Marco Rose is one of the most highly-rated coaches to emerge from the Bundesliga in recent years, with his achievement this season in leading Borussia Monchengladbach into the knockout rounds of the UEFA Champions League serving as a great example of his talent and ability. Rose came to Monchengladbach from Red Bull Salzburg, a club which has become famous for pressing and counter-pressing, and the 44-year-old honed his tactical philosophy during his time in Austria.
Winning the ball high up the pitch when dispossessed is one of the most important concepts of Rose’s team. However, this does not mean that Gladbach press without a plan. A better way to describe his team without the ball is strategic.
With a PPDA (passed allowed per defensive action) of 11.63, they are the 9th highest in the league, suggesting that the intensity of the press is not as high as you might have expected. This figure is even higher in the Champions League 15.09, further proving that Gladbachs press is a lot more structured and intelligent than many people may believe.
In this scout report, we will be covering their mid-block when out of possession, as well as their pressing strategies. While Gladbach have changed formations on occasion this season, as well as engaged opponents higher or further back, as the situation demanded, the general ideas and tactics have remained largely consistent.
Midblock
As mentioned in the above analysis, their press involves the use of a mid-block as a prerequisite. With the following concepts, Gladbach try to obtain several objectives before pressing under controlled conditions:
- Creating a numerical overload
- Staying compact as a unit
- Closing half-spaces
- Covering the opposition pivots
- Creating multiple layers
The above image shows Gladbachs mid-block in a 4-2-2-2 shape, with Lars Stindl usually joining the striker, and therefore creating four layers or lines for Gladbach. Additionally, they create a six-man central overload, containing the Stuttgart pivots to a large extent.
By keeping the wingers narrow in the half-spaces, and higher than the midfielders, they tightened the distances between the first layer and the midfield. The Gladbach players also use their positioning and body orientation to close the vertical passing lanes in this zone to force the Stuttgart players to pass the ball sideways. For example, the opposition centre-backs would not be able to pass to their narrow wingers or offensive midfielders in front of the Gladbach back four easily in such a scenario.
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