DR Congo tactics vs England: Desabre's four-back gamble nearly paid off

England had to dig out a 2-1 win in England vs Congo DR, but the more striking story was what Congo DR had done before Harry Kane turned it late. Sebastien Desabre kept his back four, used width aggressively and left Cédric Bakambu out, and the setup gave England real problems. B. Cipenga scored in the seventh minute, Congo DR led until the 75th minute, and Lionel Mpasi-Nzau made five saves to keep the match alive.

Desabre's shape and wide threats

Desabre kept a 1-2-3, which meant Congo DR never retreated into a five-man shell once England started to press. That was the gamble. B. Cipenga on the left and Nathanaël Mbuku on the right gave them pace wide, and the early goal showed the plan was not just about surviving. B. Cipenga's finish after seven minutes was enough to force England to chase for most of the game.

The cleanest argument for Desabre's approach is simple enough. Congo DR stayed dangerous without giving up all control of their own shape, and England did not settle until the final quarter of the match. Desabre said after the game: "We are disappointed because we really believed. We played a good match. In the closing stages, we gave away two situations and one of the best players in the world scored two goals. It is a shame".

England's response came late

Declan Rice's move to right-back added another wrinkle to England's second-half push. Thomas Tuchel said: "We were discussing it and he said to put Declan there. To have his quality from the side to put the crosses in there makes it more difficult to defend, more dangerous with the outswingers, and gives a bit more support for Bukayo [Saka] and Ebs [Eberechi Eze]. We had a bit more connection to help on the right side."

England also changed the game through pressure, not just personnel. Before the first hydration break they had zero shots and zero touches inside the box, then eight shots and 20 touches there by half-time. Before the second break they had two shots on goal and seven touches in the box, then six shots and 13 touches after. Alan Shearer said the stoppages came at the right time because England had been slow, open and full of errors, while Tuchel said he used them to keep his players calm and focused.

The workload point is real, but Congo DR made England work for everything until the late collapse. The tactical choice to stay brave with the ball and wide in attack was the reason the underdogs were still leading in the 75th minute, even if Kane's finish eventually decided it.