This was the most highly anticipated Der Klassiker in recent memory, with Dortmund having the opportunity to cut the gap on league leaders Bayern Munich to 1 point with a victory. The unprecedented  tension and circumstances surrounding the match itself added fuel to the fire, as football fans salivated over the first major match-up since…

The “False 9” is without question one of the most renowned tactical innovations of the 21st century, as its implementation led to tremendous amounts of success for teams in both club and international competitions. From Lionel Messi to Roberto Firmino to Kai Havertz, several dominant teams in modern times have been built their attack around…

On April 6, 2019, Bayern seized control of the 2018/19 Bundesliga title race with a 5-0 demolition job against rivals Borussia Dortmund at the Allianz Arena. A watershed moment in the season, Bayern would go on to be crowned champions despite trailing BVB at the end of the Hinrunde (the first half of the Bundesliga…

In what was VFL’s Wolfsburg’s first home match behind closed doors, title challengers Borussia Dortmund came to town and secured their sixth consecutive Bundesliga victory. Lucien Favre’s side are now in a perfect position going into Tuesday’s Der Klassiker, but to say this was a dominant victory for the Swiss would be too harsh on…

On the Bundesliga’s second weekend back after the two-month break, it brought with it another fantastic fixture featuring managers Marco Rose and Peter Bosz. Borussia Mönchengladbach and Bayer Leverkusen have made plenty of noise this season via their performances and tactics, with both teams competing for the Champions League spots over the course of the…

After for the first time in two months last weekend, the Bundesliga resumed play for Matchday 27. In the earlier kick-off, Bayern Munich’s nearest title challengers Borussia Dortmund continued their scintillating form with a hard fought 2-0 away win at Europa League hopefuls Wolfsburg.   Thus, it was up to Bayern to maintain their four-point…

With the Bundesliga resuming this week after a two month break, RB Leipzig took upon Freiburg at the Red Bull Arena. Both sides lined up in a 3-4-3 formation, but Leipzig’s shape on the ball kept changing throughout the game.   Leipzig came into the game as favourites and had to win the game to…

In this piece, I will discuss the advantages and pitfalls of a man-oriented back three, but to start, I should clarify what is meant by the phrase “man-oriented.” Rarely is full man-marking seen in the modern game because of its susceptibility to being dragged out of position by the opponents’s movement. Man-oriented back threes are…

The 3-2 build-up structure entails having a consistent back three with two players ahead. This typically manifests itself either in a 3-4-3, where the three centre-backs and two midfielders ahead form the shape, or in a 4-2-3-1 where one full-back adapts his positioning to create the back three, while the double-pivot forms the midfield two. …

After a two month-long break due to the COVID-19 outbreak, the Bundesliga has finally returned. On Saturday, Dortmund defeated Schalke 4-0 to go within one point off Bayern Munich in second place. On Sunday, Union Berlin welcomed Bayern Munich for Matchday 26. Bayern had to win to maintain their four-point lead with eight league games…