Welcome to the group of death of this season’s UEFA Champions League. Barcelona, Dortmund, Internazionale, and Slavia Praha are going to fight against each other to clinch two knockout spots out of Group F. The group started with a bang in Italy where Internazionale needed an injury-time goal to salvage a point against Slavia Praha.
A shocking result in Italy just raised the hype for this game. Dortmund and Barcelona came to this match with different moods. The home side had scored nine goals and conceded none in their last two games while the away side only managed to bag two victories in their opening four league matches. On top of that, Lionel Messi was not fully recovered from his injury ahead of this encounter and had to start the game from the bench.
Surprisingly this game ended with no goals; credit to Marc-André ter Stegens heroic performance and Dortmund’s bluntness in front of goal. However, there were some interesting tactical approaches deployed by both managers in this match. This tactical analysis will inform you how both teams approach the game with their tactics.
Lineups
Lucien Favre set his team up in 4–2–3–1. Former Bayern player Mats Hummels started alongside Manuel Akanji as Dortmund’s centre-back pairing. As for the home sides attacking outlets, talisman Marco Reus was flanked by English sensation Jadon Sancho, and new recruit Thorgan Hazard; with Paco Alcácer leading the frontline. The bench was filled by names like Mario Götze, Jacob Bruun Larsen, and another new recruit in Julian Brandt.
In the opposite side, Ernesto Valverde opted for 4–3–3. Midfield general Sergio Busquets was supported by Arthur, and former Ajax player Frenkie de Jong. The trio of Antoine Griezmann, Luis Suárez, and 16-year-old sensation Ansu Fati started upfront. Partially healed Messi, versatile Sergi Roberto, and Ivan Rakitić had to start the game from the dugout.
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