World Cup

FRANCE’s lineup for the 2022 World Cup with one of the best and largest squads, full of incredible talent – including this time the recent Ballon D’Or winner and mad inventor lookalike, Karim Benzema. After lifting the prestigious World Cup in Russia back in 2018, France wants to repeat their recent success.

The holders will also aiming to erase what happened in at Euro 2020 — being knocked out early by the Swiss on penalties. 
Didier Deschamps has a massive pool of talent at his disposal.
He can narrow that down to a great squad, with depth in all positions – but we cannot hide from the fact their tactical performance has worsened since the last Euro.
Predicted starting XI
Although France has one of the most changeable starting XIs, with even their formations constantly changing, Deschamps has found the balance inside his large group.
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How France could line up at the World Cup
Setting up in a 3-4-1-2 with Hugo Lloris in what is going to be his last World Cup, behind Lucas Hernández, Raphael Varane and Jules Kounde – in what seems to be a very solid, yet young and experimental defence.
Kingsley Coman has started to play as a wing-back for them, and on the other flank is Ferland Mendy, whose performances have helped him to become a starter for his National Team.
Adrien Rabiot and Aurélien Tchouaméni will likely be the midfield partnership after N’Golo Kanté’s injury setback leaves him out of the tournament.
Up front, France will likely play with a trio of Antoine Griezmann, Kylian Mbappé and Benzema. 
Attacking phase
France likes to use a possession-based style where players can move around the pitch, but also with certain roles to contribute in the build-up.
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Players like Tchouaméni have become vital for the team because of their fantastic ability to break pressure between the lines, contributing both defensively and with attacking actions, just like he does for Real Madrid.
Yet, France have become a slow-tempo team that doesn’t find the correct answers quickly.
Tactically intelligent France can break the lines with ease
The team certainly has talent, but they are not living their best days tactically.
The team has the tactical intelligence talent to break the lines as we can see in the image above and the image below.
France play with a slow-tempo and don’t find the correct answers quickly
When France reaches the attacking zone, players like Griezmann and Benzema can create chances as well as score goals – yet the can also crowd spaces too frequently.
Below, ahead of the man on the ball, you can see all three players in the same zone leaving few passing options.
The French midfield can struggle to find a pass with attackers who bunch together
France has many different ways of scoring goals. The versatility of Kylian Mbappé is notable.
His long carries that start at the middle of the pitch and end up almost every time in a 1v1 duel against the goalkeeper are a strong weapon of the team of Deschamps.
But it is Griezmann who is really the orchestrator – as we can see below, he likes to take up space between the defence and the midfield and fire passes into the feet of the front two.
Antoine Griezmann likes to drop deep and start France’s attacks
When the midfielders and the attackers of France mix into a block before the box of the opponents, their creativity to find spaces is a strong weapon, due to the talent of names like Griezmann, Benzema, Mbappé and Rabiot.
Below, we can see an example of getting players into the box and quick, clever interplay between the attacking players.
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Clever interplay in the box is a feature of France’s forwards
Defensive phase
France can defend using different formations including a line of 3 or 4 in defence.
Regardless of the formation, they have talent to defend and counter quickly when they recover the ball.
As we see below, their shape tries to stop the player on the ball having an easy pass into the attacking third – if any of the three players highlighted furthest from the ball win it, then they will have options in the three players highlighted higher up the pitch.
A structured shape allows France to counter quickly when they recover the ball
Below we can see that France have not been looking that good defensively in terms of their numbers. T
hey don’t win the ball back often, even less often high up the pitch.
That said, they concede few shots per game. We feel their best bet is to be as aggressive as possible and score goals early, dominating the games from the beginning. 
Transitions
In attacking transitions, ‘Les Bleus’ like to rely very much on the world’s best player running into space: Kylian Mbappé.
When the PSG player gets the ball, his impressive and almost unbeatable speed allows him to sprint towards the box, create chances for his teammates and of course, more importantly for him personally – score himself.
Defenders
France has good squad depth in the centre-back spot including names like William Saliba, Dayot Upamecano, Presnel Kimpembe, Raphael Varane. 
Full-backs are also well-covered and it’ll be another dilemma for Deschamps to select the best ones, with the likes of Ferland Mendy, Léo Dubois, Jonathan Clauss, Benjamin Pavard or Lucas Digne all available.
Midfielders
Midfield presents another tough selection for Deschamps – as if this squad could present any easy choices.
With the injury to N’Golo Kanté, the call for Tchouaméni and Adrien Rabiot to be the starters at the double-pivot is surely going to happen. 
Attackers
Having players like Kingsley Coman, Wissam Ben Yedder, Ousmane Dembélé or Christopher Nkunku to play alongside Karim Benzema, Antoine Griezmann and Kylian Mbappé has to be one of the most difficult decisions Deschamps is going to make.
Modern football can make it hard to distinguish between attackers and midfielders, especially when it comes to wingers.
But the French manager surely will have some of the greatest options possible compared with other coaches.
Key player
Karim Benzema has become the main man for France
Recent Ballon D’Or winner Karim Benzema has the chance to show what his football is capable of.
His magical season at Real Madrid where his team won the double thanks to his goals, assists and his synergy with the system and especially Vinicius Jr, has made him one of the standout players for the tournament and one to follow in his return to the France National Team.
Tournament prediction
Although France hasn’t been playing beautiful football in recent matches, and even in the recent major competitions, they always have an extremely talented squad with world-class players that can’t be underestimated.
It wouldn’t be a shock to see them progress to the semi-finals and even, once again, to the final of the World Cup, running it back to 2018 and the last edition of this most prestigious competition.
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Equally, they have it in their locker to combust and exit early – but probably not in the group stages.
They are in Group D where they’ll face Australia, Denmark and Tunisia, and they are expected to finish 1st in the Group, and they’ll probably face Poland or Mexico in the Round of 16.
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POLAND have had a rough couple of recent tournaments – they will be dreaming of better in Qatar.Still in the ranks is the prolific Robert Lewandowski, now of Barcelona.

However, going into the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, the Polish national team has become somewhat of an unknown commodity. 
A new manager is again in the hot seat, with former Poland U21 boss Czesław Michniewicz now in charge going into the tournament.
Young talent has also started to break into the senior squad.
Spezia’s Jakub Kiwior, Feyenoord’s Sebastian Szymanski, and AS Roma’s Nicola Zalewski all likely to be not just on the plane to Qatar, but in the starting lineup for the first group stage match. 
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Predicted starting XI
Through his short time in charge of the Polish national team so far (eight matches), Czesław Michniewicz has experimented with different personnel and starting formations to try and find the best solution.
This 3-4-2-1 system has been what the Polish boss has used in their last warm-up games before the World Cup. 
Looking at the defence, Juventus’s Wojciech Szczęsny is an absolute guarantee to start in goal for Poland.
Czesław Michniewicz has settled on a 3-4-2-1 formation
The 66-cap international has become the undisputed #1 between the sticks since Łukasz Fabiański’s retirement from international football last year.
Moving forward into the defensive line, we predict that Michniewicz will stick with three centre-backs.
Aston Villa’s Jan Bednarek and Benevento’s Kamil Glik will likely start, with Spezia’s Jakub Kiwior being a surprise addition to the starting lineup.
Though he only has 4 senior caps to his name after making his senior international debut earlier this year, the 22-year-old has begun to establish himself firmly in the manager’s plans. 
Moving up the pitch into midfield, 93 cap man Grzegorz Krychowiak will once again be the anchor in the midfield at another international tournament for his country, with the Al-Shabab player being Poland’s most experienced starter in midfield.
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Next to him will likely be Torino midfielder Karol Linetty, who after an indifferent campaign for his club in the 2021/22 season, has excelled for club and country so far this term. 
Moving out to the wing-back/wide midfielder positions, Nicola Zalewski and Matty Cash look like the likely starters.
In the attacking positions, Sebastian Szymański will likely start alongside Piotr Zielinski in attacking midfield.
Szymański has had a very good start to the season for Feyenoord, with 4 goals and 4 assists across all competitions so far this season.
Finally, leading the line for Poland will be none other than Robert Lewandowski.
Poland’s all-time leading goal scorer with 76 goals for his country will be hoping he can add to that tally at the end of November. 
Attacking phase 
Michniewicz opts for a style of play based on quick ball progression by playing it long towards a centre-forward or into the channels for the attackers to run onto.
They are also not a high possession side. Following are a couple of examples of Poland’s attacking style of play that we expect to see them utilise in the World Cup. 
Poland don’t rely on a high-possession game and play long balls into channels
As we saw in the data metric above, Poland are not a high-possession side.
They instead look to win possession back and then quickly attack, looking for space in behind the opposition’s defence, and playing long balls into these channels.
An example of this is shown above from Poland’s recent UEFA Nations League match against Belgium. 
In the phase of play above, notice how the player in possession has options to play the ball short and continue to build, notably a square ball to his direct right.
However, with Belgium playing a back three, the wing-back on the far side is advanced and out of position as a result of the last Belgium attack.
The Poland player then plays a long crossfield ball into the space on the opposite side of the field.
This allows them to break the Belgian press, and attack quickly while their defence is not organised. 
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Route one is Poland’s preferred route of attack
Above shows an even better example of Poland’s preferred route one style of attacking football.
Preceding this image, the ball was played all the way back from the Belgian attacking third to Szcesęny in the Poland net.
He then played the ball out wide to the defender, who was able to send a cross in behind the Belgian defence towards the forward running in behind.
The ensuing long ball can find the forward running in behind the defender’s back shoulder.
However, the shot is sent over the bar, but the movement and pass are, again, what Poland will look to produce plenty of during the World Cup. 
Another thing to notice in this attacking phase from Poland is that all 10 outfield players are essentially beyond midfield and in the opposition’s half.
While it is rare for them to send all of their outfield players forward, this allows Poland to overwhelm their opposition in the attacking half of the pitch.
It also allows them to be prime targets to win either first or second balls when they are played long from the backline.
As a side that is not possession-oriented, the ability to win these first and second balls is key to being able to attack successfully. 
Poland can still use quick passes to spring forward
While they may be categorised as a long-ball team and not really possession-based, Poland are still capable of using quick passing sequences as a means of getting into the attacking half of the pitch. In the phase of play above, this is demonstrated.
The goalkeeper plays the ball long into the wing-back. The defender can head the ball on first-time to the midfielder who is running unmarked in behind the Dutch fullback who is isolated in a 2v1.
The flicked-on ball is played into the space for the midfielder to run onto and move into the attacking half, making it a 4v4 against the Dutch backline in a span of only three passes. 
Though Poland will not be the most expansive team to watch from an attacking perspective at this winter’s World Cup, they will create chances.
They also likely won’t create many per game, but all they may need is one to win if their defence can hold firm, which will be analysed in more detail next. 
Defensive phase 
Poland are a team that will drop back and sit in a defensive block most times. 
Their high PPDA, in the 66th percentile, also indicates that they don’t tend to press very high up the pitch.
With that said, Poland will adapt their game plan defensively to whatever it may call for.
Following are some examples of Poland in the defensive phase. 
Poland defend in a back five
The image above shows Poland’s defensive shape and shows why they rank highly in blocked shots and recoveries in their own third. In their back-three system, they defend in a back five, with it turning into a 5-3-2 defensively.
Notice how eight outfield players are behind the ball with the midfield and defensive lines staying tight and compact, not allowing much space at all centrally.
Poland allows the space out wide for teams to attack them, but can stay tight and compact to not allow the play to get moved centrally. 
That is exactly what happens in the defensive phase shown above, as Belgium are unable to move the ball centrally as a result of Poland’s defensive numbers in this area.
Due to this, the ball is closed down by the Polish defenders in the wide area and they can eliminate the Belgian attack. 
When defending, Poland’s wing back will pressure the player in possession
The defensive phase of play above shows another tactic that Poland tends to do when they are in a low defensive block.
After they force the play into the wide channel, the wing-back, along with the ball side midfielder, look to close down the player in possession, with them looking to win back possession or force them to play backwards. 
In this example, the Wales winger is forced to play the ball backwards, allowing the Polish defence to relieve some pressure.
Notice also how Poland have numbers back in the box defensively, and because they are strong in the air, they would consider themselves favourites to be able to clear the ball away from danger if a cross were to have been sent into the box. 
Poland like to double-up against the wide player in possession
This final example also shows Poland looking to double up against the player in possession out wide.
Once again, the Dutch player is forced to play the ball backwards, as there are no options for him to play forward to in advanced positions.
With the Polish defence forcing the Dutch to play the ball backwards, it once again allows them to reset defensively. 
As this section has illustrated, Poland are a team that prefers to sit back in a low block and absorb pressure when they lose possession.
However, with that being said, don’t expect Poland to just sit back in a low block defensively at all times; they may alter their defensive tactics at times based on the opposition. 
Transitions
Poland like to counter quickly when they win the ball back
With Poland not being a possession-oriented side under Michniewicz, transitional moments are some of the most dangerous attacking moments for the team.
The image above shows a good example of exactly what Michniewicz’s side is capable of when regaining possession in vulnerable areas for the opposition.
After Belgium lost possession in Poland’s final third, the Polish players were able to break quickly on a counterattack as a result of Belgium pushing a lot of their numbers forward.
Seven of Poland’s outfield players can break, allowing them to possibly engage in a quick attacking move. 
Five Poland stars join in on the break as a wave of white shirts pile forward
The image above shows another example of Poland attacking quickly as a result of a turnover by the opposition in a dangerous area.
After the ball is turned over by the Netherlands, Poland can quickly counter to try and create a goalscoring opportunity.
In this phase of play above, the Dutch full-back is caught out of possession, allowing for the ball to be played into the wide channel and behind the Dutch centre-backs. 
Poland will be dangerous in transitional moments, so this will be something that other sides need to watch out for come World Cup time. 
Attackers 
The attack is where Poland possess their game-changers. Obviously, there’s Lewa. But don’t forget Milik and Piatek – both more than capable of having an impact in Qatar.
Midfielders 
Poland try to play direct from midfield, so Sebastian Szymański is a key member of the group – Linetty, Zielinski, Krychowiak, Villa’s Matty Cash, Frankowski and Zalewski all have decent long passing accuracy stats to make this effective.
In the final third, Szymański and Napoli star Zieliński will be key to supply their man man.
Defenders 
As we said, Poland will sit in a low black defensively and will rely on the aerial strength of their three from four main centre-backs – Glik, Kiwior, Bednarek and Wieteska.
Key player 
It’s Lewandowski – shock.
Given the start he has made at Barcelona where he still scores goals for fun (turn a blind eye to how important those goals are in the really big games) and the fact he is the Polish all-time record scorer it is no surprise he is the man we expect to be key to their progress.

His goal stats throughout his career are phenomenal.
Lewa has to conserve his energy just a little bit more nowadays, but he is nowhere near the Ronaldo level of being carried.
Enjoy him while you can, he won’t be around forever!
Tournament prediction 
The lazy assumption is “oh they’ve got Lewandowski, they are a dark horse” – but, really, Poland are not.
They should get out of the group – though that is not guaranteed with Mexico pushing them hard for second place.
If they do emerge from the groups, then we would predict a Round of 16 exit and Lewa waving farewell to major tournaments.
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THERE are four things you can count on in life…death, taxes, Guillermo Ochoa putting on Gold Glove performances at the World Cup, and Mexico exiting in the Round of 16.Mexico is one of the 10 most populous countries in the world.

Of the nine countries ahead of them, only Nigeria and Brazil are football-first nations.
Given their obsessive following of the sport and the fact that all their top athletic talents take the football route, Mexico’s limited success at the World Cup is a bit baffling.
Could this be the time they finally break the Round of 16 curse?
Predicted starting XI
Mexico is one of CONCACAF’s two perennial powers, the other being the USA.
Like many traditional powers, they have a very specific style of play and tactical system.
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When Mexico takes to the pitch in Qatar, they will set out in a 4-3-3. The objectives are dominance in possession, dictating temp, and aggressively counterpressing.
Regardless of the opponent, Mexico wants to play on the front foot. They’ll bring energy, intensity, and aggression to Qatar.
Looking at the predicted starting XI, it’s Ochoa time.
It seems like every four years he puts on a Golden Glove-worthy performance at the World Cup. At the age of 37, this will likely be his last hurrah.
How Mexico could line up at the World Cup
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The veteran, Moreno, will anchor the backline. He’s surrounded by three very talented players in Montes, Arteaga, and Sánchez.
The two outside-backs will take very aggressive positions when Mexico is in possession. Look for them to be highly involved.
In midfield, the young Ajax stand-out, Álvarez, is undoubtedly the most talented player in the middle of the pitch, if not the entire squad.
Up top is full of question marks. Tecatito Corona suffered an injury and will miss the World Cup, leaving Mexico without their preferred right forward.
To make matters worse, Jiménez is struggling to regain his fitness. Though he should make the roster, Mexico can hardly count on him to be productive while out of form.
That puts a lot of pressure on Lozano. Antuna looks like the choice on the opposite flank, but it’s the star power of Chucky that Mexico will lean on. Should Jimenez miss the tournament, the burden only increases.
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Attacking phase
Jiménez has been Tata Martino’s go-to striker, but the Wolves player is coming back from an injury and was struggling for minutes even before the fitness concerns.
To score at the World Cup, Mexico will have to be exceptional in open play. In their 4-3-3 system, that starts with a strong build-out.
Mexico’s game model is a very standard 4-3-3. Two centre-backs split into the half spaces, outside-backs will push high and the midfield triangle will remain tightly connected with a single pivot.
That pivot player will oscillate between a higher position in midfield and dropping in between the centre backs.
Mexico’s midfield will drop into the centre back position and move the ball forward
Mexico’s midfield does rotate very effectively. If Álvarez, who will play the six, steps into the midfield, the player in the box-to-box role, typically Guardado or Herrera, will drop deeper to maintain the triangular structure.
If Mexico builds out, they’ll look to play through the lines and progress the ball near midfield.
As the team chooses to attack left, centre, or right, the forwards will adjust their positioning to coordinate their width with the sequence of play.
If the ball is in the wings, expect the near-sided winger to check towards the ball, the striker to pinch into that near half-space, and the far-sided forward to look for opportunities to get in behind.
The far side winger will always look to get behind the defence
If play is built centrally, look for the two wingers to maintain their width, at least initially.
They will look to stretch the backline in an attempt to get him behind.
If the opposition’s backline remains narrow, Mexico will look to play into the wingers, either looking for them to engage in 1v1 duels or drive inside to create the overlap for the oncoming outside-backs.
Once Mexico gets into the final third of the pitch they will look to push numbers into the box. They routinely get at least three players into the box, overloading centrally to increase their chance of latching onto a service.
In this example against Colombia, a clever dummy of a through ball got Mexico behind the backline, leading to their second goal of the game.
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Mexico like to overload centrally to get behind the backline
In terms of Mexico’s attacking tactics, they should show well at the World Cup in the way they build out of the back and play through the lines.
It’s when they get to the final third, or really the box, that issues emerge. Without Chicharito’s trademark poaching in the 18, Mexico may struggle to find the back of the net in Qatar.
Defensive phase
In the qualifying rounds, Mexico conceded just eight goals in 14 games, tying Costa Rica for the fewest goals against in the continent.
Expect Mexico to use the high press against Saudi Arabia and Poland.
However, against Argentina, we could very well see them drop into a 4-4-2 mid-block with an ageing midfield that can’t play a box-to-box game.
Those compact lines will create easier backtracking opportunities for Mexico.
Against Argentina, Mexico may drop into a 4-4-2 mid-block formation
The mid-block takes care of one vulnerability, namely, an ageing squad with the inability to play an end-to-end game.
It should also help Mexico’s box defending. With the midfield sitting a little bit deeper, they should offer better support for the backline and better track runners into the box.
They did have an issue tracking runners in the Colombia match, leading to a well-taken second goal. This comes despite sitting a little deeper in the game.
As Columbia made their way into the box, they were able to find lanes to send negative passes, as well as gaps in the Mexican lines that allowed the South Americans to get good looks at goal.
Colombia were able to break Mexico’s mid-block and score
Improved organisation, placing intense pressure on the opposition’s first attacker, and timing of pressing triggers will be massive for Mexico.
They have had issues in all three areas leading up to the tournament, leading to concern among the fan base.
Take this example against the home of MLS, the USA. All 10 Mexican outfield players are in that shaded area. The camera angle distorts the size a little bit, but it’s approximately a 25m square.
The press is very aggressive, which is fine provided Mexico wins the ball. They simply can’t afford to let the USA play out of their press.
An aggressive press could leave Mexico exposed
However, that’s exactly what happens. The Americans can play into the forwards and clip the ball behind the backline. That puts them into the box and leads to a beautiful delivery across the goal mouth.
Given Mexico’s issues in front of goal, they simply can’t afford to slip up defensively.
Transitions
When Mexico looks to counterattack, they will look to get behind the opposition’s outside-backs. Notice the centre-forward occupying both Colombian centrebacks.
That’s a perfect scenario for Mexico. If Lozano and the other wide forwards can consistently get behind the opposition’s outside-backs, they will create 3v2s and 3v3s.
When Mexico counter they will look to get behind the opposition’s outside backs
In those attacking transitions, the front three and No10 will bear the brunt of the attacking burden. Part of this is down to the system, but another part is the personnel in midfield.
At the risk of beating a dead horse, Mexico’s midfield simply won’t have the legs to consistently get in support of the front three.
Take this example against Canada. Mexico recovered the ball in their defensive third, then immediately played into the forward line.
Initially, this was a 4v3 scenario in Canada’s favour. Three seconds after the ball is initially played in, look at the evolving context.
While it’s still 4v3 to Canada behind the ball, they have another four players quickly recovering. In the end, the Canadians were able to snuff out the counterattack and comfortably restart their attack.
Mexico’s midfield struggles to support their forwards
At the World Cup, when Mexico’s opponents progress into the attacking half of the pitch, El Tri must get organised quickly and slow the tempo of the game to encourage the opponents to take more aggressive starting positions.
As the opposition becomes more expansive, Mexico will increase the likelihood of the front three’s success in attacking transitions.
Mexico could come unstuck when they send too many players forward in the final third
Mexico’s ineffectiveness in attacking transitions has been an issue the past 18 months, as has an expansive rest defence that has led to poor counterpressing and quality chances conceded during opposition counterattacks.
They ask a lot of their two centrebacks and defensive midfielder. Every so often, the squad asks too much of them. There’s simply too much ground to cover.
In a way, Mexico’s World Cup campaign will come down to how well they perform in the attacking and defensive transitions.
Attackers
When you look at the list of attackers, Raul Jimenez and Hirving Lozano leap out at you – even if Jimenez is in a difficult period in his career.
Also watch out for Lainez, once a hot prospect who is slowly rebuilding his reputation at Braga in Portugal. 
Chivas Guadalajara’s Vega is enjoying a strong season and will likely get on the pitch and there is also the exciting young Feyenoord option in Gimenez.
Midfielders
We might have seemed a bit harsh on the Mexican midfield so far – ageing when then have a 24-year-old pivot in Alvarez alongside a 25-year-old Rodriguez?
Well, it’s the third spoke in the midfield wheel which slows it down – be that 36-year-old veterano Guardado or 32-year-old Herrera.
Mexico’s game needs energy and if one of the box-to-box midfielders can’t get from one box to the other it causes problems.
Yet, they are both highly-respected in the group making it hard for Tata to pull the trigger.
Defenders
Mexico are strong at the back – not many are household names with many being based in LigaMX with a couple who have recently made the move to Europe in Arteaga and Sanchez.
Arteaga is doing well at Genk which could be a good platform for him and Sanchez is getting game time at Ajax.
Moreno, back in Mexico after a strong European career in La Liga and Serie A will lead the defence alongside Montes.
Best performer
A couple of seasons ago, we’d have been talking about Jimenez being the main man and pointing out Lozano as the hot prospect to watch out for. But now, with the Wolves striker out of fitness and form, it’s Chucky time.
His season with high-flying Napoli has been sporadic – only nine Serie A appearances at the time of writing with four starts and a handful of Champions League matches – but when we’ve seen him he’s been very very good.
Right now, he’s Mexico’s biggest threat – and he is also their most consistent performer. Their whole game will go through him because it has to if they want to progress.
Tournament prediction
The last time Mexico got past the Round of 16 was in their backyard, 1986. It’s seven exits in a row at that stage – and with Argentina clear favourites for the group, Mexico will be backing themselves to finish second and progress.
As ever, the first match is crucial – it’s really Mexico vs Poland for second in the group and it’s the first game up for both.
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If they can finish second, providing the French have woken up and remembered they are champions, Mexico will face them in the first knockout stage.
Sure, knockout stages are chaotic and anything can happen – but even so, an 8th consecutive Round of 16 exit seems most likely for Mexico.
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SAUDI Arabia are up against Argentina, Mexico and Poland in Group C.Argentina is naturally expected to finish 1st, and the Mexicans and the Poles should fight for the 2nd place, but depending on their luck, the Arabians will try to surprise the world and make it to the Round of 16.

Predicted starting XI 
Saudi Arabia have been alternating between the 4-3-3, 4-4-2 and 4-2-3-1 formations lately and they can play well according to these three types of formations.
However, Renard is more likely going to opt for the 4-2-3-1 one and might change to the 4-3-3 during the game if needed.
He will start the tournament with Al Owais as a goalkeeper as he’s more experienced. At the same time, Fawaz Al-Qarni, Mohammed Al Rubaie and probably Nawaf Al-Aqidi will be the backup goalkeepers.
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The defensive line will be composed of Sultan Al-Ghanam as a right-back, Abdullah Madu and Abdulelah Al-Amri as centre-backs and Yasser Al-Shahrani as a left-back.
This defence is composed of experienced players who played with each other a lot and therefore it is expected that the defensive line will be solid during this tournament, as team chemistry is always a key asset during international tournaments like the World Cup.
In midfield, the team will most likely rely on Salman Al-Faraj and Mohamed Kanno as central midfielders while both Fahad Al-Muwallad and Salem Al-Dawsari can play on the wings, knowing that the two players can be very dangerous in these positions.
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The squad looks balanced on paper even though it lacks players with physical strength. 
Therefore, the team will have to prove on the field that they are capable of handling attacks like Argentina’s, Poland’s and Mexico’s, and that will certainly not be an easy task. Facing Messi, Lewandowski, and Napoli’s Hirving Lozano surely isn’t going to be an easy task!
To score goals, they will need to focus on counterattacks, knowing that they have got some quick and efficient attacking players like Salem Al-Dawsari and Hattan Bahebri. 
Saudi Arabia has some young talent upfront, but still beating teams like their opponents in Group C won’t be easy and even collecting one single point will be a major challenge.
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Attacking phase
Saudi Arabia’s attacking statistics are not really encouraging. The team doesn’t win a lot of offensive duels, the players do not shoot on target a lot per match and more importantly, their goalscoring statistics are quite low.
Shooting from distance is one of the tools Saudi Arabia are good at and they should focus on using this in their favour.
Long range shooting is one of Saudi Arabia’s greatest weapons
At the same time, the attacking players will have to be focused 100% on scoring and there will be no excuse for missing chances like the one shown below. 
Saudi Arabia can struggle to take their chances
Crossing from the wings can be effective and cutting inside from players like Salem Al-Dawsari can be extremely useful and the coaching staff can build movements and combinations on that. 
Relying on shooting from distance only would make the team’s moves predictable and defending against such actions will become easier for opponents.
For example, the player intending to shoot in this action below could have passed to his teammate who was asking for the ball as both of them could have opted for a passing combination to exclude the opposing defenders. 
Instead, he automatically went for the shot without even looking at what was surrounding him and who was asking for the ball.
Sometimes selfishness can creep in to Saudi Arabia’s game with players preferring to shoot from long range
Defensive phase
Saudi Arabia’s defensive phase will be crucial during the tournament as the level of endurance and resistance of this defence will play a big part in determining Saudi Arabia’s overall result. 
As opposed to their attacking statistics, Saudi Arabia’s defensive numbers are quite more solid as they win a fairly good number of defensive duels and aerial duels. 
In this action, Saudi Arabia were lucky because there was an offside position of the striker, but on other occasions, they often defend fairly well.
Defensive and aerial duels are often won by the Saudis
In addition, Saudi Arabia will have to avoid keeping the ball too much in dangerous areas.
Saudi Arabia doesn’t seem to deal well with such pressing and they showed on some occasions that they might make some individual mistakes and concede the ball to opponents.
In this game against Ecuador, Saudi Arabia’s midfielder tries to keep the ball but puts himself in trouble.
Holding onto the ball can lead to Saudi Arabia surrendering possession in dangerous areas
Transitions
In terms of transitions, Saudi Arabia usually start their actions with Al-Faraj, who is their key midfield player. 
In the following picture, he passes towards the right and on other occasions, he provides passes to Al-Dawsari who is one of the best in Saudi Arabia in terms of dribbling skills. 
Therefore, the team often rely on him for progressions from the left wing, cutting inside or early crosses towards the striker.
Key midfielder Al-Faraj usually starts their transitions
Whenever possible, Saudi Arabia rely on quick passing combinations to exclude the opposing players and start counter-attacks. And their tactics are often effective, concerning transitions.
Quick passing combinations push Saudi Arabia forward
Attackers
Saudi Arabia has got plenty of powerful attacking options to choose from and Renard will have to choose the best players for each match of the group stage. 
As wingers, Fahad Al-Muwallad and Salem Al-Dawsari represent great additions to the team, as they are responsible for both wings and especially for supporting the striker and creating opportunities for themselves and for the striker.
Midfielders
The midfield will have to resist a lot during this competition and make sure to intercept passes regularly and help the defensive line continuously since it will be impossible for four players to defend against attacks with dangerous players like Argentina’s.
Therefore, Mohamed Kanno, Salem Al-Dawsari, Hattan Bahebri and perhaps Abdullah Otayf should give a lot of support to the defence in the non-possession phase to concede the minimum number of opportunities or goals. 
Defenders
The defensive line will be the most crucial part of this team as the defensive performance of Saudi Arabia will determine if they will have a chance of progressing or not. 
The back four will have to remain organised throughout the three games and avoid making marking mistakes whether in set pieces or in open play to avoid conceding unnecessary goals.
Key player
Salem Al-Dawsari is Saudi Arabia’s key player in this tournament as he is one of the most skilful Saudi Arabian players at the moment if not the best. 
He is mainly a left winger who plays at Al Hilal and this player can definitely solve Saudi Arabia’s attacking issues given his great individual skills.
He is a very agile player with excellent technique whether in terms of passing, shooting or dribbling. 
Renard will have to exploit Al-Dawsari’s abilities in the best possible way to help the team score goals and make positive results. 
Indeed, defensively speaking, Al-Dawsari is not a player who can be helpful enough, but he makes up for that by being an excellent passer and a very good finisher.
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Tournament prediction
Saudi Arabia will have to fight hard for any point they may collect.
But the World Cup is a special moment and every team has a chance of going forward and reaching the Round of 16. 
Not so long ago in 2014, Costa Rica finished first in a group with England, Italy and Uruguay, so anything can happen!
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

POLAND’S national team were escorted by F-16 fighter jets as they headed to Qatar for the World Cup.The global showcase begins on Sunday as the host nation takes on Ecuador in the opening game.
The Poland football team were escorted on their way to the Qatar World Cup by F1 fighter jetsCredit: Twitter / @LaczyNasPilka
No risks were taken after the deadly missile strike on the Ukraine border on TuesdayCredit: Twitter / @LaczyNasPilka
Poland begin their tournament against Mexico next week
On Thursday, two army aircraft flanked superstar Robert Lewandowski and his team-mates, who are looking to guide Poland to the knockout stages for the first time since 1986.
The reason for the top-class escort was the death of two Polish citizens on a farm four miles from the Ukrainian border on Tuesday.
An emergency Nato meeting followed the passing of the two farmers.
But Poland’s president Andrzej Duda said on Wednesday that a Ukrainian air defence missile had most likely caused the “unfortunate accident”.
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NATO’s secretary general also hinted that there was no indication of a deliberate attack from Russia.
But that didn’t stop the impressive defensive escort to the Polish border on route to the Middle East.
The Twitter account for the national team posted: “We were escorted to the southern border of Poland by F16 planes!
“Thank you and greetings to the pilots!”
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The Poles finished comfortably behind England in qualifying but then received a bye in their play-off semi-final, ironically due to Russia being disqualified following the invasion of Ukraine.
That left them with just a home tie against Sweden to make it to the World Cup, and they duly triumphed 2-0 over Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Co.
They take on Mexico on Tuesday in their first Group C clash.
Saudi Arabia lie in wait after that on Saturday, November 26.
Then things get really tricky as Czeslaw Michniewicz’s team takes on tournament favourites Argentina. More

PHIL FODEN has that World Cup-winning vibe again — having already ruled the planet at youth level.The Manchester City star said he “knew” England would win the Under-17 World Cup five years ago.
Phil Foden is hoping to conquer the world again with EnglandCredit: Richard Pelham / The Sun
He was part of the U17s squad that won the World Cup five years agoCredit: Getty
And now he has  the same feeling as the seniors aim to end their 56-year wait for glory.
Foden, who scored twice in the 5-2 final hammering of Spain in India, said: “I do strongly remember the Under-17s just being so confident. Not being big-headed but we just knew we were going to win because of how good we were and the talent we had.
“Even when we were behind in the final, we carried on playing the same way and believed we were going to win it.
“It was very special. I definitely have the same feeling now.
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“Obviously, from the Euros last year, making it to the final gives the team a big lift.  
“Harry Kane has already touched on it. He sees us as one of the favourites. We’ve just got to be confident and believe in that.”
Foden, 22, is the only member of that U-17s starting XI to be included in Gareth Southgate’s Qatar squad — although Chelsea’s Conor Gallagher came on as sub.
And the City forward, preparing for Monday’s opener against Iran, reckons that ‘life-changing’ victory gave his career a major boost.
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He said: “It was at youth level but there were still a lot of people watching — and it changed some of our lives forever.
“It’s all about gaining experience for when it comes into big games like this. You know how to handle situations.”
Asked whether his current Lions team-mates had quizzed him about that U-17s triumph, Foden replied: “I don’t think they realise.
“I’m going to have to tell them that I’ve already won the World Cup, aren’t I?” More