Predicting Tactics: Bayern Munich v Dortmund

Saturday 11am (CET): I’m doing this analysis a bit different for Der Klassiker. Basically, I’m not sure there is, or will be, a tactical angle between Bayern Munich and Dortmund and instead of wasting my time trying to make one, I’m going to predict what will happen instead.

So what follows is this: My tactical analysis prediction follows this part and then during the game on Saturday, I will update this article with what actually played out, below the prediction part (so if you have arrived here on Saturday evening, scroll down!)

Prediction: Expect Bayern Munich to line up in their usual 4–2–3–1 and Dortmund to line up as 4–3–3.

In the first 15 minutes: BVB should play with a fighting-intensity behind them (they’re big game players after all), aiming for the typical patterns and principles they use; forcing Bayern onto one side using passes into the wing-zones as clear pressing triggers and using the weak-sided winger to prevent their opponents from switching play. In the central areas of the pitch, Dortmund can rely on structural based man-to-man pairings with both of Dortmund’s number 8s being able to follow Bayern’s double pivot. With Nico Schulz probably starting, BVB need to find solutions in order to defend Bayern’s fast wingers (either Leroy Sané or Serge Gnabry) as Schulz is not as good as a defender compared to Raphaël Guerreiro. The solution to that would shifting Mats Hummels into the ball-sided half space, in order to balance possible break-throughs in the wing-zones and…