One of the main dangers by playing such a high pressing system. They are nonetheless the best team of the league right now in terms of form, which is hardly surprising, though. They really resemble us in 2010/2011. Let´s see if they also manage to keep that form up throughout the english weeks and the season in general.
Bundesliga, DFB Cup, and other Bundesliga business 2014/2015
- Thread starter ManniKaltz
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One of the main dangers by playing such a high pressing system. They are nonetheless the best team of the league right now in terms of form, which is hardly surprising, though. They really resemble us in 2010/2011. Let´s see if they also manage to keep that form up throughout the english weeks and the season in general.
Especially as there is teams who do not play that open against Dortmund anymore - and then Dortmund has problems. And Leverkusen will...
3-3 this is insane.
This game!
Pretty terrible defending, at least 2 Bremen players were left completely free at the back post for that.
Ah, Bremen 
The amount of crazy gamed like this they have been involved the last 8 years is amazing. Would like to see a statistic of teams involved in games witz 5+ goals.
The amount of crazy gamed like this they have been involved the last 8 years is amazing. Would like to see a statistic of teams involved in games witz 5+ goals.leverkusen lost their calm quite a bit. All players are pushing forward and nobody cares about the defence anymore. They need someone who can slow down games when they are ahead.
All three Bremen scorers have been completely unmarked...
Honestly this Leverkusen team has huge potential I think. A good coach with a very young squad if they can develop for another year or two I think they will pose a real threat for Bayern and Dortmund but this season seems too early they are too naive defensively.
Well, we had a more solid defense line back then, though....
And yet we won nearly every game vs. these teams last season and built the best start of the club history around these games. I´m not gonna deny, that deep lying defending teams don´t suit our playing system, but especially our higher emphasis on set pieces has allowed us to break them.
We have more individual strength than Leverkusen, though, so they will have a harder time to deal with that unless they score early every game.
And yet we won nearly every game vs. these teams last season and built the best start of the club history around these games. I´m not gonna deny, that deep lying defending teams don´t suit our playing system, but especially our higher emphasis on set pieces has allowed us to break them.
We have more individual strength than Leverkusen, though, so they will have a harder time to deal with that unless they score early every game.
Grrrrr I had a bit of money on both teams to score with Leverkusen to win. Was tearing my hair out at how open they were at the back after going 3-2 up!
Very entertaining game. Loved it. Looking forward to seeing more of this Leverkusen side.
I just hope for their sake they won't start pissing themselves again once they meet a quality side in the CL this season.
I just hope for their sake they won't start pissing themselves again once they meet a quality side in the CL this season.
That is until their top talents become targets for tier 1 and tier 1.5 clubs and they have to start all over again...
The only chance they have is if they can translate their efforts on the pitch into financial success and unlike Dortmund they lack the potential for that.
They need to do it now, in my opinion. Massive injuries at Bayern and Dortmund along with the post world cup problems. This season is their window, they won't get another chance.
Yeah that's true. They are a small town surrounded by a clubs with a lot of tradition and bigger fan bases which means there is little potential for growth for them. So yeah sooner or later some of those talents will probably and up at Bayern, Dortmund and Schalke. In the long run I still think Schalke has the best potential to become the thrid power in German football but for if Leverkusen keeps this team for the next two years and maybe adds a few good additions they might at least put up a challenge for the title. Of course it might all fall apart before they can do it.
Yeah well I'm pretty sure they won't do it this season as I feel they are just to raw and unstable right now. But you are right if there ever was a chance to push you guys from the throne at least for one season it's this season. I remember reading that whenever Bayern had 5 or more players playing in a world cup final they never won the league afterwards so this season might be the only opening for another team for quite some time I guess.
Agreed and I actually think the bold is the bigger factor here. An undisrupted long Pre season can make one hell of a difference in terms of team synergy and structure. Leverkusen already clicks, while we and you guys are still some way off.
Injuries of course also play a part in that, but we have simply the better squad depths to compensate that. This is what Dortmund could field tomorrow despite all the injuries:
Weidenfeller-Durm (Schmelzer), Sokratis, Subotic, Pisczek-Bender(Kehl), Jojic-Mkhitaryan, Kagawa, Aubameyang (Großkreutz)-Ramos (Immobile)
This is still overall comparable to Leverkusen´s best XI (which basically played today) and more than enough to defeat Freiburg.
First bold: Still Wolfsburg for me, if they get their shit together. Schalke is not far off, though.
Second bold: They won´t manage that, though. I expect Jevdaj to return to Roma after the next season, Calhanoglu already talks about his time after Leverkusen, Brandt will sooner or later become a target for Bayern and has appearantly a release clause (main reason why he is not at Dortmund right now), same with Lars Bender. On top of that their leader in the back is already 34 and who knows how long Kießling can manage to keep his current level up.
It´s now or never for them.
I dont think that Leverkusen have a chance to win the league this season. The difference in quality between bayern, dortmund and the rest of the league is too big. Leverkusen has offensive firepower but their defence is weak. Boenisch and Spahic are accidents to happen in every single game in almost every single situations. Donati and Hilbert are pretty bad as well. Wendell is a surprise package. Toprak is okay but also no worldbeater. I rate Papadopoulos but he is just on a loan and always injured.
Lets face it: Bremen isnt exactly good. They´ll end somewhere in the lower/mid table and they scored three times. You cant win the title if you defence is going to produce feck ups every single game.
Roger Schmidt seems to do a good job, but reaching the CL and surviving the group-stage again would be a huge success.
Dortmund does have a realistic chance this year, if their keyplayers can stay match fit for the whole season. At the moment they have terrible bad luck again.
Lets face it: Bremen isnt exactly good. They´ll end somewhere in the lower/mid table and they scored three times. You cant win the title if you defence is going to produce feck ups every single game.
Roger Schmidt seems to do a good job, but reaching the CL and surviving the group-stage again would be a huge success.
Dortmund does have a realistic chance this year, if their keyplayers can stay match fit for the whole season. At the moment they have terrible bad luck again.
As things stand they'll also have to let go of Heung-min Son in about 5-6 years as well.
He's great in the attack.....average/poor in the defence
There is no doubt he will need to improve but he is 18 and got a lot of time to still do so.
Absolutely cracking game between Leverkusen and Bremen, Leverkusen play some fantastic stuff but are wide open at the back, Werder were actually the more clinical of the two teams.
@PedroMendez somehow I think you really don't like our line-up today
Götze, for heaven's sake, what was that? Where are you?
there is only so much you can do. I guess I have to accept the three in the back@PedroMendez somehow I think you really don't like our line-up today
At least the crazy 2 centerbacks, one fullbacks defense was somewhat exciting. 3 centerbacks is just boring and with Benatia still on the bench I'm really worried that Pep really wants to play that waythere is only so much you can do. I guess I have to accept the three in the back
. At least we're playing more direct football in the final third and don't keep possession as extreme as last season.Still not a lot of good football going on...
Götze seems lost on the wings and Alaba superfluous in the middle of the pitch. I'd welcome a positional switch.
Götze seems lost on the wings and Alaba superfluous in the middle of the pitch. I'd welcome a positional switch.
Well let's just assume we'll peak in the second half of the season this time, last season we clearly peaked too early
Götze
You know, there are these glimpses of total brilliance from Götze
What on earth is this lineup from Pep ? The guy plays the line between mad and genius
Ramos scores for Dortmund. Great pass-and-move play from Kagawa to Grosskreutz to Ramos.
1-0 Okazaki, we're doing quite well so far.
At least the crazy 2 centerbacks, one fullbacks defense was somewhat exciting. 3 centerbacks is just boring and with Benatia still on the bench I'm really worried that Pep really wants to play that way
Is benatia injured/was he injured?
the system with 2cbs and one fullback was very exciting. Slightly crazy, but exciting. i just dont see the point in playing with three cbs in the back, especially if you have someone like alonso in front of them. Its so random and dull. I also dont know what bernat is doing in our starting lineup. Pep already changed it. At least it looks like that. Boateng now as fullback, because why the feck not, if you have lahm.....and now he is changing completly.
I am really not convinced by the tactics this season yet. Why always start with this weird lineups if you change them after 20 minutes.
If badstuber is injured again, I am pissed.
This formation is quite simply not working properly. The midfield with Alaba and Lahm provides pretty much nothing creative and explosive. We may be in the lead, but it's looking pretty nervous out there.
Lahm is back at right back I would say.
Damn, what a nice feeling it is being able to throw in a lightning quick player like Aubameyang even with all these injuries
Personally I think it's a brilliant idea to play the best right back and left back in the world together in midfield.
Anyone else with the feeling that this ends in a draw?
Anyone else with the feeling that this ends in a draw?
nope