England's tactical struggles against DR Congo offer lessons for

England's 2-1 comeback win over DR Congo on Wednesday was far from convincing, raising questions about the team's tactical preparedness under Thomas Tuchel. The 46th-ranked side, led by coach Sebastien Desabre, surprised England with a formation shift that exposed several vulnerabilities. Harry Kane's two goals ultimately saved the day, but with a last-16 clash against Mexico at the iconic Azteca Stadium looming, England must address these issues.

DR Congo's tactical surprise

DR Congo abandoned their usual 5-3-2 formation for a 4-4-2, not just for defensive solidity but to create attacking opportunities. Their build-up play posed one of the toughest tests for Tuchel since he took charge in early 2024. England's high press was neutralized as DR Congo used their goalkeeper and three central players to outnumber England's front two of Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham. The full-backs stayed wide, pulling England wingers Marcus Rashford and Noni Madueke away from central defenders, making it difficult for England to close down space.

This spreading of the back line left England players in two minds—whether to press high or hold position. The movement of DR Congo's midfielders dragged Declan Rice and Elliot Anderson into unfamiliar areas, while attackers dropped unmarked into deeper positions—a tactic Mexico's Raul Jimenez often employs under coach Javier Aguirre.

Parallels with Mexico

Mexico, though using a 4-3-3 formation, employs similar principles: using width and rotations to pull opponents away from passing lanes. England's struggles against DR Congo's approach serve as a warning ahead of the match at the Azteca, where Mexico will have home advantage.

Two tactical options for Tuchel

To counter Mexico's build-up, Tuchel has two main options. The first is to sit off more passively in a compact block, allowing Mexico more possession but denying them space to play through. The second is to stick with a high press but adjust its execution. One solution could involve asking a central midfielder to join Kane and Bellingham in pressing man-to-man against Mexico's two center-backs and defensive midfielder. This would require a center-back to step up and cover the space behind Rice—a role Marc Guehi is accustomed to at Manchester City, where he backs up the press aggressively.

“It is a game of trade-offs,” Tuchel acknowledged. “What he cannot do is end up in between the two, like England often did on Wednesday.”

On-ball improvements needed

England's defensive issues were compounded by their own struggles in possession. In the second half, longer spells of possession helped minimize DR Congo's build-up threat, but replicating that against Mexico in an away game will be harder. England's attacking flow was disrupted by DR Congo's 4-4-2, continuing a pattern seen in group-stage matches against Ghana and Panama. However, Kane's individual brilliance provided a reliable fallback.

Tuchel's side must find a way to combine more measured possession with effective pressing to avoid a repeat of Wednesday's disjointed performance.