Tactical Analysis: RB Leipzig vs. Borussia Dortmund

Two of the most exciting sides in Europe imploding with young talent met last weekend at the Red Bull Arena. Both Lucien Favre's Borussia Dortmund and Julian Nagelsmann’s RB Leipzig spent most of the season in hot contention to achieve the Meisterschale before Hansi-Dieter Flick took over in November and led Bayern to another league title. Going into the match, Nagelsmann had won just one of his eight matches against Dortmund, and the club itself have not achieved victory against Dortmund in their past four matches. 

During this tactical analysis we’ll examine the tactics of both teams in possession, how Giovanni Reyna disoriented Leipzig’s defensive shape, and explore why Leipzig are conceding so many goals. 

Lineups

Nagelsmann flexed his team’s tactical flexibility in this game, deploying a 3-4-3/3-4-1-2 variant. Many teams have tried to match Dortmund’s 3-4-3 and failed, but Nagelsmann tried to match them by deploying a 3-4-3/3-4-1-2 variant.