Analysing Bayern Munich Women — Part Three
Having analysed Hansi Flick’s Bayern Munich in the past, I wanted to examine the tactical framework of FC Bayern’s women’s side, who currently rank first in the Frauen-Bundesliga (two points ahead of Wolfsburg). The team’s goalscoring and defensive record (at the time of writing) is scarcely believable — 73 goals for, and a measly 8 against. They are by far the Bundesliga’s most potent side — Wolfsburg rank second in goals scored, with 59 across the 19 games played so far. Through this series, I wanted to analyse the games that Bayern have played in the UEFA Women’s Champions League, in a bid to understand the trends that underpin this team’s tactical framework.
Line-ups:
First Half — The Sarah Zadrazil Midfield Clinic
Going by Everybody Soccer’s updated Elo ratings, Rosengård were projected to be a significantly stronger opponent than Ajax. Despite Bayern’s ultimately comfortable victory (3–0), Rosengård did pose a stronger challenge, though Bayern themselves had prepared accordingly. This was borne out in the team selection, which saw Sydney Lohmann and Carolin Simon replaced by Sarah Zadrazil and Marina Hegering (midfield and defence respectively). I was immediately struck by the number of passing options packed into this team, which included Linda Dallmann and Lina Magull.
The formation as depicted above isn’t entirely accurate, since it was more of a 4–2–3–1 shape than a 4–3–3 formation in practice (see graphic below). The defence comprised of center-backs Carina Wenninger and Marina Hegering, who were supported by fullbacks Amanda Ilestedt and Hanna Glas. The midfield saw the selection of a Zadrazil — Magull double pivot, with Dallmann ahead as the #10. Lea Schüller was the striker, flanked on either side by Klara Bühl and Lineth Beerensteyn.
The need for so many passers became clear in the opening minutes, with Rosengård implementing a much better pressing scheme than the one deployed by Ajax. Though the shape was reported to be 3–5–2, in effect it was a 4–5–1 structure out of possession, which morphed into a 4–3–3 shape with the ball as the wingers moved to the flanks.
Rosengård’s press was oriented to the midfield — this meant that the wingers covered the Bayern fullbacks, whereas the striker manned the passing lane into midfield. The visitors’ midfield line was attuned to passes into central areas, and they jumped to contest for the ball whenever these passes were made. This left Bayern with the option to go long, which they used in some situations. However, this kind of scheme meant that the center-backs were free to carry the ball, and it was no surprise to see Wenninger advance with the ball on some occasions.
It has to be acknowledged though that Rosengård’s press was well executed, and at least one sequence saw goalkeeper Laura Benkarth placed under immense pressure resulting in a turnover. They also had success in covering all short-range options from goal kicks, and were effective at forcing passes to the defenders/goalkeeper when Bayern had the intention of trying to progress.
So how did Bayern beat this scheme?
During the course of the first half (when their options seemed closed off), Zadrazil would drop into the defensive line, prompting Glas’ movement into advanced areas and Magull’s movement into the area just ahead. Up, back and through sequences were a common sight — passes into Magull, Glas and Beerensteyn prompted shifting movements from Rosengård, and the back pass was usually followed by the players moving into areas where passes could be received more easily. These movements, along with good one-touch passing allowed them to escape immediate pressure, following which they could focus on progressing more easily.
Attacks largely happened on the right, and when Bayern were deep into Rosengård’s half, it was effectively just Hegering who was in the defensive line. In focusing possession on the right, Bayern were able to pull the visitors to the side, which left the switch open to Bühl on the left. The winger often received support from Ilestedt, Magull and Dallmann in these scenes, as the three were quick to offer after the switch had been played. The number of players pushed forward also ensured a strong counterpressing net when possession was lost, which meant Rosengård were deprived of breathing space to launch a transition.
To summarise Bayern’s solution: Rosengård’s 4–5–1 shape offered good coverage of the halfspaces, but Zadrazil/Magull’s dropping movements created a numerical superiority through which the lone striker could be easily surpassed. This allowed Bayern to enter the opposition half, leaving the midfield line as the main obstacle. Here, patient ball circulation along with smart movements from the attackers could create gaps to attack — from deeper areas, up, back and through sequences created these scenes, whereas in advanced areas, it was one-touch passing and strong counterpressing that gave Bayern the advantage.
In particular, Zadrazil was dominant in these aspects from her role at the base of the midfield. Magull moved based on the former’s position, and for a period was the deepest midfielder as Zadrazil moved into more advanced positions. The #25 could frequently be seen guiding her teammates’ passes, and she was active in pressing in midfield. At times, she demonstrated a preternatural ability to read passing lanes, jumping to intercept passes and turning them into advantages for Bayern. In fact, Dallmann’s opener was the direct result of Zadrazil’s pressing, as she won possession in the leadup to the midfielder’s goal.
Second Half — Rosengård Ramp Up the Intensity
The second period saw a more aggressive and effective Rosengård, who perhaps deserved a goal for their efforts. The players seemed to push higher in this period, occasionally pressing the center-backs if they were in proximity. The intensity saw a definite uptick after the introduction of Hanna Bennison for Fiona Brown, as Rosengård began entering zone 14 a lot more after the break.
Interestingly, Zadrazil no longer dropped so deep to receive, as goalkeeper Benkarth effectively became the third center-back when it came to the buildup. The move offered more flexibility to the fullbacks, though the double pivot was still crucial in progressing the ball. As in the first half, Dallmann had the license to drop to the flanks to create advantages, and for the initial period, Beerensteyn and Bühl seemed to swap flanks.
Beerensteyn was extremely effective in this game, providing the assist for a counterattacking goal in the first half that would have made Mourinho’s Madrid proud. Dallmann was able to move the ball squarely into Beerensteyn’s path, whose hesitations fixed the defender long enough for Bühl to make a run across her defender. An exquisite no-look pass released Bühl clean through on goal, leading to a 2–0 advantage. Midway through the second period, Beerensteyn reverted to the right flank, latching on to Dallmann’s pass (the #10 had dropped to the flank to allow Beerensteyn to provide an underlapping run in the halfspace) and staring down defender in the box. The winger held steady to finish despite a tackle, with the goal giving Bayern a 3–0 victory on the night.
However, it was not all smooth sailing for Bayern as Rosengård were a lot more dynamic in the second period. Opportunities from crosses had fallen to striker Mimmi Larsson in either half and perhaps she could have done more to score. Bayern ultimately defended sufficiently well to take the win, though Rosengård also had some positives to take away from the game.
Conclusion
This was an intriguing game from start to finish — while Bayern did dominate the ball, their superiority wasn’t as overwhelmingly apparent as against Ajax (they were still very effective with their planning and execution). This game was a good display of how they can perform when pressed, as well as how they harass the opposition’s creative players (Rosengård’s Jelena Čanković and Caroline Seger were chased around relentlessly). The visitors upped the intensity in the second period and seemed to fare better, though Bayern were able to close out the game without conceding. It will be interesting to see what changes Rosengård coach Jonas Eideval makes for the second leg to combat Bayern’s midfield supremacy.
