The expanded Football Club World Cup is proving to be a stage for new managers, with three of the eight quarter-finalists being led by coaches hired just weeks before the tournament, and all 3 have already stamped their authority on their new teams.
Simone Inzaghi’s Tactical Triumph Over Manchester City
Simone Inzaghi’s Al Hilal team stunned Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City 4-3 in an incredible extra-time thriller, delivering one of the tournament’s biggest surprises. Perhaps no one has left a larger impression than Inzaghi.
Just 5 weeks after Inter Milan lost to PSG in the UCL final, the 49-year-old Italian quit the team. On Monday, he received sweet retribution against the Premier League powerhouses that had defeated his Nerazzurri in the 2023 Champions League final.
Inzaghi’s Winning Strategy: Defence and Long Balls
Inzaghi won by playing a good, consistent defence and using long balls to test the pace of his forwards up front and take advantage of their opponent’s aggressive, high-positioned defensive line.
Although Malcom and Marcos Leonardo were a constant danger on the counterattack, his defence was able to stall Man City’s star-powered attack for the rest of the game.
Additionally, Moroccan keeper Bono kept the Saudis in the game by irritating their opponents with a series of outstanding saves when they were in danger.
Renato Gaucho’s Fluminense Defy Expectations
Al Hilal’s reward is a game with tournament underdogs Fluminense, who defeated the Opta supercomputer’s predicted 0.05% probability of winning the trophy and upset Champions League runners-up Inter Milan 2-0 to proceed to the round of 8.
Jhon Arias: Fluminense’s Tournament MVP Contender
The Brazilian team’s incredible run continues under Renato Gaucho, a former Fluminense striker and club hero who took over three months ago, despite initially being predicted to lose in the group stage. With Colombian winger Jhon Arias emerging as a possible tournament MVP, Renato has turned a squad that barely survived relegation in 2024 into serious contenders.
Fluminense showed the will and desire that have defined their season against Inter, with a brilliant Arias and striker German Cano once again making the difference.
Xabi Alonso Revamps Real Madrid Tactics
Real Madrid are the third side that experienced the jubilation of a new manager and Xabi Alonso came a month ago to fill the shoes of Carlo Ancelotti, who had a rare trophy-less season that was characterized with four consecutive losses to Barca, including, of course, a dreadful 4-0 defeat in the Clasico at the Bernabeu.
Real Madrid’s Shift to a Five-Man Defence
After his trophy-filled time at Bayer Leverkusen, Alonso arrived with a reputation for creative tactics. He has begun utilising a five-man defence, which is a major change from the conventional 4-3-3 configuration that predecessors Ancelotti and Zinedine Zidane had employed for the last ten years.
The change was reminiscent of Vicente del Bosque’s Real Madrid team, which won the Champions League in 2000 and was the last to employ such a configuration. Real Madrid is coming off three straight victories as they take on Borussia Dortmund on Saturday.
New Management Transforming Football Giants
The early success of these new management hires indicates that even the most legendary clubs may be transformed as the tournament goes on by using innovative thinking and bold decisions.
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