RB Leipzig’s season has been one that has caught many by surprise. While people expected them to find success under the leadership of their new manager, Julian Nagelsmann, most did not expect it to happen as quickly as it did. With 25 matches being played, RB Leipzig find themselves in third place, just one point off of second-place Borussia Dortmund and five points off of Bayern Munich. While Nagelmann’s tactics and individuals like Timo Werner, Marcel Sabitzer, and Dayot Upamecano attract a lot of attention, one individual who hasn’t received a lot is Lukas Klostermann, who has logged the fourth-most minutes in the squad behind the likes of Timo Werner, Péter Gulácsi, and Marcel Sabitzer.
Klostermann has been at RB Leipzig since 2014, when they purchased him from VfL Bochum. His first two seasons saw him grow from a U-19 player to a first-team regular at right-back. The 16/17 season was one of frustration, with Klostermann dealing with a variety of injuries that led him to make only one appearance for the club. In the previous two seasons, Klostermann made 26 appearances in the Bundesliga, with additional appearances also coming in the Champions League and the Europa League. While the analysis highlights his growth throughout his career, Klostermann has become a defensive mainstay under Nagelsmann this season, having appeared in 23 Bundesliga matches already, with eight UEFA Champions League appearances to his name as well. This scout report aims to provide tactical analysis on how Lukas Klostermann has become a key figure in RB Leipzig’s success this season.
RB Leipzig Positional Changes
Leipzig have played a variety of formations this season, with different setups being used depending on the opponent, with Nagelsmann opting to use formations a 3-4-3, 3-5-2, 3-1-4-2, or a 4-4-2. The 3-1-4-2 and the 4-4-2 have been a particularly popular selection for Nagelsmann. Klostermann’s role in these structures was quite different when comparing the beginning of the season to the time before the Bundesliga’s suspension due to the Coronavirus.
Initially, as shown above, Klostermann was being used more consistently on the right side of the pitch, either as a right-back or a right wing-back. The matches against Bayern Munich and Borussia Mönchengladbach were highlighted due to the level of competition Leipzig faced, as both teams were in the top four of the Bundesliga. The other matches are some of his most recent appearances for Leipzig.
Despite being listed as a right-back, Klostermann’s success rates in regards to his overall actions suggest that he is a better fit in the centre of the pitch, as his most successful match was against Union Berlin, when he lined up as a centre-back. Even when he is one part of a back three, his actions are generally much more successful than those as a wing-back or right-back. His passing accuracy skyrockets when he is moved to playing as a centre-back, despite having to distribute the ball more frequently. Both his losses and recoveries of possession also seem to support the idea that his move to a more central position seems to yield better performances from him. While the data suggests this move is beneficial, a caveat to consider is that this is incredibly dependent upon his role within the context of the other 10 players in the squad.
