How Freiburg have become effective at set pieces to fight for the European spots in the Bundesliga – set-piece analysis

Christian Streich has been in charge of Freiburg for over 11 years. During that time, hes led the side to three separate UEFA Europa League competitions, and is currently on track for another top-four finish, ahead of the likes of RB Leipzig and Eintracht Frankfurt.

After 25 league games, however, they have only scored 38 goals, which is fewer than any other side in the top 11 of the Bundesliga. Although they have been getting points on the board, goals havent come easily for them and one way in which they have made up for the lack of chances created is by being effective during dead ball situations.

In this tactical analysis, we will delve into the tactics used by Freiburg, with an in-depth analysis of how they have been able to use a number of different routines to create numerous high-quality goal-scoring chances. This set-piece analysis will look at the reasons behind the different routines used and why they have been so effective.

Targeting the near post

Freiburgs primary method of creating chances from corners has been through delivering flat crosses towards the near side of the six-yard box, where the attackers are able to make contact with the ball without any pressure from defenders. With this routine, a Freiburg player will attack the target area from deep in order to arrive in the target area as the ball is crossed in. Timing is crucial when attempting this, as an early run could attract a defender to the target area who then gets the opportunity to compete for the ball while a late run would also be unlikely to succeed, with the attacking player not being able to attack the ball in the desired area.

The run from deep also has two variations. In the example below, we can see the Freiburg attacker making the run from the other end of the six-yard box, being in a deep horizontal position relating to the ball. The player and ball are close in terms of distance from the end line. However, being on either side of the pitch means that it becomes impossible for defenders to keep their eyes on both the ball and the player simultaneously. The attacker can make a run from the defenders blind side, meaning that they wont be able to track the offensive run.

This is also rare from open play, due to the risk of being offside when the ball is in deeper areas of the pitch. It is more common to see deep runs from a vertical point of view, in relation to the goal, where the player starts outside the box and runs towards the goal. With this method, a player can attack the goal with speed, making it easier for them to redirect a shot on goal with added power although defenders have a higher chance of tracking and blocking the run.

Both methods allow for players to attack open spaces without occupying those spaces originally but the ability to have a consistent method of making the first contact makes the horizontal movement a more viable option for Freiburg.

On certain occasions, defensive teams are more prepared for the deep horizontal run. We can see in the image below, the defender keeping an open body shape to be able to see both ball and player. Freiburg have shown the numerous ways in which they are able to combat this. Firstly, if a defender keeps the side-on shape, a sprint from an attacker will be enough to gain the separation needed to make the first contact. As a result, the defender needs to turn and sprint towards the near side of the six-yard box.

Freiburg have utilised a smart use of body feints when making the deep run, in order to force the defender to turn their back to an attacker before being able to alter the direction of the run to find the free space. We can see in the example below, the run starts off straight to the near side of the six-yard box before a sharp turn to the side is made.