From third-round abundance to quarter-final scarcity
The goals flowed in the third round, then almost vanished as the World Cup reached its last eight.
The third round produced the knockout stage’s widest range of victories.
Brazil and Israel advanced with emphatic 4–0 and 5–0 wins. Italy controlled Ireland 2–0. Spain survived Ecuador 4–2. Sweden edged Senegal 2–1, while Holland required Abraham Weah’s 113th-minute goal to defeat Scotland. France and Argentina advanced on penalties after draws with Belgium and England.
By the quarter-finals, the margins narrowed sharply: three of the four ties finished 1–0, with only Italy’s 4–0 victory over France breaking the pattern. The tournament moved from abundance to compression almost overnight.
That change framed everything that followed. The early knockout round rewarded attacking depth; the later rounds demanded precision. Italy proved capable of both.