Borussia Dortmund are having a vintage season.
They finished the first half confidently at the top of the league after beating closest challengers Borussia Monchengladbach 2-1 before the break.
Manager Lucien Favre brought in a number of players who helped transform the team.
One of them is young Moroccan full-back Achraf Hakimi, who is in Germany on a two-year loan deal.
Although it seems like he emerged from nowhere, the tenacious 20-year-old is actually the first Moroccan to win a Champions League medal.
He has experience playing at a high level despite his youth. He joined Real Madrid aged seven before making his way through the club’s academy, La Fábrica, with potential abounding.
After only one season in the Castilla side, he was promoted to the full squad, where he quickly made an impact.
Having been bred as part of their system, he immediately fit in to the expectations of the big stage.
Playing as an understudy to Dani Carvajal under Zidane at right-back, he has played mostly on the left since moving to Germany.
Adaptable and versatile, he has already become a key part in Favre’s dynamic tactical system.
Beyond the domestic stage, his performances for his country contributed to his recent award for 2018’s African Youth Player of the Year.
Achraf Hakimi Role in Favre’s ‘modern jazz’
Hakimi is one of the few players that seem to play with positional freedom in Favres side, being less fixed and linear than Łukasz Piszczek on the opposite side.
His statistics show him as more of an attacking entity; even within that context, he plays with great fluidity.
Whilst playing predominantly close to the wing, his inside runs often cause chaos for the opposition.
In Favre’s system, the key is quick transitions and sharp shifts in tempo, as well as a sense of spontaneity and unpredictability.
Although working within strict strategic confines, his Dortmund side often deviates from repetitive movements thanks to the dynamism of players like Hakimi.
Defensively, Hakimi isn’t as established as Piszczek, but his element of unpredictability is paramount in their efficacy.
Aggressive and with unrelenting stamina, he is the chaotic element in Favre’s set-up, contrasting with the more predictable movements of Marco Reus, Axel Witsel and the centre-backs.
Ill explore these ideas, his varied attacking outlets, and his physical brand of defending in this tactical analysis.
Ability to assist and facilitate attacking moves
The full-back role has evolved into a multifaceted position that values a player’s ability to move forward and defend.
Hakimi currently has six assists in 15 games for Dortmund, both in the Bundesliga and Champions League.
In a vir
