Juventus Vs Borussia Dortmund [4-4] Champions League 2025/2026: Can Igor Tudor Fix Juve Defence Without Sacrificing Attack? – Tactical Analysis

Juventus played their first UEFA Champions League match of the 2025/2026 season against Borussia Dortmund, and the game ended with a very dramatic late draw after the Bianconeri scored their fourth goal to equalise.

The result cannot be considered positive for Juventus, as they were playing at home and were hoping to kick off this initial phase with a win despite facing a tough opponent in BVB.

But, given the chronology of events and the team’s positive attitude and reaction to the game, Juventus can be happy about the second half and their ability to get back in the game after they were two goals behind.

That’s why it will be crucial to build on this comeback and the way Juventus dealt with the second half, especially from an attacking and playmaking perspective.

At the same time, it will be even more urgent to focus extensively on the team’s defensive performance and try fixing what went wrong in this game, in order to avoid conceding many goals per match in the future.

The fact that Juventus conceded three goals in the previous game against Inter Milan and four goals against Borussia Dortmund is alarming.

Head coach Igor Tudor must seriously consider this to guarantee more balance in the team’s performances, whether in Serie A or UEFA Champions League games.

Therefore, this tactical analysis of the match between Juventus and Borussia Dortmund will explore Juventus’ defensive issues and analyse why they conceded four goals in a single match.

The analysis will also reserve a section to explore the impact of Kenan Yıldız and Dušan Vlahović on the game, as well as the positives and negatives of the Bianconeri’s attacking performance in this opening UEFA Champions League game.

Juventus Vs Borussia Dortmund Lineups

Igor Tudor surprised everyone with an unexpected lineup, different from the one he used against Inter Milan in Juve’s previous game.

Tudor explained this risk-taking, especially given the short period that his players had to rest between the two games.

Tudor started the match in a 3-4-2-1 formation, with Michele Di Gregorio as a goalkeeper, and a defensive trio of Pierre Kalulu, Gleison Bremer, and Lloyd Kelly.

In midfield, he chose to rely on Teun Koopmeiners as a defensive midfielder instead of Manuel Locatelli, with Khéphren Thuram playing alongside him and both Weston McKennie and Andrea Cambiaso as wing-backs.

He also made a few changes in attack.

He preferred to start with Jonathan David and Yıldız on the wings behind Loïs Openda, who was used as a striker instead of Vlahović.

Keeping Vlahović on the bench and subbing him during the second half made the difference for Juventus, as he brought a lot of dynamism, movements without the ball, dangerous finishing, and passing inside the final third.

Managing the energy of Vlahović and avoiding the risk of playing him from the start paid off as Juventus benefited from his abilities exactly when they needed him.

It is true that subbing him on earlier could have made things even more positive for Juventus, but it was fair to give Openda his opportunity, especially considering that it was his first start with Juventus and that he showed some positive signs during this participation.

On the other hand, Borussia Dortmund’s head coach, Niko Kovač, opted for a 3-4-2-1 formation, with Gregor Kobel as the goalkeeper, Julian Ryerson, Waldemar Anton, and Ramy Bensebaini as centre-backs.

In midfield, he relied on Marcel Sabitzer and Felix Nmecha as central midfielders, Yan Couto and Daniel Svensson as wing-backs, Karim Adeyemi and Maximilian Beier as wingers, and Serhou Guirassy as the team’s striker.

Juventus Vs Borussia Dortmund Formations

Juventus Recurrent Defensive Issues

Juventus’ defensive performance against Borussia Dortmund witnessed numerous mistakes that could have been avoided if they had fixed the errors committed in their previous match against Inter Milan.

It is true that Juventus did not concede much during the first half and were very balanced and cautious defensively.

However, they failed to preserve that balance during the second half and conceded dangerous long passes at the back of the defensive line that could have led to goals.

More importantly, conceding goals due to shots from distance is a recurrent occurrence, as Juventus conceded goals in that way against Inter Milan and in this match against Borussia Dortmund as well.

This suggests that there is a more profound issue at play than an individual marking mistake.

It is rather a collective issue related to Juventus’ whole organisation of their defensive lines.

Juventus Midfield Line Positioning

In fact, Juventus need to maintain the right balance when it comes to the distance between the two lines (of defence and of midfield).

In other words, Juventus’ midfield line should not remain static and should not be positioned inside the box continuously when conceding possession to the opposing team.

The midfield line needs further training on when to advance and when to position themselves closer to the defensive line.

It needs to get closer to the defensive line whenever the opponent has numerical superiority inside the box, in order to assist with marking in that area.

However, the midfielders should not retreat as much as they did against Inter Milan and against Borussia Dortmund, leaving a lot of space for the ball holder to aim at shooting from the edge of the box, which is not a very far distance.

The fact that Juventus conceded more than one goal in each of these two games from similar situations highlights how Juventus’s line organisation encourages shooting from outside the box.

The defensive positioning inside the box from Juventus’ midfield line makes it more difficult for them to try blocking or deviating the opposing shooting attempts, and that’s what makes these actions more penalising for Juventus.

In this second Borussia Dortmund goal, all of Juventus’ midfielders and defenders remained inside the box at the moment of shooting.

That error needs to be avoided in the coming games to limit the goals conceded due to shots from outside the box.

Juventus Failure To Resist Borussia Dortmund Counterpressing

Moreover, Juventus failed to play around Borussia Dormund’s counterpressure, which led to conceding some serious chances, including a crucial third goal that came at a time when Juventus were playing better and had already completed their comeback.

As shown below, Thuram was able to intercept the ball following a mistake by Borussia Dortmund, and was planning to launch a counterattack, but failed to raise his head and quickly scan his surroundings.

Those seconds spent controlling the ball and not looking towards what was coming his way cost Juventus a third goal.

Borussia Dortmund players were quick enough to press Thuram with two players before regaining possession and scoring.

In fact, Juventus need to address the mentioned issues and be more aggressive in countering attempted shots, as well as more dynamic in marking, knowing that the first goal was conceded mainly due to Juventus’ defenders’ inability to keep up with Adeyemi’s quick dribbles and movements before shooting.

Juventus Attacking Performance & The Impact Of Kenan Yıldız & Dušan Vlahović

Attacking-wise, Juventus’ performance was calm during the first half.

The lines were a bit distant from each other, and the attacking players lacked chemistry and close exchanges, which can be understandable since this was the first time the front-three players started a match together.

Although both David and Openda have remarkable attacking skills, they failed to perform at their best in this game, and their attempts lacked accuracy and danger.

Dušan Vlahović Right-Footed Goalscoring

At the same time, Tudor’s giving back confidence to Vlahović after he was about to leave the team during the latest transfer window counts.

The work done with Vlahović was obvious in the last two Juventus games, as the player looked very confident, motivated, and eager to contribute with goals and assists, unlike last season.

Vlahović’s presence inside the box in the second half changed everything for Juventus.

He was constantly dangerous in that area and determined and focused enough to make the appropriate decisions regarding goal-scoring, movements without the ball, passes, etc.

Scoring using his right foot and being crucial just a few minutes following his substitution highlights his excellent run of form, knowing that Vlahović asked for the ball and made the well-timed movement to receive it at the suitable shooting spot.

Dušan Vlahović Third Goal Finishing

Furthermore, his belief and determination to get back in the game when his team was losing 2-4 were remarkable.

He was the one making the movement to receive and score the third goal in a beautiful way while intelligently escaping from his direct opponent’s marking.

Dealing with the situations he was put in with such ease and efficiency makes Vlahović the one we have known at Fiorentina previously.

If he keeps up the same form throughout the season, it will definitely help him lead Juventus’ attack this season.

Dušan Vlahović Assist-Making

What was even more remarkable about Vlahović’s performance and key role in his team’s comeback was his ability to provide a crucial assist in the last seconds of the match, showcasing his passing skills and proving that he can also be a key player with accurate passing.

Keeping the same quality with passing and vision and serving his teammates with such crosses whenever he leans to the wings will also represent a huge asset to Tudor’s team, as it proposes more variety to the team’s existing attacking plans.

Kenan Yıldız Goal Alla Del Piero

We can also consider that Yıldız’s role and impact in Juventus’ comeback were as important, if not more important, than Vlahović’s contribution, as Yıldız was making attempts since the first half and continued being dangerous during the second half despite fatigue.

Yıldız’s goal “alla Del Piero” confirmed that the Turkish player has become more mature and dangerous in terms of offensive duels, dribbling, and shooting.

He was able to create the space for himself to find the best possible shooting trajectory and execute a powerful, curved shot that was very difficult to save.

Kenan Yıldız Assist-Making

In addition, Yıldız was at the heart of almost every Juventus action during this match, which further confirms that he is becoming a true Juventus leader in attack.

Even when it came to passing, Yıldız was as accurate and intelligent as required.

He provided a golden through pass to Vlahović, helping him be in front of goal and score the second goal for Juventus.

Exploiting Yıldız even more and encouraging him to provide more key passes per match and opt for shooting whenever possible while maintaining accuracy will push Yıldız to become even more useful and irreplaceable in Juventus’ current lineup.

Conclusion

Juventus did not get the needed win in their opening UEFA Champions League game of the season.

Still, they won a lot more in terms of chemistry, confidence, and belief in their powerful attacking potential.

This match should encourage Juventus to fix their defensive errors as soon as possible.

They should profit from their positive attacking performance and build on it further to win games.