Isn’t this the best time of the year? The winter cold slowly fades away, to be replaced by the thin and hopeful sunlight of early spring. Club football enters its decisive phase, with lots to play for in every competition. Whatsmore, we’ve got Champions League football lined up this week. The world’s most watched competition […]
Dortmund gave away a three-goal lead with fifteen minutes to play, at a moment when they are leading the league and thoroughly need wins to keep it that way. Not great, Bob. Not great. Tactical analysis and match report by Erik Elias. Dortmund went into the match without the injured trio Marco Reus, Manuel Akanji […]
This contest was shaped by the tactical show put on by Frankfurt coach Adi Hütter. We witnessed one of the most intense and exciting first halves of European football this season. The one-sided focus of Frankfurt’s defensive structure left them more than just a little exposed to Dortmund’s transition-based attacks. At the same time, their […]
In a match where both teams ran themselves into the ground; where both sides never gave each other a moment’s rest; where both teams managed to direct and suffocate wide play, it was Dortmund’s dynamism in transition-based attacks that were the decisive factors and granted them a win. Tactical analysis by Peter M. Despite Leipzig’s […]
A match between the Bundesliga leaders and the current runners up holds a lot of promise. As a spectacle of sorts, the match did not deliver, but Borussia Dortmund and Borussia Mönchengladbach still offered a tactically interesting game between two possession based teams. The home side’s superior pressing setup proved crucial, holding off Gladbach’s attempt […]
The clash between rivals Schalke 04 and Borussia Dortmund contained interesting tactical setups and a derby mentality of either side. Dortmund managed to win due to their well-organized play in possession and Schalke’s reactive match-plan. Schalke is experiencing a disastrous season so far and was in dire need of points going into this match, to […]
The best teams in the world think about attacking when they are defending, and think about defending when they are attacking. Bayern Munich failed to do the latter against Borussia Dortmund and offered too little defensive cover in transition from attack to defense. Bayern’s central defenders suffered badly, as Dortmund’s attackers feasted on space, and […]
League leaders Dortmund did not have to be anywhere near their best form to take away three points from Wolfsburg, as a solid defensive display after Reus’ first half goal was enough to seal the deal. Apart from two very small chances in the final fifteen minutes, Wolfsburg never came close to equalizing. This season […]
Dortmund and Hertha showcased the best aspects of Bundesliga football today. This game was played at a breakneck pace, included very smart tactical decisions and had some of the best young talents in European football on display. How the visitors were able to nick a point thanks to Pál Dárdai’s brave tactics, despite an extremely […]
It turns out Borussia Dortmund can score just fine without their scorching hot striker, Paco Alcácer. Lucien Favre’s decision to start Marco Reus as a defensive number ten behind Mario Götze disrupted Atletico’s buildup. Dortmund’s wing speed more than negated Diego Simeone’s fullback tactics, as Achraf Hakimi put in a man of the match performance […]