Borussia Dortmund – RasenBallsport Leipzig: Dortmund shoot themselves in both feet to drop points in classic Bundesliga rollercoaster (3-3)

A slightly slacking Leipzig setup from Julian Nagelsmann looked to be on the brink of defeat were it not for an incomprehensible series of events for Dortmund that were minorly influenced by Leipzig’s change of pace.
Tactical analysis and match report by Peter M.

It would seem that Lucien Favre’s decision to desert his well-known 4-4-2 system in favor of a 3-4-3 setup is - at least for now - reaping the rewards that a fresh turn of pace can bring. 

As the manager looked to continue on from their emphatic weekend victory over Mainz, the exact same eleven – spearheaded by Thorgan Hazard, Marco Reus and Jadon Sancho – aimed to stand up to their first real test during this run of form.

Looking to make it eleven games unbeaten in all competitions, Julian Nagelsmann's rampant Leipzig made changes in defense, midfield and attack, despite a convincing victory at the weekend. Stefan Ilsanker made way for Nordi Mukiele to come in at right back while Lukas Klostermann stepped into central defense. Christopher Nkunku departed his wide midfield role for Swede Emil Forsberg to return to the fold. Up front the much beloved Yussuf Poulsen reinstated his synonymous partnership with Timo Werner.

Dortmund’s 3-4-3 setup with Leipzig in a hybrid formation that could be caught by many different notations. A 4-4-2 diamond seems most fitting for the situation depicted here.

Leipzig’s attacking frustrations leave them scratching their head
Against Dortmund’s off-the-ball 5-3-2 formation – where Hazard switched in and out of a central-midfield role to help press up the . . .