Bundesliga 2019/20: Borussia Dortmund vs Werder Bremen

Borussia Dortmund dropped points for the second week in a row as they drew 2-2 with Werder Bremen at the Signal Iduna Park. Lucien Favre’s side endured another frustrating afternoon and now find themselves three points behind the leaders Bayern Munich.

For a side widely tipped to become champions, Dortmund struggled due to their predictability and poor defending. Werder had a good game, largely nullifying Dortmund’s strengths and hitting them on the counter-attack. While Dortmund dominated possession, they could not find the winning goal and have a variety of issues to address if they are to mount a serious title challenge. This tactical analysis aims to look at the tactics employed by both sides.

Lineups

Borussia Dortmund lined up in their familiar 4-2-3-1. Manuel Akanji and Julian Weigl played in defence with Łukasz Piszczek and Achraf Hakimi as the full-backs. Favre picked Axel Witsel and Mahmoud Dahoud to form the pivot in midfield. Mario Götze led the attack with Thorgan Hazard and Jadon Sancho on the flanks and Marco Reus behind.

Werder Bremen played a 4-2-3-1 as well on paper but actually lined up in a 3-5-2. Josh Sargent and Milot Rashica played as the two strikers up top with Michael Lang and Davy Klaasen out wide. In midfield, ex-Dortmund player Nuri Şahin started with Maximilian Eggestein and Leonardo Bittencourt.