Tactical analysis Germany – Curaçao: Nagelsmann cracks the window via the left flank (7-1)

Germany swept past Curaçao 7-1 and did so mainly via the left side. Striking: precisely where Dick Advocaat, the 78-year-old and therefore oldest national coach ever at a World Cup, wanted to close the heart of the field with his conversion to a 4-4-2 with a diamond, Germany kept finding space.

The thinking behind Curaçao's plan was logical. After an earlier practice match with five defenders against Scotland, Advocaat this time opted for a compact diamond-shaped midfield to suffocate the German game through the center. In theory, such a diamond forces the opponent out and deprives the creative axis of time and space.

In practice things turned out differently. A diamond is by definition narrow; the sides then require perfect sliding movements from the wingers and backs. That's exactly where Germany struck. By:

• offering width and depth at the same time on the left side,
• constantly swapping positions between wingers and midfielders,
• and find the 'third man' after a short combination, a free player was always found in the halfspace or along the sideline. Every time Curaçao's right side stepped out, there was space in the back; each time they stalled, Germany had time to open the next line of passing.

Nagelsmann 'broke the window' by pulling Curaçao's midfield apart horizontally: first luring on the inside, then quickly moving to the left, where the numerical superiority became decisive. From there, tight crosses and withdrawn balls followed, the classic final pass after a successful overnumber situation on the flank. The result was a flood of chances and, ultimately, seven goals.

The lesson from this match is clear: against a 4-4-2 diamond you have to dare to overload the sides and keep the pace high during the move. Curaçao could not cover or recover quickly enough, causing the German left flank to dictate the match. Even a plan that seals off the center will not hold if the flanks are structurally broken open.