Hoffenheim went to this match with a bad mood. The reason is simple: they hadn’t won a single match in their last seven games, and only drew three of them. If we step back a little further, their last win came against Bayer Leverkusen in early February; almost four months ago.
A similar mood could be found within 1. FC Köln’s squad. Since Bundesliga announced its return after the unwanted break, they only managed to get two points from two matches. Both teams were in a need of a win to get closer to the European zone. At the end of the day, the home side came out victorious and get closer to the desired land. Without further ado, this tactical analysis will inform you how the match unfolded.
Lineups
Alfred Schreuder picked 4–2–3–1 for his team. The duo of Pavel Kadeřábek and Steven Zuber was picked to be the full-back pairing. In front of them, the former Borussia Dortmund player Jacob Bruun Larsen was chosen to play alongside Christoph Baumgartner and Robert Skov as the attacking midfielders. In front of them, Munas Dabbur spearheaded the offensive line. Hoffenheim’s bench was filled with names like Håvard Nordtveit, Sebastian Rudy, Dennis Geiger, and Ihlas Bebou.
Similarly, Markus Gisdol opted for the same formation. At the heart of the defence, Toni Leistner started the game alongside Sebastiaan Bornauw. Ellyes Skhiri and Elvis Rexhbecaj were given the license to control the engine room in front of the centre-backs. Talisman Jhon Córdoba was trusted to lead Köln’s attacks. 2016 Confederations Cup winner Jonas Hector had to start the match from the dugout, as well as Jorge Meré, Florian Kainz, Anthony Modeste, and Simon Terodde.
Subscribe To TFA To Unlock All Posts - Free 7 Day Trial
Try TFA Free For 7 Days
Gain access to all of TFA's premium contents.More than 12,000+ articles.
