A four-day weekend leaves us with loads of stories on the Bundesliga beat. From the Friday night kickoff to the Monday six-goal thriller, we've got it all covered for those who missed out on the initial post. League-Wide Talking Points: Round 21 Nagelsmann defers until Tuesday The Friday night fixture between Leipzig and Augsburg predictably proved a wretched game of football. Heiko Herrlich's Fuggerstädter racked up four first-half bookings; two of which could be considered accumulator cards. The outclassed Bavarians engaged in so many wince-inducing tactical fouls that, with better finishing, the Saxons might have heading into the dressing room up 4-0. Heading into this … [Read more...] about Bundesliga Tactics Talk–Round 21
1. FC Köln
Bundesliga Tactics Talk–Round 20
From a snow-flurried opener to a snow-cancelled capper, we've got all the relevant action from the 20th round of the 2020/21 German Bundesliga covered. It may be frigid in the Bundesrepublik, but the storylines of this campaign remain red-hot. Here's the re-post for all those needing to catch up on Sunday's column. League-Wide Talking Points: Round 20 Bayern's "Arbeitssieg" The English have a saying. True championship football teams, it is said, must be able to prove their mettle "on a windy night in Stoke". This round, Germany's record champions eked out a grinding victory during a "blinding snowstorm in Berlin". For anyone who might have missed the 1-0 victory of Hertha, … [Read more...] about Bundesliga Tactics Talk–Round 20
Bundesliga Tactics Talk–Round 19
German footballing enthusiasts could have hardly wished for a more intriguing round the second matchday of the 2020/21 "Rück-runde". All the madness of transfer deadline day may leave some still yearning to catch up with the previous weekend's talking points. There's no shortage of riveting storylines heading into week 20. League-wide Talking Points: Round 19 Cooling Iron After losses to Leipzig and Augsburg, the Bundesliga's Cinderella team couldn't quite hold off Gladbach at the Stadion An der Alten Försterei. The 1-1 draw now makes it three winless matches for Urs Fischer and die Eisernen. While such a streak certainly doesn't offset all of the Köpenick club's marvelous … [Read more...] about Bundesliga Tactics Talk–Round 19
Bundesliga Tactics Talk–Round 18
The 2020/21 "Rück-runde" officially begins! Down the stretch we go as all 18 top flight clubs play themselves in the exact same order as they did during the first-half of the season. A turning point in the campaign calls for a new commentary-heavy segment in which we assess the journey of certain clubs as they traverse this demanding year. Those who didn't catch last Sunday's release can, as always, catch up here. League-Wide Talking Points: Round 18 Bayern's new right-back It turned out to be quite the weekend for defenders in Germany's top flight. Gladbach's Nico Elvedi netted a brace against Borussia Dortmund, as did Mainz's Moussa Niakhaté in the upset win over Leipzig. … [Read more...] about Bundesliga Tactics Talk–Round 18
Bundesliga Tactics Talk–Round 17
A midweek "Englischer Woche" officially brings the 2020/21 German Bundesliga to its halfway point. There's plenty of football to catch up on for those who might not have caught the hot-sheet. We've got the repost here as the campaign prepares to flip over to the "Rück-runde". League-Wide Talking Points: Round 17 Bundesrepublik Tabloid Time What to do with a flaccid football match devoid of talking points? Borussia Mönchengladbach's 1-0 win over Werder Bremen furnished the very definition on boring football. Hanseaten trainer Florian Kohfeldt continues to build tactical constructs that station as many as eight outfield players at or behind the halfway line. This week's version … [Read more...] about Bundesliga Tactics Talk–Round 17
Bundesliga Tactics Talk–Round 14
The ball once again rolls in the Bundesrepublik after the shortest Winter break ever. Both footballers and those sincerely devoted to covering them had to be on hand to put some serious work in one day after the advent of the New Year. This week's hot sheet hit the site on January 3rd. Ahead of another great weekend of football, we're pleased to re-post here. League-Wide Talking Points: Round 14 How to beat Bayern Why not begin with a spot of pejorative fun? The latest comeback victory from the German giants delivers a proof-positive blueprint for defeating the seemingly invincible. Hiking tourists know better than to poke a hibernating bear. That's the key. How does one knock … [Read more...] about Bundesliga Tactics Talk–Round 14