The Derby has its own rules. That phrase is often true, as well as on this Saturday when Schalke 04 faced BVB at the BVB stadium. In a typical derby with a dominant Dortmund side, there were two red cards, including one for Marco Reus, and six goals. Schalke secured the win 4-2.
However, from a tactical standpoint, the game didn’t have much to offer analytically. In the first half, Dortmund had almost 80% possession but struggled to create any chances. Schalke, on the other hand, focused on defending and counter-attacking quickly. Although they scored four goals, the execution of the tactic shouldn’t be considered overwhelming but solid. Most of their goals came from set pieces. Overall, they only had an xG-value of 1.12 while Dortmund was capable of creating 1.1 xG-chances.
The main problem for Dortmund was their poor performance in possession. They never found a way through the 5-3-2 of Schalke. Consequently, this analysis will focus on Dortmund´s problems in possession and how (not) to play against a 5-3-2
To read the full tactical breakdown and analysis – click here
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