Tactic Analysis of Borussia Dortmund vs. Liverpool

Jordan Henderson vs. Marco Reus (sportsmole.co.uk)

Jurgen Klopp back to Signal Iduna Park (7/4), but this time he comes as opponents. Klopp comes as helmsman of the red team from Merseyside. The duel seemed to have destined to happen at the right time. It is not final as it is coveted many people, including the author.

But this duel occurs when Klopp has overcome some of the problems with his new team since replacing Brendan Rodgers. Similarly, Thomas Tuchel, who have passed the phase of disassembly number of models games for Borussia Dortmund.

Thomas Tuchel, as expected, played Piszczek and Durm on the same side. It is intended to anticipate some of the possibilities related to the pressing mechanism which was applied by Klopp. In the last few games Klopp using a pressing mechanism with a 4-4-2 structure.

But the players that he had also enabled Klopp to apply the pressing mechanism using 4-3-3 structure, such as the successful implementation when facing Manchester City. So, from the start of this match predicted would indicate a very interesting tactics duels, and rightly so!

Build-up Tuchel vs. pressings Klopp

What kind of Pressing mechanism that will be used by Klopp? The question is the first to appear, Dortmund under coach Tuchel transformed into a team with deadly penetration that is supported by a steady build-up.

In this game, Klopp opted to use a pressing mechanism in the structure of 4-3-3. Lallana and Coutinho were flanking Origi, with served to make the blockade on the halfspace area.

Meanwhile, Origi itself oriented himself to the Julian Weigl. In a few moments, the orientation looks like rigid man-marking. But it could also be more flexible in which he used his shadow to close the passing lane to Weigl; thus, she could actively participate in giving pressure to the ball.

All of three front players had a duty to steer the ball into the side of the pitch. When the ball is in the middle column, they just wait and make sure that the passing lane in the central area and halfspace were closed. As soon as the ball was passed to the side of the pitch, they will increase the intensity of pressing by utilizing blocks structural shift.

Coutinho or Lallana (depending on which side the ball was) going to start giving pressure with the aim of forcing their opponent to make progression via the side of the pitch where a trap pressing had been prepared. This pressing trap involved wing, center midfield, and fullback on the side where the ball was.

Meanwhile Tuchel, in order to deal with pressing Klopp, at first, have prepared his team for the build-up to the structure of the three players in the first line. However, because Liverpool was applying mechanism pressing using three men on the front line, made Dortmund more flexible.

There was an asymmetry in the structural build-up which they applied. This asymmetry was used to create Dortmund itself becomes more flexible, whether to use the three players in the first-line or four players.

Schmelzer position itself higher than Piszczek. Meanwhile, Hummels took up positions around a central column, instead of on the left halfspace. Thus, Hummels could help Weigl and Bender implemented effective overload against Origi.

This overload becomes effective due to the Origi's orientation to Weigl, and so they needed an extra player to get the expected stability. In the first half Origi often seemed alone facing three of these players, when he tried to give pressure to the Hummels or Bender, they can easily secure the circulation of the ball.

Another influential factor was Lallana and Coutinho that also oriented to both fullbacks of Dortmund while closing the passing lanes in the halfspace area. In a few moments, Lallana tried to provide pressure on Hummels by utilizing Schmelzer position that was too high, where the connection of the ball from Hummels could be intercepted using the shadow of his body.

A few times Dortmund could exit from Liverpool pressings by utilizing some overload as shown in the previous image. Mechanisms overload made Liverpool pressings was not well coordinated.

Space between the lines in Liverpool's structural block.

In addition to caused by a number overload mechanisms applied by Dortmund, there was space management that less coordinated well by Liverpool. This was related to how Liverpool deal with Weigl. As mentioned before that Dortmund gave overload to Origi, so when Origi tried to give a pressure, Weigl would free. Meanwhile, Dortmund still had one extra player who can bring the ball out from the pressure.

This seemed difficult to overcome by Liverpool. Lallana and Coutinho more focused did blockade the passing lane to both fullback and halfspace area. Meanwhile, all three Liverpool midfielder seemed hesitant to move outside their area to keep Weigl and provide assistance to Origi.

They were worry that space between the lines can be accessed by Dortmund easily, where Castro and Mkhitaryan operated. This was further compounded by the absence of pure no. 6 players who secured a room between the lines. Can-Henderson-Milner were often positioning themselves in parallel.

While the players in the back line, especially the duet of Sakho-Lovren apparently did not venture out too far to secure a room between the lines. They prefer to anticipate the speed of the Aubameyang, Reus, and Schmelzer.

Through such arrangements, Dortmund, several times escaped from the pressing and could access the space between the lines. Or they could give the ball to Weigl and force Liverpool to go down deeper.

Dortmund had a little disconnection

This was due to several reasons. First, Schmelzer position was too high. This resulted in Liverpool almost always be able to direct their pressing to Piszczek side, so they did not need to make too many decisions in determining the direction of pressing.

Second, Weigl stood alone in a no.6 room surrounded by six Liverpool players. So when the ball was played to the side of the pitch, Liverpool was always able to isolate the flow of the ball and took it. Castro sometimes went down into the room no.6, but his main operating area was in the space between the lines. When Castro went down, then the number of players in the space between the lines would be reduced, Liverpool could secure the zone more easily.

The most dominant aspect of course how Liverpool could easily direct the ball circulation of Dortmund and isolate it on the field. Piszczek, Weigl, or Hummels couldn't provide support in the lower half space in time.

Indeed, Dortmund back line could be several times drain the balls into the space between the lines, but the final penetration that was expected didn't appear. Because Dortmund actually just "leapfrog the ball" and could not get back to provide support. Thus Liverpool then able to isolate ball and took it.

The changes in the second half

In the second half, Tuchel played Nuri Sahin replacing Erik Durm. Sahin played in the no. 6 room together with Weigl. This was intended to avoid disconnection, where Weigl was expected to provide support to the ball in the ​​higher area while Sahin remains in the room no. 6, or vice versa.

This change has forced Mkhitaryan to fill the right wing post, thus eliminating his potential as needle player. Dortmund connections in the space between the lines was still there, but not as good as Mkhitaryan. Tuchel eventually replaced Aubameyang and played Pulisic to fill the right wing post and returned Mkhitaryan to the space between the lines.

When built-up attack Sahin would fall between Bender and Hummels with Hummels shifted to the left halfspace. Or Sahin moving to the bottom left halfspace; Schmelzer has positioned himself on higher area. It was normal to get an extra player against three Liverpool's forward players.

But, The Sahin's decline movement has actually also brought Joe Allen, who also entered in the second half replacing Henderson, where Joe Allen oriented itself to Sahin. When Sahin down deeper, leading structure of Liverpool would shape 2-4, with the potential to increase the intensity of Liverpool pressing.

But, The staggering that was formed still fragmented, thus opening up a passing lane to the space between the lines. This was mainly due to the Origi, who too oriented to Weigl, so when Weigl moved up Origi would follow. Meanwhile Joe Allen seemingly hesitant to position themselves in the front line.

Klopp reacted by entering Firmino replaced Lallana. Liverpool changed the leading structure of its pressings to 4-2 with two wings could develop more aggressive access if possible. Joe Allen was no longer orients itself to Sahin. Here, Dortmund changed the structure of its built-up to 3-2 with Hummels, Bender, and Piszczek filled the first line. With this structure, the disconnection between Hummels with Schmelzer reappeared. But Sahin could go down deeper to provide a space in the halfspace left to Hummels carried the ball forward.

The last Substitution conducted by Klopp was replacing Origi and played Sturridge. Sturridge did not orient himself to Weigl, thus forming a more stable structural block.

Conclusion

The author actually was grateful because both teams have not met in the final, so that will be presented two times game between them. Thus, the author can observe two times tactics duel that very interesting between Klopp against Tuchel.

But apart from that, from some tactical issues showed that in fact both could be expanded even further with the team. Moreover, both are also equally new people on each team.