Tuchel's "Set-Piece Weapon" — England's Only Way to Break Down a Deep-Lying Defense

England drew 0-0 with Ghana in the group stage, with 78.9% possession but no goals. Facing Congo's five-man defensive wall, England could easily fall into the "possession trap" again.

What's Tuchel's solution? Set pieces.

England's 0-0 draw with Ghana was the only group-stage match where they didn't score from a set piece. In the 2-0 win over Panama, the first goal came from a corner — Saka's corner kick, Bellingham's volley. In the 4-2 win over Croatia, Kane's second goal also came from a corner assist.

Set pieces are England's most reliable weapon against a deep block. But Congo's set-piece defense is no slouch — they rank ninth-lowest in expected goals conceded from set pieces in the group stage, and sixth-lowest in total expected goals conceded from non-penalty shots.

Tuchel said a key line before the match: "If we start talking about possible opponents in the Round of 16, we'll be punished." He's deliberately lowering the team's expectations to avoid complacency.

England needs patience. No matter how tough Congo's defense is, they can't avoid mistakes for 90 minutes. A corner, a free kick, a scramble in the box — England just needs to seize one opportunity.

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