The first plan favored Forest of Prandelli

Great game to enter the tournament. Entertaining and often because none of the two contenders left to speculate, but to win. But after that first layer of entertainment, there was an interesting tactical battle between the two coaches. In this post we analyze the most interesting chess match between Cesare Prandelli and Vicente Del Bosque.

Forest tries to counter the plan out without Nine Prandelli

The game started well before the opening whistle. The first move was to Prandelli, who decided to use De Rossi as libero, defensive midfielder or center third, depending on the stage (attack-defense). Del Bosque would change the way to his Italian counterpart and took a daring decision: to play without a natural center forward. Cesc was chosen to serve as False Nine. Brave decision but counterproductive.

The arrangement favors Italian Spanish

With De Rossi as the third central opening Chiellini and Bonucci, Maggio and Giaccherini, the two carrileros, were released to join the attack. The lack of deep forward lines in Spain allows the Italians to win the midfield battle. Italy amounted to six pieces around the core when De Rossi was ahead: Interior Marchisio and Motta, Maggio and Giaccherini on the flanks and Pirlo as vertex more advanced.

Del Bosque could not do the same with Arbeloa and Alba, permanently confused, threatened by the movement of Balotelli and Cassano, no steps were necessary to mark out decisively carrileros the two Italians. That the two front partieran The Azzurri from an open position of Prandelli was another success, thereby blocking the sides and forcing the Spanish midfield to open up too much to be aware of the carrileros rivals.

The pair Busquets-Alonso takes more than it gives

It is assumed that the pair Busquets-Alonso Del Bosque seeks to give more balance to the team. It happened just the opposite. Busquets, the best five of the world or at least, of Spain, moved to exercise wheel for plays Alonso focused. Unwise decision. But up front made ​​up of players who prefer to play inside and the foot, Alonso has no one to throw in his role as quarterback. Busquets spend more time providing lateral support to dominate the midfield from a central position, something you can do it alone, as demonstrated for four years at the club.

With Xabi not quite right in the game short and biased their ability to play long, Spain does not win anything with it as a central rather than Busquets, absurdly moved to play more upfront, the Badia is lost as wheel and mixing good passes first with breaks of rhythm and wrong decisions. If Alonso was going through a period of exceptionally, it may be worth, but is not the case. Thus Spain lost defensive balance, no improvement in the transition from defense-attack and wasted his best Five, Busquets, while the second top scorer was Del Bosque, Alonso, is bound, not free to look out the balcony area.

Iniesta on fire: give total freedom

Iniesta, best midfielder in the world every day for more people, is one of the players as we have seen so far this tournament, if not more and, of course, is the best of our twenty-three representatives. It is so, so good, in form and confidence, which, starting from the left flank out as if it were the best ends. But why constrict your best player?

Iniesta is on fire. Being thus put it in place inside, floating in the areas of wheel and playmaker. Release it to move around, for breaking lines and pipes in their defenses with the ball sewn to the boot, to have partners from the four corners of the walls and invent to pull triangulations. It may be the best player in the tournament and, above all, the linchpin of the Red: do not go away, acércalo for everyone to find him, give him the franchise player gallons: Iniesta is on fire!.

With the team limps Arbeloa

A Arbeloa to 120% (as in much of the season 2010-11) is a good side with some great moments. At 80% (as in much of this campaign) is a side lot. In the current state does not provide much: in defense has never been a life insurance and less lacking a point of form. And attack is little more than a cipher: not given depth, usually you get back playing, barely baseline and when it does not that exhibits great skill in the center.

Spain needs depth on the wings, much more if played without center forward, because for short people will be imposed for the interior, give them much space as possible. The field is stretched along or across. Without a Nine or deep ends (such as Peter) give width to the field becomes a conditio sine qua non: if not played with extreme pure (as Navas), the amplitude will have to give the sides. And Arbeloa The Red is lame on the right: with Juanfran not win more than lose attack on defense?

Forest reads the game well, but Prandelli reacts before

Del Bosque have always admired about the other three virtues: the ability to manage groups, the success in tactical variants and good reading of the parties. It may not have made ​​the right choice to play without Nine, but the attempt to change the way the Italians to be applauded as a bold move.

At half-changed by a 4-2-3-1 4-3-3, improving the balance in midfield to force the Italians to delay carrileros position to monitor its new brands and thus able to join the midfield Alba Spanish. However, Del Bosque was halfway: the new provision was successful, but lacked be enhanced with the correct parts. Navas and Torres were good choices (even at the cost of losing to Silva), but somewhat later.

Navas did not come out to hang balloons, not play down their abilities nor to contest liguemos Llorente. The Andalusian extends the field as both the horizontal to vertical and with Arbeloa on the side, becomes the best solution to have his right flank extension to the Spanish attack. Torres has never been a killer who puts half-time goals, in 18 minutes had more opportunities than the rest of the cutting edge 70, and lack of marksmanship that he did was make bad decisions: Buffon won the heads-up not pull jelly first and that had to be played after a transfer to the arrival of Navas, who had finished with less angle, but without a goalkeeper.

Meanwhile, Prandelli also correct with the changes: Di Natale came when his coach knew that would have few occasions. Udinese striker pulled, a specialist in the auction, and so found the goal, the first, with a cross from the book before the departure of Casillas after a great service Pirlo. Giovinco was also a great alternative: a perfect naughty time for a party in Italy and had less possession and looked more kickback. Both coaches read the game well and matched with their changes, but Prandelli came forward and was the points that gave his team with its variations (Navas and Torres's goal came after Cesc).

PS. We have updated the post we did as a guide for Euro (dates, times and channels) with a new table courtesy of our fellow Tele Go! Check it out because it is perfect for storing as a guide.