What is a coach's thinking if this happens? When both teams want to sit in a low block and look for the occasional counter, how will the game usually play out? Does one team have to take the initiative, play more of an attacking game and try to break down them down? Or can they look to play long balls, not commit many players forward and allow/force the opponent to come at them?
If you're watching Italy-Austria today you have a good example of what happens. Italy perfectly content to sit back, stay organized and counter usually. But Austria are pulling back to their penalty area in 2 lines of four, so Italy are in possession in Austria's half mostly. One team will "emerge" as a protagonist and the other one becomes a counter puncher. But these roles can change.
Yeah, one particular game I had in mind was Italy v. Sweden in the 2018 World Cup playoff, especially the game in Sweden. Italy couldn't draw the Swedes forward. Just about the entire game was played in Sweden's half but their defense didn't break. The second game in Italy played out in a similar way.