Leipzig might have just decided the title race. Leading the charge for Die Roten Bullen was their midfield engine Konrad Laimer, who bossed the game against Bayern through his effervescent energy. Laimer never stopped running all game long, and played a massive part in the stunning victory. With that, here is Game of Numbers #20, with Konrad Laimer at the forefront.
HFX Wanderers looked a completely different side on Matchday 1 against last season’s first-place finishers, with a genuine intentionality behind their team tactics and set-up. The interesting thing to now keep on the radar will be whether the tactics they used on opening day were created to mitigate Atletico Ottawa’s own innovations, or whether they intend on utilizing the same ideologies in their matches moving forward. Either way, Halifax enjoyed a brilliant start to the season, through much in the way of innovation and pizzazz. Here is Game of Numbers Issue No. 16 - all about how Gheisar achieved balance in his side via the use of Riley Ferrazzo as an 'Inverted Fullback'.
Sometimes criticized across his Everton career, Jordan Pickford has enjoyed a formidable past couple of seasons for both club and country. The Toffees might be in serious threat of relegation this season and very well might have gone down last campaign if it had not been for their remarkable keeper. Despite the club's poor form, there's even a genuine argument for Pickford to be the goalkeeper of the season thus far. That argument came to life all the more in Everton's recent match against Manchester United, where Pickford was one of the standout players on the pitch despite his side being completely outclassed. Here are the finer details behind Pickford's stunning nine-save display against the Red Devils.
İlkay Gündoğan had a masterclass of a performance against Liverpool, playing a massive part in their commanding 4-1 win over their title challengers from last season. It was vintage Gündoğan at his best, and showcases City's potential to continue putting on top quality performances even without the presence of Erling Haaland. Here is Game of Numbers #14, illustrating Gundogan's movement masterclass!
With both Julian Brandt and Marco Reus out for the all-so-crucial Revierderby against FC Schalke, many Dortmund fans wondered what Edin Terzic would concoct. The logical solution would have been to play Jude Bellingham further forward in that '10' slot, utilizing his powerful dribbling further forward. But Terzic opted for a more natural 'creative' outlet, shifting Raphaël Guerreiro into the '10' slot. The move worked like a stroke of genius, with the Portuguese full-back scoring a beautiful goal and assisting the other, against Dortmund's bitter rivals. He was far and away the best player on the pitch, and did all he could to help his team achieve victory, despite BVB ultimately falling short come the final whistle.
In creating a thorough report for a pro club, your inclination might be to include all the information you can possibly find. I often thought the same way, writing 4,000 word articles detailing insights into every player. But contrary to popular belief, you don't need to detail everything there is to know about a particular team when writing a report. It's important to distill the most relevant information for the team, taking into account their own style and principles of play.
Borussia Dortmund have been slowly creeping up the table, knocking at the door of league leaders Bayern Munich as they slip away and fall victim to their own fallacies in 2023. Now with a commanding performance and signal of intent against RB Leipzig, the Black & Yellows currently sit top of the table with Bayern still to play this weekend. Here is our analysis of how Dortmund beat Leipzig.
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