The conclusion to the 2022/23 Bundesliga season was about as heartbreaking as it gets for fans of Borussia Dortmund.
With a points advantage heading into the final matchday of the season, an underwhelming draw at home to Mainz handed their fiercest rivals, Bayern Munich, an 11th consecutive league title.
As the current campaign has evolved over the past months, Edin Terzić’s side have failed to build upon their excellent domestic season, currently finding themselves below the likes of Stuttgart and the title-contending Bayer Leverkusen.
With a lot of ground to make up, it was increasingly important that sporting director Sebastian Kehl was able to strengthen the squad within the winter transfer window and give Dortmund the best chance possible of qualifying for the UEFA Champions League, with January acquisitions bringing a new lease of life.
One of those acquisitions was Dutch Under-21 international left-back Ian Maatsen, who arrived in Germany on a short-term loan from Chelsea.
Fresh from a victorious 2022/23 season, winning promotion to the Premier League with Vincent Kompany’s Burnley, Maatsen has struggled for regular appearances at Chelsea.
His utilisation under Mauricio Pochettino left much to be desired, encouraging his parent side to look for potential loan suitors in the transfer window.
Thus far, he has certainly impressed since donning the yellow and black of Dortmund, with many fans calling for him to be signed permanently ahead of the 2024/25 campaign.
This tactical analysis and Ian Maatsen scout report will begin to highlight the dynamic playstyle and energy that Maatsen has injected into this Dortmund side.
His implementation into Terzić’s squad has become a catalyst for his new teammates to thrive, with progressive tactics suiting the technical expertise which makes Maatsen worthy of analysis as such a heavily sought-after modern-day full-back.
How does Ian Maatsen fit into Dortmund’s system?
Since his inclusion in the starting lineup against Darmstadt after the Bundesliga winter break, Maatsen has made the left-back spot his own, displacing summer signing Ramy Bensabaini.
His refreshing presence in the Dortmund side has left many fans wondering how Chelsea had overlooked his clear potential.
But how is it that Maatsen operates and has begun to elevate the performances of his new team?
In Edin Terzić’s preferred variations of the 4-3-3 and 4-2-3-1, Maatsen has been deployed on the left side of the back four, with freedom to operate within each of the thirds, becoming so important in and out of possession.
His attacking prowess and tendency to surge forward is supported by the defensive stalwart Nico Schlotterbeck alongside him, knowing that adequate defensive cover is there should the opposition look to instigate a damaging counter-attack.
Much like fellow full-back Thomas Meunier or Julian Ryerson, Maatsen has had a more advanced natural starting position out wide in recent games, allowing him to become a key outlet when his Dortmund side are looking to build out from the back.
His positioning creates vital passing lanes toward the middle of the pitch, with the likes of Brandt and Sabitzer drifting across to receive the pass and progress the ball into the final third.
Maatsen also stands out as a proficient ball carrier, having the ability to break the lines with pace and draw significant defensive attention.
His progression on the left flank is often handed to him on a silver platter due to defenders looking to double up on the Dortmund wingers and leaving ample space for Maatsen to attack.
Maatsen has flaunted his attacking intelligence and positional awareness with his darting runs and hard work out of possession- despite only being 21 years of age.
Chance creation and attacking intelligence
Maatsen’s clear strengths lie in his ability to be impactful in the attacking phase of play.
Alongside fellow January loan signing Jadon Sancho, Dortmund have appeared to have become a more energetic and significant threat from the left side of the pitch.
Whilst statistical data can appear slightly skewed due to his lack of appearances in the Bundesliga so far, it is indicative of Maatsen’s creative potential under a clear development path with Dortmund this season.
Having racked up 4.52 (76%) accurate passes into the final third and 1.81 (70%) passes into the penalty area per 90, there are clear indicators to suggest why Dortmund have been so fine-tuned in attack since the turn of the year.
Maatsen consistently works hard to move forward and join the attacking phase of play with crucial movement on and off the ball.
Despite not always being fruitful due to the attacking talent that Dortmund possesses, he looks to attack the half-spaces and offer the ball carrier a progressive passing outlet to keep the attack flowing.
Maatsen’s effective inversion
A crucial part of what makes Ian Maatsen such a desirable player is that he harnesses the tactical flexibility it takes to be impactful at the highest level of German football.
He has looked to adopt a more unfamiliar role at crucial moments in the match, with Edin Terzić looking to move him into the middle of the pitch for a multitude of reasons.
We have seen Maatsen utilised as more of a defensive midfielder, often creating a double pivot in front of the Dortmund defensive line and, in turn, creating a 3-2-5 when building out from the back.
One of the aspects of this decision would be that his creative talents can be further harnessed in more of a central role, with the ability to distribute passes and spread the ball across the whole of the pitch.
This also strengthens Dortmund’s possessional play, with an extra body in midfield, allowing them to create numerical superiority and also giving more artistic midfielders the freedom to roam higher up the pitch.
The most devastating effect of this subtle alteration would be that the movement of Maatsen inside has positively impacted the attacking threat of Jadon Sancho on the left side of the Dortmund attack.
With Maatsen shifting inside to accompany Özcan in the double pivot, this, in turn, draws defensive attention from the opposition, who would have to follow him inside and look to negate their extra body centrally.
With the opposition looking to man-mark Maatsen, this draws defensive attention away from Jadon Sancho and allows him more freedom to deploy his technical prowess and exploit 1v1 scenarios against the opposing fullback.
Where defensive attention around Sancho was previously stifling the majority of their attacks down that side of the pitch, Terzić has now created a clear and effective passing lane for Schlotterbeck to locate Sancho directly.
The images below perfectly underline the effectiveness of this strategy, with Maatsen’s wider positioning against Darmstadt creating an unfavourable offensive matchup for Malen in the first half.
In contrast, as Maatsen sucks in a marker against Bochum, Sancho can be seen in acres of space out wide and hugging the touchline, ready to receive the ball.
Whilst this tactical alteration has been beneficial, the lack of natural comfortability playing in defensive midfield has created some moments of weakness and raised questions as to how he could fare against greater opposition.
Despite his natural tendency to want the ball at his feet, there have been inconsistencies when observing his ability to release the ball under significant defensive pressure.
With the game in the balance, when receiving a simple pass into the base of the midfield, Maatsen was unable to quickly anticipate the opposing pressor and was dispossessed with a clear sight of goal for the attacker.
Although he was able to expertly recover with a perfectly-timed sliding tackle in his own penalty area, it is fair to suggest that such moments would certainly punished against elite opposition.
Transitional play
For all his offensive output, Ian Maatsen has also displayed the ability to be a resolute defender and quickly regain possession to spark the counterattack.
Despite the lack of experience at the elite level, Maatsen has thus far recorded 8.13 (68.9%) defensive duels won per 90, along with 6.2 ball recoveries per game.
Again, whilst remembering to take these defensive figures with a grain of salt, he has undoubtedly shown that he can be the complete package.
His ability to quickly respond when regaining the ball and exploit the disorganised state of the opposition was certainly exemplified in the away victory against Köln.
After being proactive in defence and successfully regaining the ball deep in his own half, Maatsen was able to expertly carry the ball forward and ping a devastating pass in behind for Malen to put away and all but secure the three points.
It is equally as important to address that Maatsen, at times, can also be seen as a detriment to his side’s defensive positioning when the opponent is looking to be effective in transition.
His advanced role on the left flank has often seen him having to exert himself to regain his defensive shape, leaving momentary gaps out wide, which the opposition can attack towards.
Conclusion
In conclusion, our tactical analysis has begun to highlight the reasons why Ian Maatsen has made such a large impact on his new team despite only being at Dortmund for a matter of weeks.
His tactical flexibility and natural ability have been crucial to their improvement in results and goal-scoring prowess.
Whilst only being in Germany until the end of the season, Dortmund fans will hope he opts to make the permanent switch, especially with their history of harnessing and enhancing the footballing development of young stars.
Despite his small sample size of Bundesliga matches, it is clear to see how Maatsen could be a force to be reckoned with in European football for years to come.
