We're in the middle of the most expanded World Cup in history — 48 teams, 3 group stage games each, and more tactical variety than ever before.

Most coverage focuses on star players and scorelines. But the real story is in the systems.

A few things worth paying attention to:

The high press is dying at the top level. Teams with elite ball-retaining midfields are consistently dismantling press-heavy sides. Watch how Morocco and Japan are exploiting this.

Set pieces are deciding close games. With the quality gap between nations narrowing, dead ball situations have become a legitimate equaliser. 5 of the last 8 knockout stage goals at recent tournaments came from set pieces.

The 3-4-3 is back. It collapsed in 2018 after teams worked out how to exploit the wide channels. But a new generation of wing-backs with genuine defensive discipline has brought it back as a viable structure.

If you want proper breakdowns before and after every match — not just vibes-based punditry — that's what Pitch Side is for. Every game, every round, through to the final.