A competitive contest between two teams neck-and-neck in the Bundesliga table ended with a narrow win for Borussia Dortmund. Bayer Leverkusen were let down by poor individual defending, whilst the visitors also had a touch of brilliance from their players.
Tactical analysis and match report by Fahd Ahmed.
Although it already looks like the reigning champions will yet again run away with the title, there are many interesting narratives in the Bundesliga. One of the prominent topics is the race for Champions League qualification, with RB Leipzig, Borussia Dortmund, Bayer Leverkusen, Hoffenheim, Stuttgart, and Eintracht Frankfurt separated by just a few points.
It is so tight that the slightest swings in form and results can have significant impacts on the teams’ positions. Thus, a clash between Leverkusen and Dortmund at the BayArena was a crucial fixture not only for the respective teams but also their competitors.
There were many interesting tactical talking points, but the first prominent aspect of the match was how the two teams built out from the back whilst the opposition pressed high.
Effectively using clever movement and Kobel to bypass Leverkusen’s man-oriented press
The standout tactical battle in the opening minutes was Leverkusen’s high press against Dortmund. With both teams matching each other’s formations on paper, Hjulmand instructed his side to press man-to-man when the visitors were building out of the back.
For context, Kovač used a 4-1-5 build-up structure with Marcel Sabitzer dropping in and out of midfield whilst . . .
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