Germany have long been one of the World Cup’s most lethal teams, and head into the 2023 Women’s World Cup full of confidence after missing out on the European Championships to England in 2022. Integral to their success last summer was Lena Oberdorf, who at the time was just making a name for herself as one of the top young talents in the world. After being named the Young Player of the Tournament, Oberdorf has since established herself as one of the best midfielders on the planet.
Set to play an integral role to the side once more, here is our analysis of what makes Oberdorf so important for Germany.
SCREENING + BREAKING UP PLAY
Embed from Getty ImagesAs one of the best ‘Midfield Destroyers’ on the planet, Lena Oberdorf’s role primarily centers around breaking up play and winning back possession for her team. She’ll sit in central channels in front of Germany’s back-line, whilst shifting left to right when necessary to either cover for her central midfielders ahead, or her full-backs as they step out of position.
What makes Oberdorf so effective as a ‘Destroyer’ is her no-nonsense approach to defending. She’s never afraid to stick a foot in, always making her presence felt with a crunching tackle. Whether it be a typical side-on challenge or completely going through the back of a player, Oberdorf is the kind of throw-back defensive midfielder that you simply can’t help but shudder in fear about.
While this can result in an abundance of fouls and hard-hitting tackles that don’t quite come off, it also results in an abundance of expertly timed challenges. Across the last calendar year, Oberdorf ranks in the top 1% of players in eight top Women’s football leagues for her sheer volume of tackles (4.5) and blocks (2.9).
Embed from Getty ImagesIf she finds herself away from central channels where she’s typically screening the opposition’s striker or tracking their ’10’, the 21-year-old makes a habit of quickly racing back into position.
On Wyscout data, she’s won over 53% of her tackles, 67% of her defensive duels, and nearly 60% of her aerial contests. Her approach can sometimes be described as brash and aggressive, and sometimes that’s exactly what is needed to breaking up play in transition and winning battles.
Other times, she’s quite clever about scanning her surroundings, shuffling her feet, and then ramping up her intensity once she sees the opposition’s potential to exploit space.
In spite of not being the fastest player, Oberdorf is also quite successful in covering ground. She’ll nicely cover the wide areas to stop passes in behind her full-back, but she’s also completely capable of holding down the midfield line all on her own. This is integral for any ‘Midfield Destroyer’, and certainly encouraging for Germany given that they’ll likely operate with two attack-minded midfielders ahead of her in their 4-3-3.
We can expect the German to operate in a similar fashion to how she operates for Wolfsburg, as the lone-pivot required to step up anytime the first lines of pressure become broken.
For a team like Germany that want to dominate possession, having a player of Oberdorf’s defensive acumen continues to allow others to shine in attack.
Now when you put her in the final third, it’s a different story. Oberdorf completed just 61% of her forward passes in 2022-23, often lacking the execution behind her intelligent decision making.
She’s often scanning the field to see the best option for a pass well before she receives, which results in her often finding the right spaces to attack. The problem is she then often lacks that cutting-edge precision to pull off the pass.
However, with her close control and low centre of gravity, the 21-year-old is better at dribbling the ball forward and keeping the game ticking along, which will be key in drawing attention away from those that should realistically require more attention.
Embed from Getty ImagesNevertheless, attacking phases will not be a priority for Oberdorf in her role at this summer’s World Cup. Instead, she’ll remain an important figure in the team’s rest-defense, ensuring she can help her team to win back the ball and go on the hunt again.
Coming off a fantastic tournament last summer, Lena Oberdorf will likely be imperative to Germany’s chances of lifting the trophy once more.
-> Women’s World Cup 2023 Preview – Rose Lavelle & Ashley Sanchez
-> Women’s World Cup 2023 Preview – Alex Greenwood & the loss of Leah Williamson
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