Braga 3-0 Guimarães: Quick notes from the Quarry

The weekend's first fixture pitted the Minho rivals - Sporting de Braga and Vitória de Guimarães - for a rather entertaining match, as is usually the case. After Braga's resounding win, let us take a closer look at some of the action.

• 1. Braga on the up, future issues to ponder

The days before the match revolved mainly around Ruben Micael's absence from the side and how coach Jesualdo Ferreira would deal with it. Those who watched the match were able to witness one of the Guerreiros' best matches of the season so far as a response. With a now seemingly more established 4x3x3, the team seem more evenly balanced and therefore less inclined to shoot themselves in the foot. Custódio offered the defensive solidity, Luiz Carlos provided coverage while defending and a constant out-ball, while Alan was afforded the liberty to sprinkle his fairy dust virtually all over the place, largely due to Guimarães' approach (more on that later). Jesualdo's men dominated the middle of the park right from the start, with their three-man midfield duly helped by wingers Rafa and Pardo. The team were collectively aggressive and more in tune with Jesualdo's familiar principles, perhaps a tad more possession-based than usual. Their ability to control the centre and to shift the ball quickly to the flanks for dangerous crosses and penetrations from Rafa and Pardo is not to be underestimated.
However, there might be some cause for concern in the future, in this reporter's humble opinion. Custódio does not seem to be the perfect fit for this particular formation. While there remain no doubts that he's more than capable of doing the gritty work, he does not have some of the other traits for the role. The Portuguese international has been used to play in a two-man central midfield (usually with Hugo Viana as his sidekick) and struggles physically with the sole holding midfielder role, particularly due to his lack of speed. Also, the fact that he is not the most technically gifted player means he regularly takes a couple of touches too many on the ball, making him ill-suited for the pivotal role of this particular position. On the other hand, Alan's game last night constitutes clear proof that the side are missing a more cerebral player in midfield. Still, there won't be that many times when Alan is allowed to dictate the tempo and Ruben Micael has shown time and again that he is not the best bet for a typical 4x3x3.

• 2. Guimarães offer too little - once again

The parallelism had never struck me before - until today. While doing some research for a piece on English football, I read something about David Moyes' struggles at Manchester United and his inability to successfully transition into a more storied team. The piece mentioned - to paraphrase - that good managers acknowledged their team's limits and tried to work within them as best they could. Great managers refuse such limits and make their players believe they're capable of doing greater things. Every time I watch Rui Vitória's Guimarães Uin stark contrast to Marco Silva's Estoril) I'm left with that same impression: His side are obviously capable of grinding out results (as stated by their standing in the league table), but they offer precious little when there's the need to build something.

Last night was no different. A team that included André Santos, Barrientos and Marco Matias was unable to create anything noteworthy, instead receding to an expectant, reactive approach. Rui Vitória's instructions for André Santos to man-mark Luiz Carlos and deployment of André André off Tomané and Barrientos on the left was baffling, to say the least. André André, while hard-working, is clearly unsuited for such a role due to his technical limitation. Barrientos, in turn, is no work horse - which makes one wonder why his coach would place him on the left wing of a 4x2x3x1, thus demanding him to run up and down the wing. The two half-time substitutions did not offer anything new and Guimarães' attempts at building up anything from scratch led to gaping holes all over the place.

• 3. Rafa is the real deal. Is Rusescu?

Sometimes I find myself wondering what is going on inside the minds of the three Portuguese grandes' directors and coaches. Maybe holding a Portuguese passport is indeed harmful to your career prospects, as the saying goes among Portuguese players. If Rafa were Uruguayan or Colombian, for instance, would he have already been picked up by FC Porto or Benfica, for instance? Despite his young age, he is clearly a top-notch player. Last night's match proved once again that he is no one-trick pony, single-handedly piercing Guimarães' defence or providing pin-point crosses in Rusecu's direction. More importantly, he seems to have an impressive understanding of the game for a player of his age and generally takes the best decisions - one of the most important features in today's football. If no grande comes to grab him soon enough, he will surely be heading abroad sooner rather than later.

As for Rusescu, his credentials were indeed promising, but such considerations should always be taken with a pinch of salt when they're based on youth tournaments, as is the case in point. It's admittedly premature to read too much into a single match, even if it yielded two goals. Even though that was an important aspect, he impressed mostly through his link-up play and, like Rafa, through the understanding of when to progress, to keep it simple, to play a team-mate it or have a go himself. It's unlikely that he will enjoy the same freedoms Guimarães allowed him at the Quarry, but the fact that he was able to make the most of it bodes well for his near future.

Spatial awareness is a myth - Tottenham Hotspur

Playing football it the highest echelons revolves around much more than simply nutmegs and tackles. Despite what the vox populi may have us thinking, results are more than the mere consequence of wanting the win more than one's opponent or "getting stuck into them".

Even though the motivational aspects of the game are all too important, the proper organisation of a team may help players even more - particularly when they are exhausted, hearts beating at 180 bpm and little oxygen actually getting to their brains, impairing the decision-making process. That is why well-oriented exercises in training sessions are vital to get the team to perform consistently week in, week out, rather than succumb to the players or supporters' moods.

As mentioned in the previous post, zonal marking seems to be all but disappearing in England. With the influx of foreign managers and players towards the Premier League, the English game became more Continental and not as insular - in short, less about individual duels as Sir Bobby Robson liked to emphasize during his stint in Portugal. However, with the advent of 4x2x3x1, teams tend to be a little less packed down the middle and to defend in two banks of four, often opening up huge gaps in between their lines.

After breaking down Manchester United's vulnerabilities, it is now time to take a look at Tottenham - specifically their match against Southampton a couple of weeks ago and the Saints' goal.


1.

Tottenham had lost the ball a few seconds earlier whilst attacking down their left wing. Southampton followed the textbook and immediately sought to remove the ball from the crowded area. Fox then receives it in acres of space. It should be noted that this is not a lightning-quick breakaway, with Fox progressing swiftly, rather than sprinting.

2. 

Fox is allowed to venture forward up to less than 10 yards out of the penalty box, with hardly any pressure from a Spurs players. The vigour of man-marking duties could hardly be any clearer, with Kyle Walker focusing his sole attention on his direct opponent. Danny Rose's case is even more obvious, as he does little to shorten the space between him and the left-sided centre-back (Chiriches).

Vlad Chiriches compounds the team's less than stellar defensive approach by miscalculating Lallana's movement and, 1x1 against his opponent, tries to nick the ball on the forward's blind side rather than holding his ground and waiting for back-up. Football's basic rule clearly states that, in such a situation, the defender should cover the line between the ball and the goal, rather than ceding any ground.


3.

Lallana's clever - but hardly unexpected - dummy leaves Chiriches for dead and the Southampton forward with an open avenue for goal. Danny Rose's stance clearly shows the left-back's unwillingness to plug the gap and provide coverage for his ill-positioned centre-back, stopping in his tracks (apparently more concerned with his direct opponent).


4.

The final picture shows Chiriches completely out of position, Walker slowing down and Danny Rose standing still with little intention of doing what should be part of his duties - staying alert to compensate his defensive team-mates' positioning or even mistimed tackles.

• Conclusion

These particular cases (Manchester United and Tottenham) are but a fraction of what goes on weekly in the Premier League. It seems the latest years brought some sort of regression to less systemic defensive approaches. While the average supporter may revel in the amount of goals and clear-cut chances their team may enjoy, it is nonetheless odd that such well-paid elite professionals as footballers are seemingly left to their own devices, rather than working in tandem with each other to restrict their opponents' chances of hurting them. Even though the Premier League is still the most watched football league in the world, it's certainly not the place where the sport is at its peak.

Manchester United's defensive frailties

Much has been said and spoken about Manchester United and their faltering form. The transition from Sir Alex Ferguson to David Moyes was bound to include some bumps along the way, but the former Everton manager is bound to be found scratching his head while reviewing some recent results and displays. Moyes was considered to be a reactive, reliable, safety-first manager, but his credentials have left much to be desired so far. And while reading through most of the English football press might lead one to believe that it is all a matter of simply adding a few players to the squad, it is hardly the case.

Case in point, the first goal Swansea scored at Old Trafford last weekend for the FA Cup. Manchester United are picked apart smack down the centre by 4 simple touches from Swansea, starting from their centre-back. Since the match is pretty much in slow motion, it is difficult to accept such bad defensive positioning from the current English champions.


1.

Swansea's centre-back Chico Flores has the ball and already United look out of position. Javier Hernández is contributing nothing defensively and Danny Welbeck is trotting backwards. Oddly enough, it's Tom Cleverley - one half of the midfield duo who comes out pressing the man on the ball. Darren Flatcher is not providing any sort of coverage for his defence either. A simple vertical pass down the middle bisects the entire United team and overcomes six players in one sitting.


2. 

Swansea perform one of the most run-of-the-mill movements in football, with the striker Wilfried Bony dropping back to support the build-up play and left-winger Routledge exploiting the space vacated by the Ivorian forward. Bony passes it back to Pozuelo who immediately tees up Routledge. Rio Ferdinand's lack of pace is only made worse by his odd decision to half-press Bony when he has little protection from up front (yellow circle) and there doesn't seem to be any support from his team-mates in defence.


3.

Jonny Evans does not come unscathed from this defensive debacle, as he takes ages to adjust his positioning according to Ferdinand's decision and Routledge's movement. It is indeed Chris Smalling (deployed here as right-back) who tries to make up for his team-mate's rash decision. In acres of space, Routledge found it easy to lob Lindegaard and score the first.


4.

Looking at the play from a different perspective, the situation looks even more baffling. United's back four are clearly left exposed (again, this is not in any a counter-attack or a quick-paced transition). Cleverley is almost in line with his forwards and Fletcher cannot track anything that is going on behind him (yellow circle). The almost ubiquitous 4x2x3x1 formation often seems to lead coaches and players to believe that forming two banks of four is enough, often forgetting that movement and coverage are key in order to avoid opponents from pouncing on such vulnerabilities.

The zonal occupation of spaces is apparently on the wane in England, as it becomes ever more frequent watch the full-backs in the Premier League worrying about their direct opponent, rather than concerned with providing coverage for their defensive team-mates. In this particular case, both Smalling and Büttner offer barely any contribution for United's width control - thus making the team wider and more open to this sort of penetrations.


5.

Here, Ferdinand's delay is even clearer, as well, as Smalling and Büttner's removal from where the action is taking place. Watching Ferdinand pass by him, Evans does not adjust his feet accordingly and remains facing forward.


6.

Evans has just finally realised something is not right and starts turning (rather slowly). He was easily outsprinted by the quick Routledge and only Smalling is in a position to bother the left-winger.

• Conclusion

"Hindsight is a wonderful thing," some may say. While that is certainly true, the lack of defensive organisation in most Premier League sides should offer some food for thought. The return of the once thought to be outdated 4x4x2 (in some shape or form) has brought about more goals and scoring opportunities, but does not bode well for coaches (in a purely coaching sense) nor for clubs - European competition will certainly be less forgiving about this sort of mistakes.

Atlético Madrid 2-0 FC Porto: Predictable exit for Dragons

Starting elevens

FC Porto followed Benfica's lead from Tuesday and bowed out of the Champions League, but forgot to observe the Eagles' example and at least win the match, particularly after Zenit did their part and made things harder for themselves.

It seems unfair to blame a team that hit the woodwork three times, had a deflected shot against a post and missed a penalty. Paulo Fonseca will most likely be heard complimenting his team's play and pinpointing bad luck as the chief reason for the side's premature exit from Europe's top competition.

However, PortuGOAL alerted to some of the key aspects that were changing under the former Paços de Ferreira coach and this reporter went as far as saying that the groups draw had been far from fortunate for FC Porto, given how Fonseca had been moulding his team. As it were, a paltry record of no home wins (for the first time in the club's history) and just one victory in six matches was hardly unpredictable, given the abandonment with each the team attacked.

Yesterday was a bit different, but not by much. Atlético Madrid coach Diego Simeone chose to rest some of his players, but still fielded an XI that had Raúl Garcia, Gabi, Miranda and the gem that is Óliver Torres. Simeone stayed true to his beliefs and his team were deployed in an expectant (not to be mistaken for passive) 4x1x4x1 while defending, sitting compact in front of their 18-yard box.

The Dragons were more expeditious in attack and could in fact have scored with just 7 minutes gone, Jackson Martínez connecting with Danilo's left-footed cross only to see the shot rebound off the crossbar. Seven minutes later, Atlético Madrid would score through Raúl Garcia from an impossible angle. While Helton could certainly have done better, the whole defensive positioning in a simple throw-in left a lot to be desired as well.

Lucho González was asked to contribute more in midfield during the build-up phase, but there was not much going on in central areas, an issue proven by Fernando's need to try to provide airborne through-balls or even a shot from way out. 

As a result, FC Porto kept looking to the wings to create danger, and it was from there that Varela headed against the crossbar 7 minutes after Atlético Madrid's first goal. Despite the apparent good signs, the fact that both these good opportunities came from individual approaches spoke volumes about the team's approach for the season.

Adding insult to injury, Josué missed his first penalty in an FC Porto kit, after Jackson Martínez had single-handedly won a foul from Aranzubia, Atlético Madrid's 'keeper. In Fonseca's words, luck was having nothing with his side.

• Irony on the wings

For a team that keeps insisting on playing down the flanks, the reason why there is so little support to the player that receives the pass on the wing is hardly fathomable. The team clearly resents the lack of a central creator and invariably gets the ball out wide, but no player apart from the full-back and the winger (at best) ever seems inclined to get close to those positions. Not only does the team struggle to get past opponents, but they also suffer from the distance between the ball and the position of central midfielders (in this case, Defour and Fernando).

With that approach, opposing defenders have time and space after winning the ball back to pick their pass, which in turn allows the forward (in this case, Diego Costa for the most part) to receive the ball and turn to goal. 

The defensive transition is clearly the (main) Achilles' tendon of this FC Porto side. Atlético Madrid's second goal proved just that, when Jackson Martínez' deflected shot met the post. The subsequent corner was typical of this season, when a potential attacking opportunity quickly turned into a wide avenue for Diego Costa to round off Helton and expertly bury the ball in the back of the net.

The departure for the Europa League may not necessarily be the worst scenario for FC Porto, but Paulo Fonseca's position as the team leader is fast approaching untenable levels, with just 2 wins in their latest 9 matches. The adjustments Fonseca had talked about in the past seem not to have been implemented and the dip in the team's confidence will not help the least bit, in all likelihood.

FC Porto grab crucial 2-0 win

Starting elevens

After Benfica's draw against last-placed Arouca the night before, FC Porto had yet another reason to get a much-needed win against Braga, something Paulo Fonseca's team eventually did.

There are always (at least) two ways to look at something. Case in point, the increasing difficulties both FC Porto and Benfica are having to get past opponents. On one hand, one could argue it's the big two that have been playing below par. On the other hand, one could say that the remaining teams are becoming stronger (at least domestically). The bottom line is that this season's Liga Zon Sagres has been getting more and more interesting, with Sporting playing dead and discreetly climbing their way back up the national ladder once more.

Last night's match between FC Porto and Braga was hardly one of those matches to go down in history, but it was entertaining nonetheless. With a mere win over the past 6 matches, Paulo Fonseca was heard claiming the team were playing well and the only thing missing were goals, and surprisingly demanded "more attitude from his men", which hardly looked to be the issue at hand, since the most pressing problem seems to be the side's lack of ideas while attacking.

For someone that has kept insisting over the past few weeks that he believes in his abilities and that he won't be changing his mind, Paulo Fonseca threw a half-surprise by shuffling the line-up once again, with Josué deployed on the wing (left for most of the match) and Defour and Herrera in the centre. Jesualdo Ferreira, in turn, stayed true to the XI he has been naming over the past weeks, with the exception of Ruben Micael. Alan was interestingly introduced to the middle of Braga's 4x3x3, with Pardo on the right.

During the first half-hour, the match was everything that was expected - a trembling FC Porto and an expectant Braga. In fact, the initial 30 minutes might even be described as textbook Jesualdo Ferreira: A team calm and collected while defending and waiting for their opportunity on the break. Braga's goalkeeper Eduardo was hardly ever forced to blemish his white kit during that initial period, with the Dragons always looking vulnerable to any balls given away and unwilling to shift the ball around (often insisting on the direct, and often misplaced, pass). Braga were definitely throwing a spanner in FC Porto's works, but the home team were being their own worst enemy, as so often has been the case so far.

35 minutes into the match, Josué forced a huge save from Eduardo with a close-range shot. Despite FC Porto's lackadaisical efforts, Braga were now less and less able to play on the counter and the home supporters eventually found a way to get behind the team. Half-time came and went with not much to register.

Paulo Fonseca decided to change things immediately and boldly replaced captain Lucho González with Carlos Eduardo. The time to assess said change was not enough, as the Dragons scored shortly afterwards through Jackson Martínez's deflected shot into Eduardo's top corner. The ill-concealed anxiety from home supporters finally had given way to long due celebrations and the team responded in kind, playing more fluidly and making Eduardo work a bit more.

As for Braga, if the initial 30 minutes had been textbook Jesualdo Ferreira, what happened next was too - as so many FC Porto supporters will remember -, with a disturbing lack of attacking intent or a plan B, something that happened frequently during his time at FC Porto against bigger teams. Therefore, it was hardly surprising that FC Porto enjoyed the best chances during the second half, with Braga offering nothing but timid displays of intent to get a better result.

In conclusion, while it may be tempting to have this pinned as the moment when FC Porto came back from the ashes, the team's display was still miles away from their dominant displays from last season (for instance) or the first two matches of the current season. It was undoubtedly a crucial win for Paulo Fonseca in particular, as the noose around his neck was getting tighter and tighter, but there is clearly still a lot of work to be done if the champions are to retain their title. Cue Sporting tomorrow.

Dragons' woes linger on

After Zenit St Petersburg's 1-1 draw against Atlético Madrid earlier in the day, FC Porto had a glimmer of hope of getting through to the knock-out stage of the Champions League. Instead, they found themselves trailing after 12 minutes and could not muster anything better than a draw.
 
Paulo Fonseca will likely have thrown some numbers around, whether it's shots, possession percentage or some other statistical measurement. And while there is indeed some truth to to the dominance those figures reveal, they also conceal systemic flaws that have been undermining FC Porto's displays, something that Paulo Fonseca himself appears completely oblivious whenever he's asked about it.

The line-up's major surprise was the conspicuous absence of Otamendi, with Mangala and Maicon both getting the nod ahead of the Argentinean, who seems to spark some lively debates about his proneness to err and his importance as the first man responsible for starting out attacks. The coach seemed to have reached the limit of his patience and benched the usually starting centre-back, probably to get him motivated and show simultaneously that nobody is above anyone else on status alone.

• Do FC Porto have a build-up phase thought out?

Even though discussing the importance of Otamendi in the team's attacking phase might be entering the realm of tactical minutiae, it bears mentioning, particularly since João Moutinho's departure. With Fernando unable to do that job properly, Defour a bit more intermittent than usual, Herrera not being the solution and Lucho González asked to play much higher than usual, the Dragons often put themselves in dangerous situations when playing out from the back, since there is vrtiually no player movement to circulate the ball.

Therefore, Otamendi proves more crucial than ever with his ability to find team-mates with good vertical passes. However, that is not to say that his season has been perfect - far from it. The fact that Paulo Fonseca insists on a formation that clearly does not work, starting off with the team's inability to find simple passing options to shuffle the ball around and constantly insisting on direct play, leaves centre-backs exposed.

Most supporters have been blaming the Argentinean centre-back for his mistakes, but last night it was Danilo who gifted the Austrians with an unthinkable pass right into the centre of midfield - and while it would be easy to blame the Brazilian full-back, it would be far more interesting and useful to try to understand why he made that option in the first place. It was also easy to spot last night's starting centre-backs facing the same difficulties Otamendi usually faces, with the team broken in two and most of their team-mates way high up the field ahead of the ball, which makes it virtually impossible to play the possession-based football FC Porto have been used to for the past few years.

• Poor results are the direct result of poor displays

Anyone who has listened to Paulo Fonseca's press conferences may have been surprised by his insistence that FC Porto have been playing well, apart from the few goals scored. Still, the team's poor results (against Zenit twice, Nacional and Austria Vienna, to name but the latest) have not been a coincidence, rather a direct consequence of the side's poorly coordinated efforts.

Last night, as has often been the case, the pressing was disjointed, without any clear references, whether spatial or situational. The defence was once again quite dodgy, but mainly because there seems to be no idea as to what to do and how to react once the ball is given away, and - more importantly - in what areas and circumstances it is acceptable to give the ball away. As it were, despite their hard work and commitment, FC Porto's all-out, almost brainless approach made Austria Vienna look good in attacking transitions, much like it was the case with Nacional just a few days earlier.

On the other hand, the lack of ideas while going forward is nothing short of appalling, with the team's credo now seeming to be "just give it to Alex Sandro and throw it in the mixer". Fonseca himself admitted the wings were the right option and that the centre is usually just too jam-packed, which resulted in FC Porto's predictable forays, with frequent (often pointless) crosses into the box.

• Players aware of what is wrong

One of the most striking things about the players interviewed last night was the fact that they all brushed some common subjects - to wit, the need to be more patient, to vary their approach and, most importantly, to shuffle the ball from side to side in order to drag opponents out of position. However, given that basically all players insist on the same patterns and repeating, predictable moves, it is fair to assume they're following orders from their coach, which makes it all the more baffling.

Lucho González, for instance, was the player that ran the most during the first half, in a deliberate effort to try to link up play and the team, clearly broken in two distinct sides. The team captain was seen several times yelling at team-mates, something completely out of character and that speaks volumes about the Dragons' lack of emotional control and their inability to cope with pressure.

After the recent run of results and displays, it remains to be seen whether Pinto da Costa, traditionally loyal to his coaches (sometimes beyond the limits of reason), will stand behind the man he chose for the job, since the team are apparently entering a downward spiral of poor football and lack of solutions for the problems that have been coming up. The matter is not helped by Paulo Fonseca's insistence that things are going well and that all that is needed is just a bit more luck. FC Porto could have won the match last night, but it wouldn't help supporters get the feeling that things are going in the right direction

Portugal 1-0 Sweden: Tactical notes

Halfway through the play-off, Portugal seem to have the upper hand to get to next year's World Cup in Brazil, which is a far cry from claiming that the place in the finals is as good as booked. Let's delve a bit more into the tactical side of the match.

• 1. 4x3x3: An innovative formation?

Both teams played their expected XI and formations, but there were certain nuances to the tactical clash. On the Portuguese side, both Ronaldo and Nani seemed to have clear instructions to drift toward the centre, which meant that Portugal did not display the usual combination of one striker and two wingers, but rather one striker accompanied by two forwards. With both men inside and Sweden trying to remain as narrow as possible, the wings were paved in gold for both full-backs and/or midfielders João Moutinho and Raúl Meireles.

However, the players that managed to get close to the goal line were hardly in good crossing or passing positions, which often forced them to a backward pass only for the man behind to hoof it into the box, a threat with which the Swedish defence managed to cope with no major scares for the better of the first half. That was indeed one of the reasons why Portugal benefitted from 14 corners (8 of them in the first half). On the other hand, it was clear that Portugal coach Paulo Bento was trying to get Cristiano Ronaldo into scoring positions by having the team attack predominantly down the right, with the Real Madrid star effectively acting as a second striker. That alternative, while hinging on Ronaldo's impressive physical attributes hardly paid off, since no one else on the team thrives on that brand of football.

• 2. Defending in numbers does not equal good defending

In a rigid 4x4x1x1, with Elmander slightly off Ibrahimovic, Sweden's intention was to keep the Portuguese midfielders from getting the ball while facing their goal and then sit back a few yards ahead of the penalty box. With two compact, narrow banks of four, both Elmander and Ibrahimovic were allowed to remain ahead of the ball, which meant that Portugal often had numbers-up situations. Nevertheless, Sweden looked incapable of countering the simple triangle-shaped passing combinations so typical of a 4x3x3, with dreadful spatial awareness and their players frequently looking more interested in following the man than adjusting their positioning according to the ball.

• 3. Virtue lies in the centre

Even though Portugal did struggle to get into promising positions to shoot and provide killer passes, every time Moutinho (most frequently) or Meireles invaded enemy lines, Sweden's defensive approach immediately looked dodgy. Given the rigidity with which the Swedish team tend to play, a more aggressive approach in midfield might just do the trick in four days' time, but for that to materialise, Meireles (in a lower and lower cadence over the past couple of seasons) and Moutinho (a yard off his usual pace) must bring a greater sense of urgency to their attacking forays, even if it means a more conservative positioning from both full-backs, so as not to unbalance the team.

Furthermore, given their positioning high up the pitch, neither Ronaldo nor Nani put any effort in tracking back throughout the first half (the second period was a non-event as far as the Swedish attacking threat is concerned), thus exposing João Pereira - usually as good going forward as he is poor at the back - and Fábio Coentrão on the flanks. In short, greater investment down the middle may prove beneficial both at the front and at the back.

• 4. The perfect pair to stop Ibrahimovic

As so often happens with the talented, yet mercurial striker, Ibrahimovic went largely anonymous over the 90 minutes. Usually a player that thrives on open spaces - such as those Portugal were leaving behind, especially during the first half, in Bruno Alves and Pepe the PSG star seems to have met his match. On one hand, he is forced to get into high-powered, intense aerial duels with Ronaldo; on the other hand, should he manage to get free from Alves, Pepe is probably the best partner to cover up for his team-mate, largely due to his speed and ability to sweep up behind. If Erik Hamren insists on such predictable attacking manoeuvres next Tuesday, Paulo Bento may well thank him for not putting Alves and Pepe to the test on the floor, where they struggle the most.

Even though a 1-0 result offers a great advantage in such a cagey contest, Portugal can ill afford to sit back and let the clock run. However, a greater offensive balance from Sweden might be ideal for Postiga, Ronaldo and Nani, with Moutinho or Veloso spreading passes for the break. For that Portugal will have to convey a more assured sense of defending than they did last night, in the few times Sweden managed to attack.