Post by Mohamed Zakaria HMAMOUCHE, MBA

How did Spain manage to eliminate the formidable French team, even though their young star Lamine Yamal is still performing below his usual standard in this World Cup? France's Attack Plan With their four star forwards (Mbappé, Dembélé, Olise, and Doué)— qualified as "UFOs: Unidentified Flying Objects" or "Avengers" by some—France seemed capable of tearing apart any defense, even highly compact low blocks. To properly organize this firepower, head coach Didier Deschamps took inspiration from Luis Enrique's methods at PSG: 1. Constant movement: He deployed his players in a system where they were constantly swapping positions. 2. Role swapping: Olise and Dembélé continuously alternated between the midfield and the right flank. 3. Freedom for Mbappé: Mbappé rotated on the left with Doué or Barcola, while Dembélé would occasionally drift inside to create an overload in the center whenever he saw Mbappé or Doué overlapping on the left wing. On paper, this fluid style of play made the French attack impossible to predict and stop. Spain's Tactical Response: To shut down this highly dangerous attack, Spanish coach Luis de la Fuente drew inspiration also (as Deschamps did from Luis Enrique) from Hansi Flick's tactics at FC Barcelona: pushing his defensive line high to press the French directly in midfield and disrupt their constantly rotating attacking diamond. To make this strategy work against such rapid forwards, De la Fuente successfully capitalized on the muscle memory of the Barcelona players in his squad: I) The offside trap: The young defender Cubarsí, for instance, has already mastered this technique. (In fact, it was this very trap that completely neutralized Mbappé during Hansi Flick's first El Clásico against Real Madrid in October 2024—a match Barcelona won 4-0, where the French forward was flagged offside 8 times & where VAR disallowed two of Mbappé's goals during this match). II) An alert goalkeeper: If Mbappé ever managed to beat the offside trap using his pace on a long ball, Spain had a safety net. Goalkeeper Unai Simón was prepared to rush off his line quickly to clear the ball downfield. That being said, I think we must give huge credit to Luis de la Fuente's audacity. He successfully disrupted the French attacking diamond with a remarkable defensive strategy, built on a highly disciplined offside trap and a hyper-reactive Unai Simón, who was always ready to abandon his line, act as a sweeper-keeper, and intercept deep passes played in the back of central defense. By combining this defensive discipline with their traditional possession-based game, Spain deprived France of the ball entirely. The moment Les Bleus managed to win it back, the suffocating press of the Rodri–Fabián Ruiz duo, paired with Spain’s rigid defensive line designed to catch France offside, instantly neutralized any French offensive transitions. Bravo once again to de la Fuente: this is what you call a football tactical masterclass.