Bundesliga, DFB Cup, and other Bundesliga business 2014/2015

BVB: Weidenfeller – Piszczek, Subotic, Sokratis, Schmelzer – Sahin, Gündogan – Kampl, Kagawa, Reus – Aubameyang

Looks like Klopp found his preferred starting XI. Only Hummels is missing, but then, when he's not injured, he catches a cold and misses 2 or 3 games because of that, so it's difficult to plan with him as a starter anyway.
 
2013 Dortmund 1, 2014 Dortmund -1.

All square here folks.
 
The 1-0:



The passing looks a bit accidental, but Reus, Kagawa and Aubamayang have developed a pretty good understanding in recent weeks. Their movement together is brilliant at times.
 
I stand corrected, 2013 Dortmund 2. 2014 Dortmund -1. 2-1.

2 classic fast transitions putting Stuttgart to the sword with a complete panic at their own end are the story of the game so far.
 
Blackwidow said:
Dortmund should have been down to 10 man. Sorry. Every other team would be now.
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It's just rank incompetence from Aytekin and his team. I think none of them were sure who committed the foul and they couldn't just send someone off at a guess.
 
ctp said:
It's just rank incompetence from Aytekin and his team. I think none of them were sure who committed the foul and they couldn't just send someone off at a guess.
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Last week the not given hand penalty that would have been the 0:2. Now the not given red...
 
3-2. Reus scored after a defensive mistake. Got subbed. They've now coneded at a corner so poorly again. They're full of mistakes at the worst times.
 
Game over.

One team was saving energy for the CL and the other couldn't play football.

Stuttgart are in deep trouble.
 
NM said:
What happened? I was watching the stream on mute and missed it.
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Sahin hit a Stuttgart player at the ankle 2m in front of the goal. Nothing vicious, but he was about to take a shot, so it definitely should've been a card, probably a red one (refs seem to have some freedom when deciding what is a clear goal scoring opportunity and what not, but for me it was very clear).

Blackwidow said:
Last week the not given hand penalty that would have been the 0:2. Now the not given red...
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You're cute when it comes to Dortmund. Guess the fact that Gündogan was fouled before that ball hit his hand doesn't matter when it doesn't fit your agenda :lol:

NM said:
Kagawa two assists.
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Well the first one didn't look intentional and the second one was a bit lucky, but everything considered it looks like he turned the corner and is getting into form again.


Shocking game from Mkhitaryan, he ruined several good counter attacking opportunities because he dwelled on the ball for too long. His mind is obviously still in crisis mode. Given the new depth of Dortmund's attacking midfield he might be slipping into a vicious circle.
 
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do.ob said:
Sahin hit a Stuttgart player at the ankle 2m in front of the goal. Nothing vicious, but he was about to take a shot, so it definitely should've been a card, probably a red one (refs seem to have some freedom when deciding what is a clear goal scoring opportunity and what not, but for me it was very clear).
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Thanks, I saw that and was wondering if that was being referred to. Should have been red.

Re: Kagawa I'm rooting for him to do well. The first wasn't intentional, and the second was deflected but at least he is getting in good positions again
 
FCB/Line up: Neuer (K) - Alonso, Ribery, Lewandowski, Robben, Rafinha, Boateng, Bernat, Müller, Alaba, Badstuber

Substitutes: Reina - Dante, Pizarro, Götze, Rode, Weiser, Schweinsteiger

At least no Schweini & Alonso together, but then, why does Alonso continue to start? He was the saviour in the first few months of the season, when our injury crisis in midfield was at its worst. But he's been utter shit for weeks now.

I also don't like the balance in midfield. We play a back four with Alonso playing a deep lying playmaker role, then 2 wingers and 2 central forwards. There's a huge huge gap in midfield with only Alaba in there to fill it. I'd understand it, if Pep adjusted his playing style to it, sat deeper and attacked on the counter. But away against Paderborn? It's bound to be a game where we have 80% possession, yet we don't play any creative attacking midfielders? I already hate it and the game hasn't even started yet.
 
Balu said:
FCB/Line up: Neuer (K) - Alonso, Ribery, Lewandowski, Robben, Rafinha, Boateng, Bernat, Müller, Alaba, Badstuber

Substitutes: Reina - Dante, Pizarro, Götze, Rode, Weiser, Schweinsteiger

Alonso + Midfield balance
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745b85d2f2d990a6.gif
 
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Balu said:
FCB/Line up: Neuer (K) - Alonso, Ribery, Lewandowski, Robben, Rafinha, Boateng, Bernat, Müller, Alaba, Badstuber

Substitutes: Reina - Dante, Pizarro, Götze, Rode, Weiser, Schweinsteiger

At least no Schweini & Alonso together, but then, why does Alonso continue to start? He was the saviour in the first few months of the season, when our injury crisis in midfield was at its worst. But he's been utter shit for weeks now.

I also don't like the balance in midfield. We play a back four with Alonso playing a deep lying playmaker role, then 2 wingers and 2 central forwards. There's a huge huge gap in midfield with only Alaba in there to fill it. I'd understand it, if Pep adjusted his playing style to it, sat deeper and attacked on the counter. But away against Paderborn? It's bound to be a game where we have 80% possession, yet we don't play any creative attacking midfielders? I already hate it and the game hasn't even started yet.
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I guess we play with 3 in the back. Rafi and Bernat as wingbacks.
More a 3-5-2

You never know with Pep. Might be that he even plays Robben again on the 10 and Müller on the right.

The media in Germany this week probably will discuss that Pep has problems with Schweinsteiger and Götze... :cool:
 
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Blackwidow said:
I guess we play with 3 in the back. Rafi and Bernat as wingbacks.
More a 3-5-2

You never know with Pep. Might be that he even plays Robben again on the 10 and Müller on the right.
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That would be even more stupid with two brilliant wingers in the team and a deep lying midfielder who loves to drop between the centerbacks.

I doubt it'll matter, one of Ribery or Robben will create something on his own and we'll get the win we want. But I've no idea where Pep wants to go with this team. The way he uses the players available to him is highly questionable and it's no coincidence that we've played our only good game since the winterbreak the only time he chose a line-up that looked like it fits to his style of football.
 
Not to sound overly pessimistic, but boy... I miss the good old traditional 4-2-3-1 :(
 
Piratesoup said:
Not to sound overly pessimistic, but boy... I miss the good old 4-2-3-1 :(
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Aren't we playing something like that today?

Lewandowski
Ribery ---- Müller ---- Robben
Alaba - Alonso
Bernat - Badstuber - Boateng - Rafinha
Neuer
​
 
On the team sheet maybe, but I meant the general approach to the game. On the pitch expect it to turn more into something like a 3-5-2 or, talking about the gaping hole in midfield you mentioned, even a strange 4-1-1-4.

I miss the box-to-box presence that Schweinsteiger and Martinez/another defensive midfielder with Müller roaming behind the striker used to give us. Since the winterbreak you could often see a black hole void of Bayern players from the middle line almost all the way to the box.
 
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Piratesoup said:
I miss the box-to-box presence that Schweinsteiger and Martinez/another defensive midfielder with Müller roaming behind the striker used to give us. Since the winterbreak you could often see a black hole void of Bayern players from the middle line almost all the way to the box.
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I loved the 334ish thing so much, because we had both. Lahm, Alonso, Götze in midfield and Müller roaming around Lewandowski. And versatile players weren't used to play out of position, but to temporarily help out where needed to make up for flaws in the team, e.g. no real rightback and no real left winger. Someone simply always drifted there when we needed a player there and at times it looked like we played with 12 men.
 
That was pretty great, Robben with a beautiful assist and Lewandowski with a great run and the goal. 1-0
 
Strange idea to attempt an offside trap there, horrible execution as well.

In Robben we trust.
 
Piratesoup said:
Strange idea to attempt an offside trap there, horrible execution as well.

In Robben we trust.
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Yeah, it was very weird. Nothing about Paderborn's defending makes any sense, why not just drop deeper there?

 
Balu said:
Yeah, it was very weird. Nothing about Paderborn's defending makes any sense, why not just drop deeper there?
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Especially since we never looked threatening in any way before that hillarious offside trap attempt. They could have sat this out for at least the first half, I reckon.
 
Paderborn is awful. I'd be very surprised if they didn't get relegated this season.
 
at halftime:

Augsburg - Leverkusen 0:1
Mainz - Frankfurt 1:1
Paderborn - Bayern 0:2
Freiburg - Hoffenheim 1:1
Schalke - Bremen 0:0
 
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