[Post-match analysis] Borussia Dortmund 4 - 0 Atlético Madrid by Reddit user TheFriendlyPorg

Match summary

A rather deceptive scoreline − Atlético went behind through an unfortunate deflection, had a decent 15-minute spell in the second half, but being forced to play more aggressively favored Dortmund, who hit back with 3 goals in the last 20 minutes to seal Diego Simeone's worst defeat as manager.

Line-ups

The absences of Manuel Akanji and Paco Alcácer (plus Marcel Schmelzer's long-term injury) meant that Lucien Favre had to rejig his side; Dortmund lined up with Dan-Axel Zagadou in the back four, and Marco Reus behind Mario Götze in a 4-2-3-1, who made only his second start of the season. Achraf Hakimi made another appearance in the left-back role, despite being right-footed.

Atlético made changes of their own, sticking to their 4-2-3-1/4-4-2 formation with Diego Simeone opting to start Diego Godín and Thomas Lemar over José Giménez and Rodrigo, while Diego Costa returned to the starting lineup after a hamstring injury.

Tactical points

The absence of Alcácer meant that Dortmund had to adapt to the lack of a dedicated goalscorer and 'focal point' in attack. Instead of going for a straight swap, Dortmund went with not one, but two false nines upfront. Reus and Götze frequently vacated their starting striker positions, drifting into positions befitting an attacking midfielder, and turning a straight 4-2-3-1 into something of a 4-4-2-0.

Beyond that, Dortmund's players also pressed decently; they didn't apply relentless pressure, but diligently positioned themselves according to the movement of the ball 

and closed down in packs,ensuring that Atlético found it uncomfortable to pass the ball into central areas

This press was helped by the fact that Dortmund and Atlético were playing similar formations, meaning everyone had someone to man-mark, although this didn't stifle the game (as is common when one team man-marks another); it wasn't uncommon to see the defenders or midfielders stand off or drop to deep to gain space.

Dortmund's front two, in particular, were incredibly hard working without the ball with Reus completing 5 tackles, and Gotze 3.

Their left-sided bias was also notable. Reus and Götze favored the left, which was an overall theme for the entire Dortmund side − a stunning 52% of their play came down the left, compared to 25% through the middle, and 23% on the right. Hakimi playing on the left further contributed to this, with the left-back preferring to drift inside, where he could link up on his strong foot.

This fluid approach upfront was based on a solid, defensive foundation. A key theme of Favre's tactics at Dortmund has been his usage of two defensive midfielders to guard the central areas, and it was no different here. Delaney and Witsel made few interceptions, blocks or tackles, but their presence in the middle (along with the aforementioned press) forced Atlético wide. 

Behind them, Zagadou and Diallo cut out any remaining attacks; Diallo in particular, proved to be a fine ball-player, and occasionally moved into midfield to play a pass into the attackers.

Their defensive approach applied even to set-pieces, with all 10 outfielders packing the box when Atlético won a corner. Dortmund's compact 4-4-2, with their striker dropping back to defend and a solid block to prevent attacks through the middle, was essentially an imitation − and a better one at that − of their opponents.

Atlético disjointed

In contrast, Atlético's own 4-4-2 proved somewhat lacking. While Dortmund were able to create passing sequences and retain the ball in the final third, the former's front two found themselves isolated from the midfield. Costa in particular, was forced to fight for scraps upfront with Griezmann too far away from him to provide effective support.

Their creative players were also ineffective at this; both Lemar and Koke, plus Saúl tried to move into the half-spaces, but were forced out wide to find space, as was Griezmann. There was also a distinct lack of attackers combining in the final third, with none of their front four looking to play a quick one-two to each other.

This meant that Atlético's front two were forced to rely on three forms of service; a long pass from the defenders or midfield, a chipped pass over the top from the wide midfielders, or crosses from the overlapping full-backs. Unsurprisingly, this didn't work, with Zagadou and Diallo adept at cutting out those passes. Instead, Los Colchoneros found more joy when they could break forward, but this wasn't often.

Despite their attacking dysfunction, they were alright from a defensive standpoint − Dortmund's most notable chance came from a curled Pulisic shot that went over the bar. The opener was somewhat unfortunate, with Axel Witsel scoring from outside the box. 

It wasn't the first time he'd tried it − Oblak had saved a similar shot earlier. Still, both incidents neatly illustrate how Atlético were giving up space outside their box, thus tempting Dortmund into long shots.

It's important to note that their approach wasn't a mistake, though. Playing with a deep defensive line inevitably means that opponents will test you with long shots, and it's absurd to try and criticize a goal that owed much to fortune.

Atlético's resurgence

Simeone made his changes early in the second half, with Rodrigo coming on for a (cautioned) Thomas Partey; he provided an instant impact and played as a more permanent no. 6, dropping between the center-backs to provide a 3v2 against Dortmund's press. 

Even without the substitution, Atlético were more positive, pushing up more and and providing more passing options in the final third. Koke also moved into a central position, helping to dictate play alongside Rodrigo.

The key player in this period was Saúl. Now stationed on the right, he gave Atlético the penetration they needed, managing 4 shots in 12 minutes. His movement was key to this, with one coming from a good corner routine where he was left unmarked, and the second, third and fourth by drifting into the half-spaces. In fact, Lemar, Saúl (and later Ángel Correa) all exploited the half-spaces better, forcing Dortmund back, and they arguably should have scored during this period,

forcing Dortmund back, and they arguably should have scored during this period, first with a Saúl effort that hit the crossbar, and later with a rare moment where Costa, Griezmann and Correa combined in the box − Correa didn't manage to get off a shot, but that had been one of the best bits of play Atlético had fashioned so far.

It was something of a watershed moment, however. 1 minute after that chance, Dortmund scored their second.

Dortmund's counterattacks win the game

Atlético's period of dominance forced Dortmund to spend long periods without the ball, although they still provided something of a threat − Reus embarked on a solo counter, only to be stopped by Hakimi's mistake. Their second goal was what truly opened the floodgates, and was due to Atlético positioning themselves higher. Dahoud manages to get out of a 1v4 press, passes the ball to Guerreiro, who then moves the ball wide.

Hakimi, who's been left free by Juanfran coming in to press Dahoud, crosses the ball back to Guerreiro, who scores. It was particularly impressive, given that Guerreiro had been brought on as a defensive sub, and neatly encapsulated the quality of Dortmund's bench.

At 2-0, Atlético still posed a threat and managed to create chances. Juanfran's pressing led to a quick break, the attackers combined and Griezmann's shot was blocked by Zagadou, while Correa provided flashes of brilliance down the right; but a second failed press that left Dortmund in a 2v2 situation, created another Hakimi breakaway and assist, this time for Jadon Sancho. Buildup on the left, off-the-ball runs on the right − it was Dortmund's modus operandi all game, and Favre would have been pleased by it.

3-0, and the game was effectively over. Even the Atlético players seemed to realize this, and perhaps spent more time fouling, instead of mounting a fight during those last few minutes. Filipe Luís's error for the 4th goal was a fitting end to the game, one where a 4-0 scoreline was more ludicrous than appropriate, a fearsome team slain by costly errors.

Conclusion

In matches where one side gets thrashed by another, there's usually some underlying flaw to their approach that can be pointed out. In this case, however, there isn't much to say. Simeone's approach was the right one to take defensively. Offensively, their attackers didn't combine enough, but that owes much to Dortmund's tactics, as it does to Atlético's failings. Had Atlético not conceded the deflection, it's entirely possible the match would have been a tense, low-scoring affair. As it was however, the opener forced them to play a more expansive game − the second and third goals came from situations where Atlético committed too many players into a press and failed, allowing Dortmund to counter into space. It's highly unlikely a similar situation will repeat itself in the return fixture, and a low-scoring match should probably be expected then.

Source :https://www.reddit.com/r/soccer/comments/9rbgx8/postmatch_analysis_borussia_dortmund_4_0_atl%C3%A9tico/