Michél Kniat and Arminia Bielefeld have shocked Germany, sitting top of the 3. Liga table.
They are also in the DFB Pokal final, and a win in this final would send them straight into next season’s UEFA Europa League league phase.
Not only have they won promotion to the second division of German football, 2. Bundesliga, but now also a change at European footblal.
It was a dream for these players who surely didn’t think it was possible at the start of the season to be fighting for Europe from the third division.
They first beat Union Berlin 2–0, Freiburg 3-1 in the round of 16, then Werder Bremen 2-1 in the quarter-finals before surprisingly beating reigning champions Bayer Leverkusen 2-1 in the semi-final to punch their ticket into this year’s final against 9th ranked VfB Stuttgart.
This team analysis will examine the key Arminia Bielefeld tactics from the competition this season, along with what’s been working for them to beat these bigger teams and who they may face in the final on May 24th.
Who Is Michél Kniat?
The 39-year-old took over as head coach of Arminia Bielefeld on July 1, 2023, following the club’s relegation to the 3. Liga.
Before starting his managerial career, Kniat ended his playing days at Blumenthaler SV, where he also began coaching as a player-manager from 2014 to 2017.
Known for his tactical approach, he favours an attacking 4-3-3 formation that emphasises strategic flexibility on the field.
In the 2023/2024 season, Arminia Bielefeld finished 14th in the 3. Liga.
They played 38 matches, winning 11, drawing 13, and losing 14, with a goal difference of +1 and a total of 46 points.
However, they have improved significantly this season, finishing with 72 points from 38 games, 21 wins, nine draws, eight losses, and a +28 goal difference.
Arminia Bielefeld Pressing Tactics
Their press involves a three-man system up top, a bit different from most sides, where it’s a two-man system.
This is to put more pressure across the width.
Arminia Bielefeld Pressing Tactics pic.twitter.com/MdHAcLh2JK
— Footie Clips (@FootieClips) May 22, 2025
Like the goal above, it’s a high press on the width, where the player takes the ball from the winger position and drives forward into the goal.
Arminia Bielefeld Full-Back Pressing Tactics pic.twitter.com/Hp0VnqFKjZ
— Footie Clips (@FootieClips) May 22, 2025
They don’t want you to have your breathing room in the middle of the pitch for build-up, so their full-backs are instructed to press up high with man-to-man intensity when the other team looks to play into the wing.
Arminia Bielefeld Full-Back Pressing Tactics pic.twitter.com/Hp0VnqFKjZ
— Footie Clips (@FootieClips) May 22, 2025
One problem with their high-intensity press, especially with the full-backs, is that teams have been watching and understanding how their full-backs like to come in super fast, leaving space behind.
Like this clip above, it’s the same textbook pressing they’ve been doing, full-back comes up man-to-man, and the other team looks for the opportunity to try and play long behind into that space he then left.
With the studying the other team is doing for the final, this could potentially be exploited.
Arminia Bielefeld Rapid Counter-Attacks
Something that makes them a huge threat is their speed on the counter-attack.
Arminia Bielefeld Counter Attack pic.twitter.com/RGaPFalMtg
— Footie Clips (@FootieClips) May 22, 2025
They aren’t a ball-dominant team, and you can’t expect them to be; they’ve faced top-tier German teams throughout the competition.
They can’t hold possession like them, but they will be very fast on the counter and try to catch you off guard.
The high press allows the player to win the ball here; it’s straight vertical runs into the opponent’s half that make something work.
Arminia Bielefeld Counter Attack pic.twitter.com/FDwuIKGkOR
— Footie Clips (@FootieClips) May 22, 2025
The video above is another example of how fast they can start a counterattack.
It took just shy of six seconds for the ball to be in the opponent’s half from a corner.
Now, the other team had many numbers come back, but the fact that Arminia Bielefeld squeezed in four attackers in this short period of time is also a glimpse of how they can hit on the counter with numbers.
Arminia Bielefeld Build-Up Play
Their build-up play isn’t typical of using a single pivot, which is why they struggle at times to build out the ball properly, given the better-quality teams they are facing that can trap that single pivot.
The wing-backs are extremely wide near the touchlines, but they still don’t have much time, even when the ball gets to them.
The idea here is to try and get the ball to the two number 8s in front of that single pivot through quick passing sequences to play a vertical pass and break the lines.
At times, it feels as if their build is very static.
There isn’t much movement or creative ideas, forcing them to look long and try to win the second balls.
The image above shows the deep-lying playmaker pinned; you can’t get him the ball as he’s surrounded.
The full-backs are also given just a little room, but once they get the ball, they’ll be hard-pressed, which is when they go long.
The centre-backs are essentially left with no option but to take a few yards and try to smash it forward.
Arminia Bielefeld Attacking Tactics
They utilise their long balls in build-up and as a key part of their tactics in attack.
They like to make in-swinging crosses quite often, and they have even scored a few goals with these crosses in the competition.
Arminia Bielefeld Cross Into Goal pic.twitter.com/XqjGsSXyDw
— Footie Clips (@FootieClips) May 22, 2025
Another example can be found here.
Now, it was an own goal, but the wide player’s idea was to stir chaos in the box.
It’s sending it in full speed to see if our attackers can get on the end of it.
They aim for more than high crosses to reach the head; they often even send low crosses, as it’s harder to predict where the ball will be.
Arminia Bielefeld Defensive Tactics
Their defensive tactics change between a 4-3-3 and a 4-4-2, but mostly, it’s a three-man midfield and three-man attack with two different defensive lines.
Like the image above, the first three players are in this triangle formation, with the striker in front and the other two a few yards behind.
Once again, we see that in a high press, the number 6 comes in fast to apply pressure, and the other two midfielders, 8s, come in to help apply more pressure and win the ball to start a quick counter.
They have this five-man shape when they want to disrupt passing lanes centrally.
The first line has the same three men, but the two midfielders behind them are much closer and tighter centrally, cutting off all passing lanes.
Given their tactics for their full-backs coming with speed for the high press, they are okay with leaving the opponent’s full-backs open, as they plan to shut that off quickly once the ball reaches that zone anyway.
Arminia Bielefeld Key Players
Joel Grodowski Radar Map 2024/2025
Joel Grodowski is undoubtedly key to their attack, ranking in the 93rd percentile for goal contributions per 90, in the 90th percentile for dribblers per 90, almost in the 90th percentile for touches in the opponent’s box, and the 85th percentile for expected goal contributions when compared with positional peers playing in similar leagues in 2024/2025.
This is a key player to their attack and can be a dangerous threat against Stuttgart if the defence is asleep at any point of the match.
Joel Felix Radar Map 2024/2025
Joel Felix is certainly their key player in the backline, ranking in the 91st percentile for aerial duels per 90, surprisingly in the 93rd percentile for touches in the opponent’s penalty box, and is heavily in their build-up play, ranking in the 86th percentile for accurate pass % and 82nd percentile for passes per 90.
He will undoubtedly play a significant role in shutting down opponent attacks and helping to break the lines to advance.
Conclusion
Overall, Arminia Bielefeld have beaten four Bundesliga teams and the reigning champions, Bayer Leverkusen.
They’ve shocked their country and are entering this final with complete confidence in their ability to beat one final Bundesliga team, VfB Stuttgart, who finished 9th in the Bundesliga.
Arminia Bielefeld already disposed of Leverkusen in second, Freiburg in fifth, and Werder Bremen in eighth in the Bundesliga, so playing the ninth-placed team is actually the weakest team in the entire competition.
Bielefeld have a real shot at achieving the unthinkable: playing European football next season.
Just one last game stands in the way of achieving that goal and cementing their place in German football history.
