which I did.
“When Harry gets those calls from other clubs he maybe gets nervous because they give him a higher probability to win trophies. But he is in a good spot, still, and hopefully it happens this season.
“I won my first big trophy when I won the World Cup so it can happen.
“I keep my fingers crossed for Harry from that point of view. Maybe this can be it for him.” More

CAMEROON face a strong group. Their opponents in Group G will be Serbia, Brazil, and Switzerland. Serbia seems to be the most likely team to reach the Round of 16, together with Brazil.The Africans will have to fight against the Europeans to reach the Round of 16, as Brazil is definitely expected to finish 1st in the Group. Let’s learn more about the international team of Cameroon!

Predicted Starting XI
Since taking the job mid-calendar year, manager Song has deployed many different formations with Cameroon.
Given the side’s strength in depth in the midfield department, the manager has been able to chop and change the shape depending on the opponent.
Primarily, Cameroon shift between conventional back four systems, such as 4-4-2, 4-3-3, and 4-1-4-1, as well as the 4-2-3-1, although this has been the structure least used by the Cameroonians.
GET £40 WORLD CUP BONUS WITH 888SPORT
How Cameroon could line up in Qatar
read more world cup news
Given that Cameroon will potentially be forced to drop off and defend for large parts of their games, Song will likely line his players out in a 4-4-2.
Attacking phase
Over the course of 2022 so far, Cameroon have boasted 56% of ball possession per game, on average. 
During the AFCON last year, the side held the third-highest possession average in the competition at 58%, losing only to Morocco and Algeria who had higher numbers.
FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALS – BEST NEW CUSTOMER OFFERS
Most read in Sport
However, Cameroon’s numbers are greatly inflated due to Song’s team playing a lot worse opposition than what the Indomitable Lions should expect in Group G of the World Cup. 
For instance, in Cameroon’s recent friendly against South Korea, the African giants had merely 38% of the ball and lost 2-0.
Song is quite relaxed about his players having possession of the ball. It would be far from correct for any pundit to call Cameroon a possession-oriented team. 

This is because on the ball, particularly during the build-up phase, the manager is keen to play direct football.
Cameroon do like to position themselves to play out from the back, with the goalkeeper often trying to build up from the defensive field directly to the attacking zone.
Cameroon position themselves to play out of the back – as centre-backs split to accommodate the keeper’s high position
When the Cameroonians do so, the centre-backs split wide to accommodate the higher positioning of the goalkeeper while the fullbacks move up the pitch on the flanks.
The centre-back plays a long ball to the frontmen while Cameroon’s midfield support the attack
Once the ball is played long towards the frontmen, the objective for Cameroon is to win the second ball.
In the image below, the left centre-back has hit the ball directly to the centre-forward who has managed to drag the entire Algeria backline into a deeper position.
Cameroon look for direct passes into Choupo-Moting and Aboubakar
Players like Choupo-Moting and Vincent Aboubakar are excellent aerially and with their hold-up play, making direct passes an efficient option for Cameroon.
The same principle applies when Cameroon are set up in a structured positional attack around the halfway line and are attempting to break down an opponent’s defensive zone.
Again, here, we see both Cameroon’s central midfielder and centre-forward making a run in behind the Burundi backline.
HOW TO GET FREE BETS ON THE WORLD CUP
The central midfielder and forward make a run behind the defence’s line
In attack, there is nothing overly innovative or astonishing about Cameroon.
However, they do have proven, European quality among their ranks in attacking positions across the forward line and the advanced midfielders.
One of the key elements of Cameroon’s play is that it is very direct and very physical.
Defensive Phase
Cameroon are one of the highest pressing sides in Africa, certainly out of the teams from the continent that have qualified for the upcoming Qatar World Cup.
Out of possession, Song is a highly progressive coach.
The gaffer wants his side to press high up the pitch, stifling the opponent’s build-up play and attempting to win the ball in very dangerous areas where they can transition from defence to attack in an instant and try to create opportunities.
Each player is tasked with tightly marking one of the nearest passing options for the opposition.
The nearest passing options are marked by Cameroon players
Here, the players have all been assigned a man to mark when Burundi are attempting to pass out from deep. 
When pressing in a high block, Cameroon are actually really effective and cause a lot of trouble for their opponents which can be seen from the following data visual.
Since AFCON in 2021, Toko Ekambi, who has been used as a winger as well as a centre-forward.
However, Song has a tendency to only order his players to press against lesser opponents as these are games where Cameroon have the best opportunity to win their individual duels against each man.
In matches against teams of greater quality, such as Algeria or Morocco, Cameroon have primarily dropped off to defend in a compact defensive block, limiting the space behind the backline.
Defensively against stronger opposition, Cameroon drop off to defend in a compact block
As can be seen from this image, Cameroon’s 4-1-4-1 defensive block is narrow between the lines.
If an opponent plays the ball inside the lines, the players must gang up to either win back possession or force a pass back outside before recouping the same shape.
Two Cameroon stars quickly close down the ball carrier
Here, the Algerian midfielder has received and turned on the ball. In an attempt to negate the ball carrier carrying the ball further, the two nearest players quickly close him down.
Transitions
Transitions are not overly important to the overall tactical set-up of Cameroon. 
Defensively, there is more of a game plan or at least an idea of how to act in this phase. Unlike most teams these days, Cameroon don’t counterpress.
Counterpressing is a collective effort from numerous nearby players in a structured manager to close down the ball carrier, cutting off a counterattack at its source. Song’s men are merely looking to delay their opponent’s breakaway. 
This can be through fouling or by genuinely making an excellent tackle.
Song’s Cameroon look to delay their opponent’s breakaway with a foul or tackle
In this example against Burundi, the Cameroon player tracking back shuttled the carrier out wide, closing off the possibility of the attacker playing back inside. 
When attacking, the manager allows his players to be freer with their movement, emphasising plenty of ball-carrying, dribbling past opponents and running in behind.
Running with the ball and getting in behind is encouraged
Having players such as Zambo-Anguissa who is an excellent ball carrier as well as Jean Onana while Aboubakar and Toko Ekambi move beyond the opponent’s backline is instrumental to Cameroon being dangerous during attacking transitions.
Defenders
Nouhou Tolo on the left and Collins Fai on the right will be important in providing width for Cameroon. Jean-Charles Castelletto and Nicolas Nkoulou, this will be the duo in the middle of the back four, could form a decent partnership for the African nation. 
Furthermore, André Onana will be vital at initiating Cameroon’s attacks.
Midfielders
Samuel Gouet has been Song’s preferred option as the ‘6’ for Cameroon over the past calendar year.
The midfielder will be instructed to make passes into the space between the lines to the forward line and advanced midfielders while also protecting the backline during transitions.
It is further forward in the middle where Cameroon possess the most quality. Jean Onana and Zambo-Anguissa are two incredibly exciting midfielders. 
Attackers
In attack, Cameroon are stacked with experience, power, pace, strength, intelligence and goalscoring ability with players such as Vincent Aboubakar, Choupo-Moting and Toko Ekambi who have played at the highest level in Europe.
However, the depth from the bench will be equally important. Bryan Mbeumo and Georges-Kévin Nkoudou are interesting options too.
Key player
Cameroon have several excellent players within the squad, especially those who are applying their trade at some of Europe’s biggest clubs including André Onana at Internazionale and Choupo-Moting at Bayern Munich, and so it was extremely difficult to pinpoint which player would be absolutely key for the Rigoberto Song in Qatar.
However, Franck Zambo-Anguissa is definitely a strong name of this team.
Having failed to adapt to life in the Premier League with Fulham, the midfield general moved on loan to Villarreal and later Napoli before permanently joining the latter last summer.
Now, he is a star performer for Luciano Spalletti’s Serie A table-toppers.
Tournament Prediction
Cameroon faces a strong group alongside Brazil, Serbia and Switzerland and are certainly the underdogs from the quartet.
Read More on The Sun
Realistically, Cameroon should finish bottom of the foursome but a win and a draw against Serbia and Switzerland could be enough to see Song’s side advance.
As they’ll face Switzerland, the third force of this group, in the first game, a victory could be very important to boost morale and perhaps allow them a chance to finish 2nd behind Brazil and reach the Round of 16.
For even more detailed analysis of all 32 teams in the FIFA World Cup 2022, download your copy of the November Total Football Analysis magazine here More

BRAZIL boast the most impressive history of a team in the World Cup.The Brazilians are the only team with five titles, and the only international side that never failed to qualify for the tournament.

Even when they’re not living their best days, they must be considered one of the favourite teams to lift the trophy. 
The team of Tite certainly has a lot of potential.
Neymar was the key player of a generation, but Vinicius Jr. is simply the man who scored the only goal of the last Champions League final.
Neymar is always surrounded by controversies, especially in his homeland.
GET £40 WORLD CUP BONUS WITH 888SPORT
read more world cup news
After the rising star of Brazil helped Real Madrid on their quest to win their 14th Champions League title, some renowned journalists in Brazil considered that the big name of Brazil in the 2022 World Cup is Vinicius Jr and not Neymar.
The manager of Brazil, however, doesn’t have to make a choice and will most likely use both players are regulars.
But the boys from Brazil will have to overcome some challenges to lift their sixth World Cup trophy.
HOW TO GET FREE BETS ON THE WORLD CUP
Predicted Starting XI
If we consider the last months of the Brazilian team, then this would be the expected starting XI, featuring big names like Thiago Silva, Alisson, Casemiro, the rising stars Vinicius Jr. and Raphinha, and Neymar. 
However, the last friendlies against Tunisia and Ghana showed that Tite has different variations in his mind.
Tite prefers a 4-3-3 formation with Neymar in the middle but he has put him in midfield
Most read in Sport
The test with Neymar as a midfielder was proof that he’s scratching his head to define a regular team.
This question is easy to understand, but hard to solve: where to use Neymar and Vini Jr? Both players are best used as left-wingers. 
Neymar, however, has shown versatility since his early days playing for Santos in Brazil prior to his transfer to Barcelona.
Back when he was very young, he had already proven that he could help his teammates with lots of assists, and also score many goals.
Perhaps the biggest surprise in the last weeks was the good form of Alex Telles.
The Manchester United loanee is living good days in Spain playing for Sevilla.
There’s a chance he could become the regular left-back when the Brazilians face Serbia in their first game of the group stage.
FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALS – BEST NEW CUSTOMER OFFERS
Attacking Phase
When the Brazilians attack, the midfielders and attackers tend to rotate a lot and try to confuse the opposing defenders.
Neymar and Vini Jr. are players that leave their positions when they are left winger and often run across the box – scoring goals from the usual areas where strikers, right-wingers and attacking midfielders usually appear.
Brazil stars swap position in a fluid system that brings its own problems
This is, in fact, Brazil’s greatest strength and weakness.
Sometimes the change of positions in the attacking phase creates space to shoot and creates confusion.
But sometimes, in big games like the last Copa America final, against the defence of a stronger team, this kind of style doesn’t work as well as you’d think.
Better teams are less prone to be pulled out of position and this means there isn’t space to create the scoring chance.
Moreover, it depends a lot on the good form of players like Neymar to work perfectly.
Brazil has great squad depth, but they rely a lot on their biggest star.
And as their biggest rivals Argentina have shown us over the years, relying on your No 10 all the time does not make a World Cup-winning team.
Brazil like to use the full width of the pitch
Brazil uses a lot of the space between the defenders and the midfielders, as well as the wings, and lower tier teams have a hard time trying to adjust their man marking.
Teams find it hard to cope with Brazil’s wide stars
Defensive Phase
Brazil has been playing in a very dominant way in the last few years.
They focus on having the ball possession in the attacking third, and their defensive moments usually don’t last long, as they work fast after recovering the ball, organizing quick counterattacks that rely on the speed of their world-class wingers.
They have great defenders like Thiago Silva, Marquinhos and Casemiro to help them recover the ball quickly meaning they can get back into dangerous positions quickly.
Below, as Argentina, begin their build-up on the left-hand side, Brazil shift their entire high block over.
Brazil go for a man-for-man defensive press
The press is initially led by two players, and as the ball is played to either side, one player will pressure the centre-back while the other tucks in on the opposition’s defensive midfielder.
With their block moved over, they adopt a man-to-man press and aim to keep the opposition from progressing into the midfield third.
The Brazilians are in line with modern football techniques and they work hard to recover the ball when the opponent has it in their defensive third. Yes, it’s another high press.
Brazil players surround the man on the ball
When Brazil doesn’t have the ball, a 4-4-2 formation is often used.
After recovering the ball, the team focuses on using the spaces between the lines.
Brazil often adopt a 4-4-2 formation in defence
Transitions
The transitions between defence and attack are a strong point of this team, especially between the midfield and the attackers.
The midfield block and the attackers fuse into a strong block of players that confuses the opposition.
Brazilians close down quickly to try to win the ball back
They converge on the man on the ball
The great quality of the players makes it easy for the player with the ball to find someone to pass the ball to quickly and effectively.
Brazil attack with great speed when they have the opportunity to counterattack.
The fast action after the recovery of the ball is a big asset of this team, and being able to give it to Vini Jr or Rodrygo or Neymar etc does help really.
Brazil attack with great speed once they have the ball back
Attackers
Brazil always has great attackers and this team is no exception. Richarlison, Vini Jr, Raphinha and Neymar are in top form. This area is certainly the strongest one in Tite’s squad.
Midfielders
Casemiro is a very important player in this team as he is experienced and won lots of trophies with Real Madrid before joining Manchester United.
Paquetá may not be as famous, but he has been called often by Tite and is an important part of his system. 
If Tite decides to use Raphinha, Vini Jr, and Richarlison as regulars, we may even see Neymar as a midfielder during the World Cup – as has been experimented with recently.
Defenders
The regular defenders are an important part of this team. Thiago Silva and Marquinhos form a solid part of their defensive system.
Alex Telles is also performing well and may become a regular during the tournament.
Éder Militão is also a useful player as he has been used as a right-back too in the last friendlies, which gives them some versatility.
Key player
Neymar is a powerhouse of assists and goals and everyone knows that.
He is displaying such a commitment during the PSG games prior to the World Cup – as he tries to show Tite and the Brazilian press that he’s serious about this World Cup.

Neymar is always surrounded by controversies, especially in France, but his numbers prior to the tournament are great.
It’s true that Ligue 1 isn’t as competitive as La Liga, his former domestic league, but it’s only fair to say that he’s doing all he can to arrive in Qatar in top form.
If he can allow himself to share the limelight with some of Brazil’s other attacking stars, things could come together nicely.
Tournament Prediction
The Brazilians certainly are one of the favourites to win the World Cup, together with France and England.
Brazil is expected to qualify for the Round of 16, as always, although their group has teams of intermediate quality like Serbia and Switzerland, which means they’ll be properly challenged before they face the knockout stage.
Read More on The Sun
This challenge could be good for the South Americans, to prepare for tougher games on their quest to lift their sixth World Cup.
For even more detailed analysis of all 32 teams in the FIFA World Cup 2022, download your copy of the November Total Football Analysis magazine here More