Manchester City had over 60 per cent of possession in the first-half against Borussia Dortmund but looked completely outclassed in a 1-1 score line. Here are five reasons why.
Tactics
Firstly, Dortmund arrived in Manchester with a very clear and concise tactical plan. The reason that City couldn’t penetrate with so much possession in the first-half was because the Dortmund defence stayed rock solid. Mats Hummels was superb in the Dortmund defence as he kept the back four organised. It is clear to see why he is a regular centre back for the German national team.
Precision of Attack
The precision of each attack from Dortmund was superb. They had twice as many shots on goal as Manchester City and forced Joe Hart into a number of world class saves. Had City been playing any other goalkeeper then they would have been well beaten. The reason the Dortmund attack was so effective is because every forward movement, every run, every pass was accurate and precise. Dortmund made football look like a very simple game and it’s clear City have work to do off the ball.
Ball into Feet
Dortmund played the ball into feet as opposed to into space. The advantage of this when you’re attacking is that if you’re under pressure from a defender, it’s much easier to offload the ball to someone under less pressure before making a run to find more space. Dortmund did this every time they attacked and there was always a player looking for the ball which City just could not cope with. Each pass was progressive meaning that Dortmund created a chance or had a shot instead of send the ball back into the midfield or back to the defence.
Winning the ball back
Dortmund were quite happy to let City have the ball in front of their back four because the organisation of the back four allowed them to deal with it. In key areas City did not protect themselves from Dortmund players pressing and harassing to win the ball back. As soon as they did, all of the City players going forward had to switch to a defensive mindset and because Dortmund won the ball high up the pitch, the City defence was exposed at times.
The Manager
Roberto Mancini has done incredibly well so far during his time at the club. However, his decision to switch between three and four defenders at the back meant that Dortmund were able to penetrate more easily when they attacked. City had to make a change because they were searching for the equaliser but Mancini should never have gone to three at the back when his side looked so vulnerable every single time Dortmund got the ball inside their half of the pitch.
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