Bundesliga 2021/22: Why Steffen Baumgart is one of the most exciting coaches in German football – tactical analysis

Steffen Baumgart will be a familiar name to any followers of the German Bundesliga due to his stellar work with SC Paderborn. Baumgart brought Paderborn up into the top flight of German football playing a high-tempo, attractive brand of football, with an emphasis on intriguing pressing structures, following back-to-back promotions from 3. Liga and 2. Bundesliga over 2017/18 and 2018/19.

He continued to have his side perform admirably in the Bundesliga, but even more impressively so considering the shoestring budget, where some of Paderborn’s most notable transfers that summer came from 3. Liga  not even the 2. Bundesliga. Since his ultimately doomed season in the Bundesliga with Paderborn, he has taken over the reins at FC Koln. After seven games Koln sit in seventh place, with 12 points  only four points off of leaders Bayern Munich.

There has been a noticeable uptick in Koln’s performances since Baumgart’s time at the club began, and yet without any drastic change in personnel. Dejan Ljubicic has proved to be an astute acquisition in midfield, Mark Uth has rejoined permanently and has looked sharp already, whilst the most obvious case of Baumgart having a direct impression on a player comes in the form of Anthony Modeste. He has been truly goal-shy in recent seasons, scoring only four league goals in his last two seasons for Koln. And yet in his seven league games under Baumgart, he already has four goals. 

Baumgart has instilled a midfield diamond formation, similar in style to Marco Roses at Borussia Dortmund, with this being used predominantly throughout the season so far, using this structure to allow his vertical passing, aggressive pressing and efficient counter-pressing football to flourish with his new side.

This tactical analysis is going to break down Baumgart’s tactics so far with Koln, providing an analysis of some key principles of play in the various moments of the game. 

Attacking transition

Baumgart places an emphasis on purposeful forward play in attacking transition, but not at the risk of giving away possession cheaply.