Like most German clubs, Borussia Dortmund have moved swiftly this transfer window to secure their key signings. Werder Bremen’s Thomas Delaney arrived for €20 million to add much-needed stamina and experience to a youthful midfield but perhaps what’s more impressive, is the signing of Abdou Diallo from Mainz.
Plenty of Europe’s elite teams were interested in signing the Frenchman, namely Arsenal. But at just 22, Diallo seems like the perfect player for a modern Dortmund side.
It was announced in May that Lucien Favre would be taking charge of Borussia Dortmund and if there’s one thing we know about the Swiss tactician, it’s his emphasis on defence. A different tactical approach to Jurgen Klopp and Thomas Tuchel, Favre could be the man to get die Schwarzgelben back to challenging on all fronts, ideally where they should be after falling behind the likes of Schalke and Hoffenheim.
With 47 goals conceded in the Bundesliga last campaign, it’s easy to see where their problems lay. Sokratis and Omer Toprak didn’t seem to have a clear understanding which resulted in the signing of Manuel Akanji from FC Basel in January. The arrival of the Switzerland international was the first cog in this new system while the arrival of Diallo will benefit Dortmund at the back – being the ideal modern-day defender.
Even during pre-season Diallo has impressed, showing bosses just what he’s capable of, with little fazing him when being played in his favoured position, LCB. During their International Champions Cup game against Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City, we see that Dortmund have set up well defensively. There’s a clear man-marking and zonal-marking system going on here. Below, we see that each Manchester City player is closely marked while Favre has tasked two people with closing the cross.
Diallo is aware of the threat behind him but remains unfazed and is able to sit on the edge of the six-yard box, stopping any cross that comes to that near post. Borussia Dortmund’s coverage here is impressive while their defensive performance against Manchester City clearly frustrated the opposition.
A key skill of Diallo is the pace he possesses. This allows Dortmund to play a higher line against weaker teams but in the off chance that the opposing team plays a ball over the top, the Frenchman has the pace and strength to see out the chance, as seen against Austria Wien.
A ball is played down the left flank but the coverage that Diallo provides is of a high standard. He remains goal side of the opposing player and is able to force the ball out of play, remaining conservative and not having to dive into a tackle, showing composure.
