Leverkusen started the game with a strong opening 15 minutes, going 1-0 up early and keeping league leaders Bayern’s key players quiet. They set up in a 3-4-3 with attacking wing backs in Amiri and Bailey and pressed well in the middle third while avoiding the Bayern press. This quickly changed as Bayern moved into their top gears and went on to win 4-2, exploiting Leverkusen’s extremely high line with ease and dominated the rest of the game in their 4-2-3-1.
Ratings
- A1 – Very good, could play higher
- A2 – Strong potential to play higher
- B1 – Good, strong player at level
- B2 – Potential to be strong player at level
- C – Average for the level, rewatch
- D – Below average in this match
Edmond Tapsoba
Player Profile:
- Nationality: Burkinese
- Age: 21
- Date of birth: 02/02/1999
- Club: Bayer Leverkusen
- Career: Salitas (Y), US Ouagadougou (Y), Leixões SC (Y), Vitória Guimarães SC, Bayer Leverkusen
- Position: Centre Half
- Preferred foot: Right
In this game, Tapsoba started on the left of the back three, with Leon Bailey ahead of him as his wing back. He was good under pressure and didn’t rush to clear his lines, dealing with the Bayern pressure well and retaining possession for his team when he could. He also showed his strength on the ball, able to hold off defenders while under pressure and picking a pass. He made smooth passes into midfield or to Bailey but made some mistakes in the second half, switching off as the result looked certain. He made a few poor passes which weren’t judged correctly and were able to be pressed, one of which lead to Bayern’s 4th goal on the day.
Defensively he, like Bayer Leverkusen as a whole, had a weak game. He was positioned on the left of a very high defensive line, he normally plays as the right sided centre half in a back four. His positioning wasn’t good enough in the offside trap and played Bayern runners onside and needed to show better awareness. He pressed out of the line a few times but couldn’t get tight enough to use his physicality and lacked the agility and change of direction and the Bayern attackers were able to turn and create space for themselves. He mostly worked hard to recover but the Bayern attackers were too quick and body positioning was poor in a few areas. Exposed to a few 1v1s, he was too front-on with his feet and took a dummy in the box, he was better defending 1v1 on the move rather than static situations, able to use his physicality more and put in strong challenges. Standing in the defensive line, he wasn’t side-on enough to be able to turn and chase long balls enough either which gave the already quick Bayern runners another advantage.
Overall, not a great game for Tapsoba but was a victim of the system which Bayern exploited with ease. He showed mostly strong passing and defensive actions but wasn’t good enough in this system to stop the league leaders.
Rating – A2
Moussa Diaby
Player Profile:
- Nationality: French
- Age: 20
- Date of birth: 07/07/1999
- Club: Bayer Leverkusen
- Career: PSG, Crotone (L), Bayer Leverkusen
- Position: Left Wing
- Secondary position: Right Wing
- Preferred foot: Left
Diaby was a fast, direct threat down the left wing. He wanted to drive down the wing and skip past defenders. He had good tight control at speed, taking lots of small touches with the laces of his left foot. Athletically strong, he was able to use quick changes of speed and direction on the ball, with good uses of chops to cut inside and create space. To progress the ball if he couldn’t take on his man he wanted to attempt pass and move combinations with supporting teammates.
In the final third he found himself quite isolated at times with very little options on his open side. He attempted several crosses and cut backs from just wide of the box, creating one good chance at the back post. He took several shots from range as he tried to keep the tempo of the attack high and lacked options but lacked quality, although he had one good shot from a tight angle tipped onto the bar.
He was a threat but in a poor team performance he wasn’t able to make the work he’d done create enough danger. Fast with tight control, he worked hard throughout the game. He dropped deep to support the midfield out of the press by trying to receive the turn or play layoffs but these weren’t that effective and lost the ball which lead to Bayern’s opening goal.
Rating – A2
Florian Wirtz
Player Profile:
- Nationality: German
- Age: 17
- Date of birth: 03/05/2003
- Club: Bayer Leverkusen
- Career: 1.FC Köln (Y), Bayer Leverkusen
- Position: Attacking Midfield
- Secondary Position: Right Wing
- Preferred foot: Right
Wirtz came on at half time on the right wing, getting Leverkusen’s consolation goal but in doing so became the youngest goalscorer in Bundesliga history with a great finish with his left foot and showed great composure to take a touch in the box instead of taking it first time with his stronger foot.
He received switches of play well and provided width to his side well in the second half. He also pressed well of the ball with some intelligent runs and good speed, but not that explosive. He was able to travel into space and was patient with the ball, aiming to draw in the defender but his final pass and short passing lacked quality a few times. His passing was otherwise short and simple but effective. After receiving in wide space he could look for inside support and circulate the ball into dangerous areas. At 17 he’s raw and lightweight but very talented and his well-taken goal could be the first of many.
Rating – A2
Nadiem Amiri
Player Profile:
- Nationality: German
- Age: 23
- Date of birth: 27/10/1996
- Club: Bayer Leverkusen
- Career: TSG Hoffenheim 1899 (Y), TSG Hoffenheim 1899, Bayer Leverkusen
- Position: Attacking Midfield
- Preferred foot: Right
Amiri was positioned as the right wing back in this game before being taken off at half time as Bosz tried to change things up. He had a fairly quiet half and looked quite unnatural playing out of position. He worked hard to press but lacked acceleration and explosiveness to be that effective.
His defensive positioning wasn’t great and he could have covered the centre half when they pressed out better as well as being more side one and tracking runs down his wing. He overplayed a few times and was slow to make decisions in deeper areas of the pitch and could have cleared his lines quicker and better at times.
In higher areas, he was more comfortable on the few occasions he was able to get the ball and looked more natural and able to dribble inside and find passes into the final third. Overall, it was hard to take anything away from this 45 minutes out of position and would like to see him play centrally.
Rating – C
Leon Bailey
Player Profile:
- Nationality: Jamaican
- Age: 22
- Date of birth: 09/08/1997
- Club: Bayer Leverkusen
- Career: AS Trencin (Y), KRC Genk, Bayer Leverkusen
- Position: Left Wing
- Preferred foot: Left
Also playing out of position was Leon Bailey. The Jamaican international played as a left wing back before being brought off at half time. He worked hard going forward, with some early ball into the box and able to drive down the wing with the ball and look for options inside. Him and Diaby didn’t link up on that wing as much as you would have hoped for two talented attackers.
Out of possession, he worked hard and pressed well but lacked the discipline in defence and was bypassed fairly easily at times, exploited into 2v1s and pressed hard but was slightly erratic but still put lots of pressure on Bayern and make a good interception.
Again, a good player playing out of position for only a half so not much to take away. Showed good technical quality though and good pace down the wing.
Rating – C
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