Patrik Schick 2019/20: Schick’s striking partnership with Timo Werner – scout report

When Czech striker Patrik Schick joined RB Leipzig at the start of the Bundesliga 2019/20 campaign, it was a mystery to whether the striker on loan from AS Roma would become a regular starter under coach Julian Nagelsmann. Despite having a lot of potential, Schick often struggled with injuries and apart from flashes of brilliance he could not convince in Serie A. At Leipzig, however, Schick is flourishing and taking up a vital role within the attacking department.

In the following tactical analysis, we will take a closer look at how Schick’s skill set suits RB Leipzig’s tactics under Julian Nagelsmann. Furthermore, we are going to analyse the interplay between Timo Werner and Schick at Leipzig.

Schick’s profile and his role at Leipzig

In RB Leipzigs recent games, Schick and Werner were often lined up together as a striking duo in a 3-5-2 system. In the away game at Schalke, as we can see below, they attacked together with Werner playing on the left side and the left-footed Schick on the right.

Since Werner mostly attacks down the left-wing or half-space, Schick slightly tends to move to the right side of the pitch. By taking a closer look at Schick’s heat map, which is displayed below, one can see what role the Czech striker fulfils. The 24-year-old attacker moves up front with good horizontal movement looking for opportunities to receive and link-up play. Whenever his side reached the final third, Schick occupied the central area within the box the get into a position to finish.

One of Schick’s biggest strengths is his first touch. He rarely controls the ball without an intention. Instead, his first touch already introduces the following action whether it is a dribble, pass or shot. A good first touch also allows him to quickly turn when receiving the ball turned backwards to the opposition goal.

With his aerial abilities, Schick, unlike Werner, is able to ensure that Leipzig retain possession although they are forced to play a long ball during build-up. With Schick acting as the target man up front, similar to Yussuf Poulsen, Leipzig’s midfield can receive lay-offs.