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The clichéd view of Brazil insists they play free-flowing, attack-minded ‘samba football’ with a plethora of talented attackers, but possess a rather ramshackle defensive unit. Anyone hoping to witness that kind of football from the Confederation Cup hosts will be sorely disappointed, however.

Brazil’s strength is at the back, where they boast the world’s best centre-back in Thiago Silva. The skipper is the perfect partner for David Luiz, who plays a more cultured role alongside. Daniel Alves and either Filipe Luis or Marcelo provide forward energy, while Julio Cesar remains a fine goalkeeper.

In midfield, Felipe Solari appears to favour a double pivot in the centre of the pitch, probably comprising Paulinho and Luis Gustavo. Then, we can expect to see Neymar drifting inside from the left flank to link up with centre-forward Fred.

The problem for Brazil over the past three years has been about the right-sided and central playmakers. Chelsea’s Oscar should play a part, probably in the middle – but on the right Hulk often appears too basic and selfish, although he does possesses an impressive ‘minutes per goal’ record at international level.

Still, PSG’s Lucas Moura might be a better option on the right, to provide Fred with proper service – the centre-forward is in fine form at international level and should be a contender for the Golden Boot.

Spain – best betting odds to win 2.75 from William Hill

There’s a strange contradiction about this Spanish side: Vicente del Bosque has never had a stronger squad during his five-year spell in charge – the likes of Juan Mata and Javi Martinez have turned from reliable back-ups to genuinely world-class footballers, while Cesar Azpilicueta and Nacho Monreal have improved significantly at Champions League clubs.

But Del Bosque’s starting XI feels weaker than ever before, too. There’s a real problem upfront, with neither David Villa nor Fernando Torres close to their peak form. “For a while now, possibly out of our own fault, we have not found a centre-forward that we have all liked,” Del Bosque admits. Meanwhile, Xavi Hernandez – arguably Spain’s key player over the past five years – has endured a disappointing campaign.

Del Bosque is also forced to cope with Xabi Alonso in the centre of his midfield. He has two possible solutions – he can play Sergio Busquets as the sole holding midfielder and introduce another creative midfielder, or use Javi Martinez alongside Busquets. The former system would be more exciting – and might allow Mata or Cesc Fabregas to start, which would be useful in compensating for the lack of goals upfront.

Italy – best betting odds to win 8.0 from BoyleSports

Cesare Prandelli isn’t a classic Italian tactician, focusing upon a positive style of play and giving his attackers creative freedom to play as they wish, rather than focusing upon specific formations and reacting to the opposition. He’s now at a stage when the overall identity of the team is obvious, and Prandelli must find his best starting XI.

Having experimented with a 3-5-2 at the start of Euro 2012, Prandelli now appears to favour either a 4-3-3 or a 4-3-1-2, depending upon his preferred attacking trident. Italy don’t have a world-class ‘trequartista’ to roam between the lines and base their attacking play around – Riccardo Montolivo performed well there last summer, but has played a much deeper role for Milan this season.

Mario Balotelli’s red card in the qualifying draw against the Czech Republic last weekend might tempt Prandelli to leave him on the bench, but Italy lack genuine options upfront – and if Stephan El Shaarawy continues to play as the second striker, keeping an all-Milan forward duo makes sense. Expect Prandelli to chop and change throughout the tournament.

Uruguay – best betting odds to win 12.0 from Betway

There’s no doubt that Oscar Tabarez’s side are in the easier of the two groups, but Uruguay’s form since winning the Copa America two years ago has been extremely disappointing.

Tabarez has rarely been able to accommodate Diego Forlan, Luis Suarez and Edinson Cavani successfully in the same starting XI, and while Suarez and Cavani are, at this point, clearly the better two players, Forlan plays a deeper role theoretically offers the better partner for the other two. Still, his form has declined significantly, and Uruguay have often lacked cohesion between midfield and attack.

Although Tabarez has experimented with a single holding midfielder, he usually uses a solid holding midfield duo – regardless of the shape of the rest of the side. This means Uruguay generally resemble something like a 4-4-1-1 – they spend a lot of time without the ball, and depend on energetic wide midfielders to charge upfront and support the front two.

Cavani has generally been the man omitted upfront, but his crucial winner in Tuesday’s qualifying win at Venezuela – when Suarez was suspended – emphasises his quality and might convince Tabarez to play him. But does Tabarez drop Forlan or Suarez, or change his formation?

Mexico – best betting odds to win 20.0 from Betfair

Mexico were sporadically impressive at World Cup 2010, and won the Gold Cup the following year with a sensational 4-2 victory over the USA in a brilliant final.

However, Mexico have changed significantly since then – while previously based around fluidity and flexibility in formations, new coach Jose Manuel de la Torre has introduced a cagier, more defensive playing style. Amazingly, from their nine matches in 2013, eight have been draws, with only a 1-0 victory over Jamaica breaking the pattern. Five 0-0s during that period (including against relative minnows Costa Rica and Panama this week) underlines the feeling that Mexico have become too cautious.

The defensive base of the side is certainly impressive, and Mexico have individuals like Giovani dos Santos, Andres Guardado and Javier Hernandez who can provide a burst of pace and directness on the break. De La Torre could do with Carlos Vela, absent from the national side for years following a breach of discipline, to provide another counter-attacking threat, however.

In all, it’s difficult to see why Mexico are so short considering they’re in the tricky-looking Group A – Japan are probably a better side, and represent much better value.

Nigeria – best betting odds to win 57.0 from Betfair

Nigeria were extremely impressive in winning the Africa Cup of Nations earlier this year, but they’re without two key players that thrived in Stephan Keshi’s 4-3-3 system – centre-forward Emmanuel Emenike, and winger Victor Moses.

In a side that lacks outright midfield creativity, Keshi depended upon talented individuals who could make the difference in the final third, and Nigeria might lack raw quality going forward. CSKA winger Ahmed Musa is likely to play a crucial role – he offers raw speed on the right, which would allow Ideye Brown to move inside and become the main centre-forward.

John Obi Mikel is best known as a solid, dependable but slightly uninspiring holding midfielder at Chelsea, but for his national side he plays a much more creative role, spraying forward passes from the central midfield zone towards the wingers on the break. Ogenyi Onazi and Sunday Mba will probably complete the midfield trio, but it’s difficult to see Nigeria outplaying opponents – aside from Tahiti.

Japan – best betting odds to win 76.0 from Betfair

The dark horses of the tournament. They start the competition with a tricky match against hosts Brazil, but it feels like the opening match of international tournaments often produces a surprise – and Japan have both the organisation and the technical qualities to have a decent run at the Confederations Cup.

They’re certainly in the trickier of the two groups, but there’s a great cohesion about Alberto Zaccheroni’s side, which remains familiar from the XI that triumphed in the 2011 Asian Cup.

The defence is solid enough, and features two excellent attacking full-backs in Yuto Nagatomo and Atsuto Uchida – they overlap in advance of the holding midfield duo, the underrated deep-lying passer Makoto Hasebe, and the more workmanlike Yasuhito Endo.

Keisuke Honda and Shinji Kagawa are two outstanding playmakers, and the major question mark is upfront. Shinji Okazaki is likely to start wide, charging into the middle to assist Ryoichi Maeda. Their international scoring record is good, but can they provide regular goals against top-level sides? Japan often lack efficiency upfront – but they’re capable of controlling games, and are a decent outside bet.

Tahiti – best betting odds to win 5001 from SkyBet

Tahiti’s three games – and it will be only three – should provide a spectacular mismatch in abilities. The minnows overcame New Zealand and New Caledonia to win last year’s OFC Nations Cup, and entirely merit their place in the competition – but they’re unquestionably the weakest side in the history of the Confederations Cup.

The squad features four brothers – the Tehaus, two of whom (twins Alvin and Lorenzo) were once sent off together in the same U20 World Cup match. Their sole professional player is Marama Vahiura, a 33-year-old Ligue 1 veteran who has only recently decided to commit to his national side.

Vahiura is their sole chance of scoring a goal – Betfair is running a market on whether they’ll find the net at all. ‘No’ is currently odds-on, which accurately sums up their chances.

Fernandinho, Shakhtar Donetsk to Manchester City

Although capped only five times by Brazil, Fernandinho is a highly impressive midfielder who would bring energy and tenacity to the centre of the Manchester City side.

Many City fans believe Manuel Pellegrini will require a solid holding midfielder this season, following last summer’s departure of Nigel De Jong, and Javi Garcia’s unconvincing displays since his arrival from Benfica. However, Fernandinho isn’t really that player – he’s a more mobile midfielder broadly in the style of Chelsea’s Ramires, dependent upon surges of energy to turn defence into attack smoothly.

Individually, he’s clearly good enough to play for City – but a partnership between him and Yaya Toure might not get the best out of either, and City probably need to strengthen in other areas to improve their title changes significantly.

Leandro Damiao, Internacional to Tottenham Hotspur

One of the longest-running transfer sagas in recent times has seemingly not progressed significantly for the past 18 months. This week, Damiao’s agent suggested that Tottenham ‘can’t be ruled out’ when the striker decides to leave Brazil, although there are suggestions Damiao wants Champions League football to keep him in Luiz Felipe Scolari’s plans ahead of next summer’s World Cup.

Damiao is a complete forward – an old-fashioned number nine – and therefore would seemingly be well-suited to English football. It remains to be seen whether he possesses the goalscoring potential to solve Spurs’ striker crisis, however. He’s netted only three times in 15 international appearances and managed seven in last year’s Brazilian Série A – he constantly looks promising rather than prolific, and while he’d be a decent signing, Spurs can afford to look elsewhere, including at Valencia’s Roberto Soldado.

Leighton Baines, Everton to Manchester United

Once David Moyes was confirmed as Manchester United’s new coach, there were two obvious Everton players likely to follow.

Marouane Fellaini was the first, considering the constant speculation about his future, and United’s lack of a physical midfield presence, but Baines has emerged as the favourite to jump ship.

Although Baines was the Premier League’s most impressive left-back during the 2012/13 campaign, it’s important to remember how crucial Everton’s strategy is to his performances.

Their passing moves are based around getting Baines into an attacking position to cross the ball, and he frequently has two impressive aerial options waiting in the penalty box.

Arguably, nowhere else would Baines look quite so special – although he’d certainly have a positive impact at Old Trafford.

Stevan Jovetic, Fiorentina to Arsenal

There’s something refreshingly understated about Jovetic’s football – he’s not an elaborate stepover merchant or a player who depends upon raw pace. Instead, his football is controlled, efficient and mature beyond his years – and such a forward might be perfect for Arsene Wenger.

Able to play behind a main striker, as the central forward, or cutting inside from the left, Jovetic’s versatility would provide Wenger with another attacking option in an Arsenal side that depends on goals from variety of sources, rather than one outright central striker. With Chelsea seemingly also interested, Arsenal face competition – and with Jovetic almost sure to leave Fiorentina, Arsenal must pounce quickly.

Edinson Cavani, Napoli to Manchester City

New Napoli coach Rafael Benitez has stated his desire to retain the services of the Uruguayan, but it seems Cavani is set to leave after three highly successful seasons at Napoli, for a fee in the region of £45m.

That’s a staggering amount for a footballer who has limited experience of the Champions League, and someone who has performed inconsistently in a national team shirt, but Cavani is unquestionably a superb all-round central striker. Quick, strong and intelligent with his movement, Cavani is comfortable roaming the channels or getting on the end of crosses.

In a peculiar way he’s inconsistent – his goal return is extraordinary, but he seems to have a habit of scoring his goals in hat-tricks and doubles rather than at regular intervals. Nevertheless, he’d be a game-changing signing for City.

Cesc Fabregas, Barcelona to Arsenal

When Fabregas finally left London for Barcelona two summers ago, it seemed bizarrely optimistic for Arsenal to insist upon a buy-back clause in the Spaniard’s contract – he was surely returning home for good.

However, after an inconsistent two-year spell in Catalonia, he’s been linked with a return to the Emirates.

It seems highly improbable that Fabregas would spend so long angling for a return, and then leave after a mildly underwhelming couple of campaigns.

It’s much more likely that he’ll remain at Barcelona and fight for a spot in the first team, and while this signing would significantly strengthen Arsenal’s midfield, they probably need to look elsewhere.

Andre Schurrle, Leverkusen to Chelsea

As Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund reached the Champions League final, Bayer Leverkusen were the Bundesliga’s forgotten team, despite playing consistently good counter-attacking football on their way to a solid third-place finish.

Schurrle was the key man in their attacking – staying high up on the left-hand side and often letting the opposition right-back go free, Schurrle positions himself to receive forward passes before charging forward directly in possession. He’s a fine footballer, but do Chelsea really need him? He’s not dissimilar from Eden Hazard, and Chelsea have a plethora of talented attacking midfielders. A reliable goalscorer and another central midfielder would be more significant purchases for Jose Mourinho.

Cristiano Ronaldo, Real Madrid to Manchester United

For Fabregas, Barcelona and Arsenal, read Ronaldo, Real and Manchester United. Having fought to get his move to Real for so long, it now appears Ronaldo wouldn’t mind returning to Old Trafford, even after the departure of Sir Alex Ferguson.

Ronaldo’s contract at Real expires in 2015 – and with suggestions he’s not likely to renew, it’s not unreasonable to think Real wouldn’t mind selling Ronaldo this summer, rather than him leaving for a reduced amount in 2014, or for free at the end of his contract.

With a player like Ronaldo, tactical concerns hardly come into the equation – but a wide forward is unquestionably the type of player United require, with Antonio Valencia, Nani and Ashley Young contributing just two league goals between them all season.

Kyriakos Papadopoulos, Schalke to Liverpool

With Jamie Carragher retiring despite re-establishing his place in the starting XI towards the end of the campaign, and Martin Skrtel set to depart after a disappointing campaign, Liverpool urgently need another centre-back.

Papadopoulos fits the bill. Although modern centre-backs are expected to be comfortable in possession as much as solid defensive players, there’s something rather old-school about the no-nonsense way Papadopoulos throws himself into tackles and aerial battles. He’s extremely strong, although not particularly tall, and his positional play needs work.

This isn’t quite the signing to transform Liverpool into title contenders – but it would certainly solve their centre-back shortage.

Gonzalo Higuain, Real Madrid to Arsenal

It seems unlikely Arsenal will sign both Jovetic and Higuain – so it seems a choice between the two. The Argentine is a less adaptable player, but more experienced at the highest level, and a consistent goalscorer.

With 106 goals in 118 La Liga appearances, the signing of Higuain would be a blow to Olivier Giroud’s hopes of commanding a regular place in the Arsenal starting XI next season – both players are basically number nines, and it’s difficult to see Arsene Wenger fielding a 4-4-2 as his first-choice formation.

Higuain would be a positive signing on an individual basis – but Wenger might prefer a more well-rounded, versatile attacker.

We’ve put together a flow chart to help you decide whether or not you should apply:

Particularly after the Premier Leagues recent gaffe in publishing details about Mourinho’s reappointment as Chelsea manager over the weekend, it seems unlikely that anyone else is going to get a look in, and it’s just a matter of time until its officially announced!

There is no doubt the Derby is a race that has taken plenty of winning over the years and the general consensus is that Dawn Approach will have to dig deeper than he ever has done before for Jim Bolger if he is to land back-to-back Classics and continue Godolphin’s long road to redemption.

The race from an anti-post perspective has been a nightmare to dissect with the dimension of the field changing on a weekly basis. The Sir Michael-Stoute-trained Telescope had Dawn Approach layers licking their lips when thought to be back on the straight and narrow leading up to the Derby, but following a far from flattering routine race-course gallop he wasn’t seen to be himself and was ultimately withdrawn, much like the Aidan O’Brien-trained Magician who came after him. Having powered to a convincing Irish Guineas success at the Curragh just last weekend, Magician had connections oozing with excitement but he was later withdrawn with Coolmore already holding a strong hand including five viable contenders.

Dawn Approach has been all the rage since landing the Guineas and looks to be hardening at the head of affairs. Some will argue deservedly so having extended his unbeaten record to seven most recently. However, in our eyes it is a race that screams value and there are plenty of angles to oppose the odds-on favourite. Layers will shout from the roof tops that based on the hard-evidence on the dam’s side of his pedigree, stamina will desert him and along with the undulations Epsom brings it looks a far tougher ask than the odds initially suggest. A victory on Saturday would also emulate the victory of his sire, New Approach in the 2008 Derby but his influence will have to be considerable because hardly any element of the bloodline of the dam, Hymn Of The Dawn, has any ingredient of stamina.

To back a price as short as odds-on you want the majority, if not all the boxes ticked and despite what the chestnut colt has achieved and even maintaining his unbeaten record, his pedigree offers no such guarantee that he will stay.

With all of this playing on our mind the search for value was on and Libertarian was one that stuck out at a larger price. A shock winner of the most recognised trial for the Derby, the Dante Stakes at York Burkes colt is out to prove it wasn’t a one-time fluke. Another son of New Approach he doesn’t look short of pace and could serve it up to some of the market principals when the going gets tough.

The unknown quantities this year include the French-raider Ocovango and the German-trained Chopin. Both enjoy a strong gallop and are likely to make their presence felt at some point in the race but neither look like a Derby winner in the making and so the main danger seems to lie in Aidan O’Brien’s five-strong hand.

It was no surprise to see Magician withdrawn with his Guineas romp likely to have taken some toll. The derby is stamina sapping and although it is widely thought he’d get the trip, his dam was a sprinter and the same stamina doubts casted over Dawn Approach may well have concerned the O’Brien camp. With the Irish 2,000 Guineas victor out the picture Aidan O’Brien can remain intent on making it a real slogfest which could suit his chief protagonist Battle Of Marengo down to a tee.

The second favourite has all the credentials required to win a derby and has forged a fine reputation on the Emerald Isle. We have assumed he has been O’Brien’s number one for a few weeks now and with Joseph O’Brien confirmed for the ride he looks to have every chance at a fair price. Battle Of Marengo has won both the trainer’s preferred trials (the Ballysax and the Derringstown) and looks a colt heading onto bigger and better things.

A son of Galileo, he put many off when seemingly doing ‘just enough’ when winning latest but the form of his win last September over Trading Leather (second in the Dante and third in the Irish Guineas) reads well and he looks sure to get the trip.

Back where we started with Dawn Approach if he stays the trip he will win but with the doubts in his pedigree and the price being as short as 5/6 with some firms it is definitely worth a bet on Libertarian each-way at 16/1 with Paddy Power, amongst others.

1. Retain the ball better

England have always thrived when playing a more direct form of football than the tiki-taka favoured by Spain recently, and even before the Bundesliga’s dominance of the European Cup this season, a German style of football seemed a better template for England than the Spanish style of football.

Still, a consistent problem for England at major international tournaments is tiredness. This was particularly obvious when England were eliminated by Italy at Euro 2012 last year – Roy Hodgson’s side may have scraped a 0-0 draw, but they were outplayed in the central midfield zone, with Scott Parker and Steven Gerrard exhausted at an early stage because they spent so long defending.

There’s a belief that the more a side retains possession, the less they have to run. That’s statistically uncertain, but constantly chasing the ball is certainly mentally draining – England must become less reactive and impose their own football on the game.

2. Excel at attacking transitions

At both ends of the pitch, Hodgson believes that it’s difficult to make the breakthrough against an organised, deep, compact defence. For the majority of his coaching career he’s favoured a system featuring two solid banks of four, with the midfield protecting the defence keenly.

There’s also a strong emphasis on breaking quickly, particularly down the flanks, before the opposition can organise themselves into a good shape. England have a variety of decent wingers, but at Euro 2012 the problem was that these players didn’t receive the ball on the run – the first pass out of the defence was often wayward.

Borussia Dortmund have shown how to play counter-attacking football – the way Jurgen Klopp’s side sit deep with midfielders tracking opponents before springing past on the break is highly impressive, and an obvious side England can look to for inspiration. Often England’s attackers have been criticised for their poor contribution under Hodgson, whereas in reality, they haven’t been given the opportunity to make the difference.

3. Establish reliable partnerships

Ideally, international sides are comprised of like-minded individuals who have grown up together and are comfortable playing a defined type of football. The Spain side of the past six years is a perfect example, and they clearly benefit from so many players being together at Barcelona.

If you can’t depend upon familiarity throughout the side, you can compensate by creating a succession of good partnerships. In the 5-1 victory over Germany in 2001, still England’s outstanding result of this century, there were familiar club partnerships across the pitch. The entire side was comprised of players from three clubs who broadly played in the same sections of the pitch. At the back, there was Arsenal’s David Seaman, Sol Campbell and Ashley Cole. Manchester United’s Rio Ferdinand, Gary Neville and David Beckham to the right of the defence and midfield, with Paul Scholes in the centre of midfield. Meanwhile, Liverpool’s Steven Gerrard and Nicky Barmby provided key attacking contributions to support club teammates Emile Heskey and Michael Owen, who had a great relationship upfront.

They don’t necessarily have to be club partnerships, of course, but it would be good to see a growing sense of familiarity across the England side, particularly in key zones such as the centre of defence.

4. Earlier subs

England’s 1-1 draw against Montenegro in March was worrying because of Roy Hodgson’s lack of intervention, as the opposition increasingly dominated the second half. England had started excellently and were 1-0 up at the break, but Montenegro coach Branko Brnovic made three attack-minded substitutions, with three subtle changes in shape, to get his side back into the game.

Eventually Montenegro managed an equaliser through one of the replacements, Dejan Damjanovic, in the 76th minute. By that stage, England still hadn’t made a substitution – and Hodgson said after the game that he didn’t think he possessed any options that could have altered the course of the contest.

That was a surprising omission. Recent triumphant international managers have utilised their whole squad excellently, and while England may lack world-class footballers, they do have a decent 23-man squad. Hodgson must use all his players intelligently, for both tactical and morale reasons.

5. Focus on set-pieces

Under Hodgson, England are unlikely to outplay opponents in open, free-flowing matches. Instead, games are set to be tense and tight, with a limited number of chances at either end.

In matches like these, dead ball situations can be vital. At Euro 2012, England scored three of their five goals from set-pieces, with Steven Gerrard’s delivery consistently impressive – especially from the right flank. As Greece showed in Euro 2004, if you keep it tight at the back and have limited quality going forward, set-pieces can be a tremendous way to record narrow victories.

However, remember England’s two concessions in the 3-2 victory over Sweden, and the way Montenegro snatched a point in March, and it’s clear England need to become more efficient at defending set-pieces. It’s hardly the most glamorous way to approach a tournament, but excelling at dead ball situations could be the difference between a 0-1 and a 1-0.

The first five of those nine meetings ended in Dortmund victories – but the previous four matches have seen two Bayern victories, and two league draws that played into the hands of the Bavarian side. Here’s a look at each match in turn, and what lessons we can learn from each contest.

Borussia Dortmund 2-0 Bayern Munich, October 2010, Bundesliga

Before we were fully aware that Dortmund against Bayern had become such a key rivalry, Dortmund underlined their title credentials with an impressive, controlled 2-0 home victory.

The pattern of this mini-series was established: Bayern would dominate possession, but Dortmund would excel at transitions. The away side’s 65% possession was fruitless, as Mark van Bommel and Danijel Pranjic were overrun by Dortmund’s boundless energy on the break, and Dortmund created significantly more chances – two were finished by Lucas Barrios and Nuri Sahin.

The lesson: Dortmund won’t attempt to out-pass Bayern, and will instead play on the break

Bayern Munich 1-3 Borussia Dortmund, February 2011, Bundesliga

Dortmund extended their lead over Bayern with a fine away victory – Sahin and Barrios were on target again in an excellent first 20 minutes, while Mats Hummels got on the scoresheet in a comfortable second half for Jurgen Klopp’s side.

The key tactical feature of the game was Bastian Schweinsteiger’s amazingly deep position – he effectively played as a third centre-back, but was frequently caught in possession when pressed by Dortmund’s attackers, was responsible for the opening goal, and was fortunate not to be culpable for another. He was flustered when pressed in the early stages, something that happened against in the European Cup quarter-final second leg against Juventus this season.

The lesson: Schweinsteiger can take time to settle, and should be pressed in the opening minutes

Bayern Munich 0-1 Borussia Dortmund, November 2011, Bundesliga

Klopp’s side recorded an important victory at a relatively early stage of the Bundesliga campaign, at a time when they were struggling in the Champions League. Mario Gotze scored the only goal to settle a slow, uneventful game.

Tactically, both sides pushed up and played very high defensive lines, pressing heavily in the midfield. The two central attackers, Shinji Kagawa and Thomas Muller, helped pressure the opposition centre-backs, so both sides’ starting 4-2-3-1 often looked more like a 4-4-2. With the game squeezed into the middle third, and both sides lacking creativity from central positions, long balls over the top of either defence looked the most promising route to goal.

The lesson: When both sides press, a more direct approach can be successful

Borussia Dortmund 1-0 Bayern Munich, April 2012, Bundesliga

Robert Lewandoswki’s clever flicked finish settled the game – and meant Dortmund took a commanding lead on their way to a second consecutive title.

Whereas both sides had pressed heavily in the reverse league meeting, here both were more passive without the ball. Dortmund closed down individually but then dropped into shape, while Jupp Heynckes’ front two retreated into a compact shape, goalside of Dortmund’s midfielders. The major contrast here was Mario Gomez against Robert Lewandowski – the Pole won more in the air, made better runs, and provided the finish for the winner.

The lesson: Lewandowski is a fine all-round striker, useful in various zones and phases of play

Borussia Dortmund 5-2 Bayern Munich, May 2012, German Cup Final

Dortmund triumphed with a stunning victory in the DFB-Pokal Cup Final in Berlin, playing scintillating counter-attacking football throughout the game, with Shinji Kagawa and Robert Lewandowski starring.

This was a perfect demonstration of Dortmund’s strategy – they played in a deep, compact defensive shape but used the ball brilliantly at transitions. Kagawa, Jakub Blaszczykowski and Kevin Grosskreutz – the three midfield runners in the 4-2-3-1 – played their roles superbly, tracking an opponent without the ball before springing forward immediately on the break to attack Bayern’s stranded centre-backs immediately.

The lesson: Bayern are defensively vulnerable when both full-backs push high up the pitch

Bayern Munich 2-1 Borussia Dortmund, August 2012, German Super Cup

Bayern finally ended a run of five consecutive defeats by Dortmund – Arjen Robben and Franck Ribery provided assists as Thomas Muller and Mario Mandzukic scored early goals.

This pre-season contest showed Bayern had the psychological ability to get the better of their title rivals this season, and although the game wasn’t tactically fascinating and played at a relatively slow tempo, the immediate impact of Mandzukic was clear. It was also the first time Robben and Ribery had a significant influence on this fixture since Dortmund rose to become title contenders, perhaps because the slow tempo meant they recieved possession more often.

The lesson: The opening to the game is crucial – when Bayern settle quickly, they’re capable of winning

Bayern Munich 1-1 Borussia Dortmund, December 2012, Bundesliga

Mario Gotze scored an equaliser from a corner to cancel out Toni Kroos’ opener.

The interesting tactical feature of this game was Klopp deciding to change his formation, selecting a defensive minded 4-3-3 that looked more like a 4-5-1, rather than his usual 4-2-3-1. This effectively indicated that he believed Bayern’s quality in possession necessitated an extra player in the centre of the pitch, with Marco Reus and Gotze wide, rather than either playing as the number ten. Dortmund pressed in midfield but continually left Kroos free between the lines.

The lesson: Dortmund showed tactical flexibility, but Klopp’s belief he needed to adapt his system showed Bayern had become a superior side

Bayern Munich 1-0 Borussia Dortmund, February 2013, German Cup

Arjen Robben settled the game with a classic curler into the far corner – Bayern’s nine shots on target to Dortmund’s one demonstrates their dominance.

The key feature of this game was the storming performance of Bayern’s midfield duo, Bastian Schweinsteiger and Javi Martinez. Whereas two seasons ago Bayern lacked anything like the mobility of Dortmund’s duo, here they could compete in terms of energy, physicality and technical quality on the ball. They commanded the centre of the pitch – with Klopp again trying to stop Bayern with three central midfielders – by dominating possession and also storming forward into attack.

The lesson: The signing of Martinez was crucial, allowing Bayern to dominate the centre ground

Borussia Dortmund 1-1 Bayern Munich, May 2012, Bundesliga

Bayern were already champions, and the sides knew they’d be facing each other at Wembley – so they played out a half-hearted draw.

In all likelihood, only three Bayern players who started this match – Manuel Neuer, David Alaba and either Daniel van Buyten or Jerome Boateng – will also begin Saturday’s Champions League final. Dortmund, on the other hand, used no fewer than seven players who will hope to start at Wembley. It was not far off Dortmund against Bayern B, and yet the scores were level.

The lesson: Bayern have a significantly deeper squad than Dortmund

Champions League Final £50 Free In-Play Bet

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Only United have confirmed their next manager, David Moyes, with Manchester City and Chelsea still in limbo, but widely expected to confirm Manuel Pellegrini and Jose Mourinho respectively.

In terms of background and experience, Moyes, Pellegrini and Mourinho are three entirely different coaches. One is British, another European, another is a real rarity – a Premier League coach from South America. They’ve had very different experiences in recent years: Moyes has been in the Premier League for a decade but has little experience of Europe or title fights, while Pellegrini has been in charge of top sides before, but has little knowledge of the Premier League. If both appointments are considered risky because neither coach has won a domestic title in Europe before, in a sense Moyes and Pellegrini are entirely different gambles.

Mourinho, of course, is the man at the centre of the Venn diagram – he has considerable experience of challenging for (and winning) league titles, he’s a regular in the knockout stages of the Champions League, he understands the demands of the Premier League – and knows all about Chelsea too. He ticks all the boxes, and while history suggests it’s entirely possible for a man like Pellegrini to come to England and succeed immediately – Mourinho, Arsene Wenger and Carlo Ancelotti all won the Premier League title in their first full season – Mourinho’s title-winning experience shouldn’t be underestimated.

The direct contests between the three coaches will be particularly interesting. Whereas the last two seasons of the Premier League have seen some extraordinary scorelines between the top clubs, it feels as if there’ll be a defensive, cautious shift in head-to-head contests between the top three.

Moyes would dispute the idea that he’s a defensive coach, but he’s certainly a reactive coach that adapts his side to the strengths of the opposition, and focuses upon a good defensive shape. That will have to change at Manchester United, of course, and the Scot will embrace his best attacking talents, but it’s hard to imagine he’ll replicate the occasionally shapeless Manchester United side we’ve seen under Ferguson over the past couple of years, mainly because of the lack a reliable partner for Michael Carrick. Moyes will surely purchase another strong central midfielder, and his side will be more boxy.

Mourinho, too, is often unfairly considered a defensive manager – but there’s no doubt his sides focus upon counter-attacking football. Eden Hazard, Juan Mata and Oscar will all have a place in a Mourinho side, but rather than dominating possession, expect Chelsea to defend deep before playing on the break. This doesn’t necessarily mean a lack of goals – Mourinho’s Real have the most shots on target per game amongst clubs from Europe’s major five leagues, despite only the 14th-highest average possession, and the 21st-best pass completion rate. But if opponents don’t attack Mourinho sides, the game can become stilted.

Then there’s Pellegrini, perhaps the most difficult coach to predict. Although he has a clear love of exciting, creative playmakers and appreciates short passing football, his sides are generally about controlled passing rather than relentless attacking. His Villarreal side of 2005/06 nearly reached the Champions League final despite scoring only eight goals in 12 matches, and while his Real Madrid and Malaga sides have been more open, he demands a solid defensive shape without the ball.

As a result, it’s difficult to envisage matches like City’s 6-1 win at Old Trafford in 2011, Chelsea and United’s 3-3 draw at Stamford Bridge in 2012, or even the excellent end-to-end FA Cup semi-final between Chelsea and City last month, a game that should have produced more than three goals. Under 2.5 goals might become an increasingly favourable bet in big games at the start of next season.

It’s interesting to see City and United neck-and-neck at 3.15 to win the Premier League title, with Chelsea a little higher at 3.75. Arsenal are 16, Liverpool 36 and Tottenham 42.

But this appears a three-horse race, so it’s extremely rare to see the three major contenders all trading at over 3.0 – that just sums up the unusual uncertainty caused by three new managerial appointments at the top of the league.

An unmissable, mouthwatering renewal which could see Godolphin on the road to redemption as they seek to end a 14-year wait for a third 2,000 Guineas. After a week of damaging accusations, Al Zarooni has put a darkened tint on racing and today it can prove to punters and fans alike it still has a future, and a promising one at that.

It is being billed as a head-to-head between two unbeaten colts, with Dawn Approach narrowly heading favouritism for the first Classic of the season.

Jim Bolger’s colt was unbeaten in six-races as a two-year-old and heads into the 1,600m contest as the popular 15-8 favourite. Albeit, having not raced since winning the Group One Dubai Dewhurst Stakes in October. But he confirmed himself as a European star of his generation rounding off his 2012 campaign with a memorable victory at the course he returns to today.

Jim Bolger will be as nervous as anyone on what looks his biggest test since New Approach, sire of today’s big race favourite made the running only to lose out by a nose to Henrythenavigator. George Vancouver, a son to 2008′s victor runs today, and we gave him a squeak at 18-1 with Bet Victor despite being abandoned by Joseph. He’ll enjoy the quicker surface (Good-to-firm) and did well to win the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf in Santa Anita back in November. He looks more streetwise than most and can go well filling a place behind Dawn Approach.

Bolger is seeking his first Guineas win with Dawn Approach, and while he respects today’s rivals he has complete faith in his homebred colt, who was sold to Godolphin before achieving his two Group 1 wins at the Curragh and Newmarket last autumn. He remained bullish on Monday almost gloating how he has endured a ‘trouble-free preparation’ with the press fortunately allowed to watch him on a routine gallop.

Despite it being well-known Bolger feels Dawn Approach is among, if not the best horse he’s trained he has some tough rivals, and none more so than Toronado, who won many people over when careering away in impressive fashion in the Craven Stakes just last week.

The market found it tough to split them last night, with Sportingbet even marking him up as an early favourite. Plenty of rumours were circulating on social media and online, most worryingly that he has reportedly weighed in heavier than expected. With the ground quickening all the time with the forecast having changed throughout the week, it’s possible Toronado will bound out in front and try and catch them all sleeping, including Dawn Approach who can take some cajoling along sometimes.

Nothing however, will be finishing as quickly as Dawn Approach and providing Kevin Manning doesn’t give Richard Hughes too much rope the undulated Rowley Mile looks right up the broad Chestnut’s street. Especially given that it looks to be a strongly contested race with stablemate Leitir Mor standing his ground, and other speedy sorts like Mars and Glory Awaits likely to be forcing the issue early on.

Both head into the race unbeaten, and with both sets of connections oozing confidence there is no doubt the score will be settled. Dawn Approach appeals as the most likely winner, and can confirm his progression from a two year old. If Godolphin ever needed a winner it was now, and it would be so refreshing to see Dawn Approach and his big white face headline the Racing Post rather than Al Zarooni and his scandalous drug mishap.

2,000 Guineas selection – DAWN APPROACH 15-8 (5 point win) GEORGE VANCOUVER 18-1 (1 point EW)

5. Inter Milan, 2010

Jose Mourinho’s second European Cup victory perfectly summed up his management style – Inter were defensively solid and ruthless on the counter-attack. Many remember their incredible bus-parking exercise at the Camp Nou in the semi-final second leg, but Inter were also capable of attacking with power and pace. Their 3-1 first leg victory was arguably the most impressive dismantling of Guardiola-era Barcelona, while their convincing destruction of Mourinho’s former club Chelsea confirmed Wesley Sneijder’s brief status as Europe’s most dangerous attacking midfielder.

Mourinho could switch between defence and attack without altering the identity of his players – in theory, Sneijder behind Samuel Eto’o, Diego Milito and Goran Pandev was an absurdly adventurous quartet. However, Mourinho managed to persuade Eto’o and Pandev, both centre-forwards by trade, to drop back into extremely deep midfield positions, so Inter could be either 4-2-1-3 or 4-4-1-1 in Europe, despite favouring 4-3-1-2 in Serie A. Sneijder’s relationship with Milito was always key to their quick attacking.

Defensively, Walter Samuel and Lucio were happier the deeper they could play – they were fantastic in the air but vulnerable on the ground, especially as Mourinho barely rotated in the final weeks of the season, tiring his players. That was partly what encouraged him to become increasingly defensive in the last couple of months, but over the course of 2009/10, Inter were highly adaptable.

4. Real Madrid, 2000

They won the competition two years later with the talents of Zinedine Zidane and Luis Figo, and Claude Makelele desperately holding the midfield together – but their 2000 side was arguably a more cohesive team overall.

There was no need for a Makelele, because Vicente del Bosque used a fine central midfield partnership featuring two players who could both attack and defend. Steve McManaman played a crucial role, but Fernando Redondo was the real star of the side, a tactically perfect player who consistently dominated midfield zones, and who performed more consistently for Real than any ‘Galactico’ ever managed.

The balance Del Bosque found for the latter stages of the tournament was perfect – a 3-4-1-2 with Ivan Helguera as the sweeper, allowing both Roberto Carlos and Michel Salgado to play as rampaging wing-backs, rather than nervous full-backs. It also meant the use of Raul in a withdrawn position – in the final, he played behind Fernando Morientes and (an admittedly disappointing) Nicolas Anelka, a perfect combination of aerial height and raw pace. This wasn’t the most flash Real Madrid side, but there was a sense of efficiency they’ve failed to replicate since.

3. Manchester United, 2008

Cristiano Ronaldo-era Manchester United was surely the best team Sir Alex Ferguson has created. In terms of attacking talent, a rotating trio of Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney and Carlos Tevez was brilliantly mobile and stunning on the counter-attack, while the rare times when Ferguson could pick Owen Hargreaves, Paul Scholes and Michael Carrick created a commanding midfield combination. At the back, Nemanja Vidic and Rio Ferdinand comprised the best centre-back partnership in the world, while Edwin van der Sar re-emerged as one of the continent’s best goalkeepers.

Manchester United’s 2-0 away win at Roma wasn’t as spectacular as their 7-1 victory the previous campaign, but it was one of their finest European performances under Ferguson. They were disciplined at the back and energetic on the break, best summed up by Cristiano Ronaldo’s astonishing leap to head in the opener, the type of goal that confirmed he had developed into the world’s greatest player.

Ferguson’s only regret must be that United failed to put on a performance in the final against Chelsea – eventually winning the contest on penalties, with John Terry’s miss more famous than any great United attacking play. Like in 1999, United had a supremely strong side, but triumphed by the narrowest of margins, summing up their fighting spirit and their never-say-die attitude more than their technical quality.

2. Porto, 2004

This was the year of the underdog – a semi-final line-up featuring Porto, Deportivo, Monaco and an emerging Chelsea side only a year into the Roman Abramovich era. Jose Mourinho took a group of previously individuals and turned them into world beaters. Ricardo Carvalho dominated the defence, while Paolo Ferreira and Nuno Valente did passable impressions of Cafu and Roberto Carlos out wide. Of course, they were even better as a unit – their offside trap was brilliantly drilled throughout the competition.

The combination of Maniche and Costinha controlled the tempo and spread the play effectively to the flanks, while the star of the side was Deco, orchestrating the play from a classic number ten position, storming forward on the counter-attack – most famously for the second goal against Monaco in the final.

Their victory depended on fine margins – Paul Scholes wrongly had a goal disallowed in their 1-1 draw at Old Trafford, and they depended on a late goalkeeping mistake for Costinha’s goal. But equally, they played brilliant football – their 4-2 aggregate thrashing of a tremendous Lyon side set out their ambitions, while winning 1-0 away at Depor’s Riazor stadium was, at the time, an incredible result.

1. Barcelona, 2011

Their 2009 side won more – the Copa del Rey as well as the European Cup and La Liga – and had bigger stars, with Samuel Eto’o and Thierry Henry creating a brilliant forward trio alongside Lionel Messi. However, the 2011 side was more cohesive – David Villa and Pedro Rodriguez played on the flanks and allowed Messi to dominate the side, while the introduction of Sergio Busquets in place of Yaya Toure gave Barcelona more positional discipline and passing quality in midfield.

There was also a greater emphasis upon pressing – in 2009 Barcelona were relatively passive without the ball, dropping back into their own half in the final against Manchester United. Two years later they’d become highly effective at starving the opposition of possession – and while their sheer energy without the ball has rightly received great praise, Barcelona’s defensively positioning and ability to ‘pass on’ opponents up the pitch as they went chasing the ball was tremendous.

It’s been said many times before – but it’s worth repeating – that Barcelona’s three forwards scored in the 2011 final and their three midfielders – Busquets, Xavi Hernandez and Andres Iniesta – all recorded assists. At that time, they possessed the three players who had finished first, second and third in the Ballon D’Or – but remained a unit rather than a collection of individuals. It was the peak of Guardiola’s period, probably the peak of Barcelona’s football history, and maybe the greatest club side of all time.