World Cup 2014 11am Bulletin: Mexico prove the magic of three

Hector Moreno was exceptional in Mexico's first two Group A ties

Mexico's draw with Brazil was yet another success for a side with three centre backs, though keeper Guillermo Ochoa did help a bit...

To many football fans, playing with three centre backs is dismissed as either a dated principle with no place in the 4-3-3/4-2-3-1-dominated modern game or, even more unfairly, the calling card of a defensive team.

However, the tactic has made a comeback in several European leagues - most notably Serie A (Italy also used it to inspire some of their finest displays at Euro 2012 and last year's Confederation Cup) - and now the nations showing faith in such a concept at the World Cup are benefitting.

Mexico are the most obvious example. Miguel Herrera's appointment near the end of a dispiriting qualifying campaign, in which they clung on despite a run of two wins in ten, and insistence on a 3-5-1-1 structure saw them comfortably through a play-off with New Zealand.

It has been an even bigger hit this summer. Arriving in Brazil to almost no acclaim, the round-of-16 regulars have kept clean sheets in their first two Group A ties against Cameroon (1-0) and Brazil (0-0) to establish themselves as 1.412/5 prospects to finish in the top two.

Goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa was the undoubted hero of the gripping stalemate with Brazil, making a series of spectacular saves and guaranteeing himself a summer of unrelenting links to Arsenal and Liverpool.

The formation was also key to holding Brazil though. The three centre backs prevented Neymar and co from obtaining many clear sights of goal, while there were enough bodies further forward to create danger when they broke (admittedly a 30-yard shoot-on-sight policy undermined it slightly).

Another side thriving with three are the Netherlands, with left wing back Daley Blind magnificent in Louis van Gaal's Spain-conquering 3-4-1-2, which accommodates Wesley Sneijder, Arjen Robben and Robin van Persie without leaving the Oranje defensively vulnerable. The performance established them as 12.5n/a tournament fourth favourites.

Additionally, there are 3-4-3/3-4-2-1-advocates Costa Rica, whose come-from-behind 3-1 win over Uruguay shifted them from 28.0 to 2.427/5 to get out of Group D.

The conclusion was that 3-5-2 failed Argentina against Bosnia, but they led 1-0 when switching shape at half time, with the more familiar 4-3-3 delivering a 1-1 second-half scoreline.

As well as Brazil and Mexico's 0-0 draw, Tuesday saw Group H open with Belgium labouring to a 2-1 victory against Algeria off the strength of Marc Wilmots' impressively early and decisive second-half substitutions, and Russia and South Korea sharing some 1-1 spoils.

The BBC pundits' reaction to the latter match was that neither of the teams judged most likely to progress alongside Belgium looked as formidable facing each other as Algeria did against the frontrunners. It was a reasonable argument which suggests value in backing them at 6.05/1 to qualify.

World Cup day seven sees Cameroon meet Croatia in a Group A eliminator - if either side loses, the round-of-16 will become out of bounds to them - while Australia oppose the Netherlands and Spain and Chile collide in Group B.

Tobias Gourlay foresees Group B cementing its position as the highest-scoring group with over 3.5 goals in Australia v Netherlands and over 2.5 goals in Spain v Chile, while Lewis Jones has Croatia pencilled in for a win to nil against Cameroon.

Recommended Bet: Back Algeria to qualify from Group H @ 6.05/1