The Bundesliga returned from its winter break with a top-of-the-table clash between leaders Bayern Munich and third-placed Leipzig. Usually, matches of this sort in Germany tend to be exciting end-to-end affairs, but that was not the case on this occasion. That was down to some tactical decisions, as well as the fact that the teams […]
It was a decisive night of Champions League football in Group F. On the final day of the group stage, Shakhtar Donetsk and RB Leipzig faced off in what essentially was an elimination match before the knockouts as the winner would get a berth in the Round of Sixteen. In the end, the German side […]
Leipzig’s philosophy is one which seeks to excel in transition phases, but here their counterpressing here was beaten by Gladbach, making it hard to establish control of the match. Their possession game was also unable to break through the Gladbach pressing, and they struggled to threaten as they suffered a 3-0 loss. Tactical analysis and […]
How better for Marco Rose to begin his new job than to down the club he formerly coached? The Leipzig manager set out his stall in front of a home crowd, bagging a comfortable victory. However, the self-inflicted damage from Borussia Dortmund eased his task considerably. Tactical analysis and match report by Emmanuel Adeyemi-Abere. The […]
Coming off a two-week break, Borussia Dortmund seemed ready to kick on and end the second half of the domestic season in style. However, an avalanche of defensive mistakes drowned the hosts, as Bayer Leverkusen cruise to a stunningly comfortable victory over the shell-shocked hosts. Tactical analysis and match report by Manasvin Andra. Somehow, it […]
When people talk about “peak Bundesliga”, they generally refer to a game full of end-to-end attacks where teams often seem detached from conventional notions of game management. Eintracht Frankfurt versus Borussia Dortmund provided exactly this sort of unhinged performance, with Frankfurt’s smart first half display being overturned by the visitors’ surge towards the very end […]
When Marco Rose was announced as new Borussia Dortmund manager back in February, there was a general feeling across television pundits and Football Twitter alike that the club finally had their man. Fast forward seven matchdays into the new season and there are a few glaring defensive issues that are yet to be fixed. In […]
Without Marco Reus and Erling Haaland, Borussia Dortmund still had enough quality to eke out a result against a struggling Borussia Mönchengladbach. However, losing Mahmoud Dahoud to go down to ten men was too much of a stumbling block, as Denis Zakaria’s strike struck a fatal blow to Dortmund and gave Adi Hütter’s team a […]
A late offensive surge saw Urs Fischer’s Union Berlin threaten to derail Borussia Dortmund, but the inevitable Erling Haaland came up trumps once again in a pulsating encounter at the Signal Iduna Park. The home side were aided by the visitors’ approach in defense, as they countered Union’s man-marking with smart movements of their own. […]
Another defensive horror show and another defeat on the horizon, but the same saviour emerged. As has now become custom, Erling Haaland was on target to bail Dortmund out after sloppy defending saw them concede an equalizer at the death, however, serious questions remain for Marco Rose’s side. Meanwhile, it would be justifiable for Sebastian […]