Bundesliga 2021/22: How Dortmund’s tactical positioning took precedence against VfL Stuttgart – tactical analysis

On the face of it, a match-up between two of the leagues entertainers should showcase a some good football. Both Borussia Dortmund and VfL Stuttgart from a tactical and technical aspect, have caught the eyes of many within Germany and around the world.

At the start of the season, the Bundesliga manager merry-go-round began, leaving Dortmund with ex-Borussia Mönchengladbach manager, Marco Rose, in their possession. Their newly appointed manager has been a success story in the Ruhr region, having essentially secured second place and another stab at the UEFA Champions League. With this being said, Rose has faced a few setbacks which stick out  most notably Dortmund’s 4-1 to RB Leipzig at home, and a disappointing two legs against Rangers in the Europa League. Their Friday night opponents Stuttgart are feeling the pressures of the German top-flight, as they currently sit just above the relegation places, simply staying afloat until the season is over and safety is guaranteed. Regardless of league positions for both sides, both teams offer genuine quality within all departments of their respective teams. Whether, in defence with Konstantinos Mavropanos and Matt Hummels, or Wataru Endo and Jude Bellingham, the matchups on the field will create an intriguing spectacle.

This tactical analysis will delve into the strengths and weaknesses of Stuttgarts game, in addition to Marco Roses tactical game plan.

Line-up

The home side made use of a 4-3-3 formation on Friday night. Florian Müller started in goal, with his back four consisting of Pascal Stenzel, Hiroki Ito, Borna Sosa and Arsenal loanee Konstantinos Mavropanos. The midfield three comprised of Wataru Endo, Atakan Karazor and Orel Mangala, who some say is already Premier League-bound. The attacking front three comprised Omar Marmoush, Tiago Tomás and Chris Führich.

Marco Rose’s side utilised a 4-2-3-1 formation. Gregor Kobel was the starting goalkeeper, with Mats Hummels, Manuel Akanji, Raphaël Guerreiro and former Liverpool midfielder Emre Can in the back of four. In the double-pivot, Mahmoud Dahoud and Jude Bellingham, with Marco Reus, Gio Reyna and Thorgan Hazard as the attacking midfield three. Erling Haaland started as the lone number nine in this match.

Stuttgart’s wide-area occupation & pressing strategy

As mentioned previously, Stuttgart and Borussia Dortmund are operating within different echelons of the tables, so a good deal of may consider this game to be a flat-out Wipeout in Dortmund’s favour. This quite logical prediction did not turn out that way, and stats show this finding. Dortmund scored two goals from an xG performance of 1.50, which is quite respectable. Conversely, their opponents generated enough chances, leaving them with an xG of 2.03, but with no actual goals. Not surprisingly, Dortmund controlled the tempo of this fixture and took initiative. Stuttgart was well aware of the threat and structure Dortmund possessed and understood would be their most successful avenue when creating shooting opportunities. Because of Marco Rose’s in-possession tactics, a team shape that will be discussed further, space was afforded to them in the wide areas. With the likes of Chris Führich and Omar Marmoush, two quick and technical wingers, the home side could find some joy. Ain addition, Stuttgart was able to transition so well, because of being able to win the ball back within the middle third of the pitch, compared to their defensive third. The likes of Wataru Endo and Atakan Karazor excelled when quickly winning the ball back and being the catalyst for attacks. While no goals were scored, Pellegrino Matarazzo’s men can be satisfied with their attack contribution. By contrast, their defensive performance did not replicate the same order and execution compared to their ability to counterattack.

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