UEFA Champions League Qualifiers: LASK vs Basel – Tactical Analysis

We are edging closer to the Champions League group stage as the teams have gone through the third qualifying round. While we have seen surprises when big names crashed out of the competition, the attention was focused on the tie between LASK Linz and Basel.

After a terrific season in the Austrian Bundesliga saw them finished second, LASK entered the Champions League with a new manager in Valérien Ismaël. He kept the core that Oliver Glasner built during a few recent seasons that witnessed João Klauss and Samuel Tetteh’s returns. With some of the new names like Rene Renner and Valentino Müller, they were confident in advancing further in the competition.

Basel also finished with the same record as LASK but they were left far behind by Young Boys. They qualified for the second qualifying round and beaten PSV with a very impressive style. As a constant participant in the group stage, their fans also expected them to do the same this time. But they couldn’t turn the tie around after losing 2-1 at home. Three goals from Reinhold Ranftl, Thomas Goiginger and Marko Raguž stole the headlines for Ismaël’s side.

This tactical analysis will provide an analysis of LASK’s dominant win over Basel. Meanwhile, using statistics, we will point out the tactical points from Basel’s tactics that formed their loss over LASK’s tactics.

Lineups

Ismaël used a similar 3-4-3 lineup to how Glasner filled his side. His back three consisted of veteran Emanuel Pogatetz, captain Gernot Trauner and Philipp Wiesinger positioned in front of goalkeeper Alexander Schlager.

Providing the width for them were wing-backs Rene Renner, Reinholf Ranftl and wingers Samuel Tetteh and Thomas Goiginger. Centrally, Peter Michorl and James Holland played as central midfielders while João Klauss would provide the goals.

Meanwhile, Basel lined up in a 4-1-4-1 formation. They didn’t have the service of three key players in Taulant Xhaka, Zdravko Kuzmanović and Ricky van Wolfswinkel due to injuries. The back four of left-back Raoul Petretta, centre-backs Eray Cümart, Omar Alderete and right-back Silvan Widmer shielded Jonas Omlin’s goal.

Noah Okafor, Luca Zuffi and Valentin Stocker completed the midfield line with Éder Alvarez Balanta played slightly off his original position as a centre-back. Fabian Frei shifted between the lines and Kemal Ademi led the line.

Basels style of play

Basel entered this game not having the aggregate advantage and they were forced to attack from the beginning. In the attacking transition, they tended to play out from the back with four defenders and Frei. Five players formed a passing block inside their half and were able to create at least five passing triangles.

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