BVB even more clinical: their new strength at set pieces | OneFootball

When BVB won 2-1 at VfL Wolfsburg, Julian Brandt scored the opening goal with a header from a corner. This meant that Dortmund once again scored from a set piece, something that has been happening notably often in the new year. Seven of BVB’s 17 goals have come from set pieces, including four penalties, but also three from corners. What has the team changed?

The Kicker investigates this question, clarifying at the outset that six of the last nine goals have even resulted from set pieces. Since Julian Ryerson is often the one taking the corners, the Norwegian now has seven assists and is ranked 6th in the Bundesliga.

The remarkable thing about this increase in set-piece goals compared to matches before the turn of the year: in the winter, the club parted ways with Alex Clapham, the specialist coach hired specifically for this purpose. Apparently, the currently successful variations have emerged from within the team itself.

Photo: IMAGO

Ryerson’s corners particularly successful

One particular method, which Kicker calls the “Arsenal variant”—where the balls are played tightly in front of goal and Felix Nmecha acts as a blocker to hinder the goalkeeper—has proven especially effective. It is also valuable that set pieces repeatedly break the deadlock for BVB during phases of open play when the team is struggling to create chances.

On nine occasions, Borussia Dortmund has even taken a 1-0 lead through set pieces, which is the best record in the league. Despite opponents being aware of this BVB strength, these actions are difficult to defend, Kicker notes. This is also because there isn’t just one fixed target player for the balls played into the penalty area.

Instead, among the scorers of the eleven BVB goals from set pieces—excluding penalties—there are eight different players. Nico Schlotterbeck has scored three times, Waldemar Anton twice, and Ramy Bensebaini, Aaron Anselmino, Carney Chukwuemeka, Felix Nmecha, Julian Brandt, and Maximilian Beier each once.

Marking one or two supposed target players particularly closely is futile given Dortmund’s great variability. And so, BVB is currently setting “new standards” in the Bundesliga—in more ways than one.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇩🇪 here.