False nines? 4-4-2? The tactical trends defining World Cup so far

The return of the 4-4-2, false nines, and set-pieces – the World Cup has already thrown up both familiar and new tactical ideas.

The beauty of the World Cup is the variety of unique styles and players competing against each other on the biggest stage.

Sometimes this poses unusual tactical challenges that require on-the-fly solutions.

Alternatively, with the popularity and influence of the Premier League and Champions League, we also see nations borrow ideas from club football when the World Cup comes around every four years.

Twelve games in and common patterns, trends and match-ups are already…