How Union Berlin have used set-pieces to join the German elite – set-piece analysis

Sat in 2nd place in the Bundesliga, 1 point off leaders Bayern Munich, Union Berlin are certainly in the hat for a top-four spot, currently eclipsing the likes of Borussia Dortmund, RB Leipzig and Eintracht Frankfurt, and may even have whispers of a potential Bundesliga title race on the horizon.

Urs Fischer has led this team to unimaginable heights, and with over half of the season already completed, he has shown everyone just how much you can achieve through a proper plan and a solid tactical set-up.

Union Berlin have managed to score 33 goals in 19 games, a figure which is not too dissimilar from many other teams in the mid-table spots. However, they have been much better defensively than their counterparts. Many of their games are close stalemates, but set-pieces have often been the key to unlocking games. With 12 goals scored from dead ball situations (excluding penalties), over a third of their goals have come from either corners or free kicks. In addition, 8 of those goals were scored to put Union Berlin in winning positions, and considering the fact that they have won 12 games this season, it is clear that set-pieces have been the key to making the breakthrough in most games.

In this tactical analysis, we will delve into the tactics used by Union Berlin during attacking set plays, with an analysis of how they have created so many match-winners from them. This set-piece analysis will look at the different methods theyve used when attacking corners and free kicks, and why this unpredictability will make Die Eisernen difficult to stop.

Use of screens

Union Berlins most frequent and effective method of chance creation from set plays, whether that is a free kick or a corner, has been through their use of screens that are coordinated in order to give the target player as much time and space as possible to perfect his header.

One way a screen can be used effectively is through the contact between the players coming in from behind the defender, This is known as a blindside screen. A blindside screen differs from a more traditional one because the contact is initiated from behind rather than in front or from the side of the defender. This method can be more effective than the traditional screen as defenders have no idea the screen is coming and so have to be extremely alert at all times.

Furthermore, a screen which comes from the goal side, means that the contact will push you away from goal and so the attacking player will have even more time and space to attack the ball.

The example below illustrates a screen coming in from the attacker in red. As the screen is set up, the man marker is hit with the element of surprise, and so he must focus on regaining balance in the first place, whilst by that time, the attacker is already attacking the ball in the air.

Moreover, we can also see an Augsburg defender who is watching his man marker setting up the screen. In usual circumstances, the player who was supposed to be man-marking would swap roles, depending on their position, in relation to other players in the box. The player setting up the screen clearly has no interest in the free kick, so his original marker should mark the next nearest player still left open. However, due to the element of surprise, the defender freezes inside his own 18 yard-box and watches everyone dismark themselves from him.

We can see pictured below, the original marker has stood still the entire time, whilst the attacker has stepped in front of him and is about to duel for the header.

Another way in which