Talking Tactics: Bayern Munich vs FC Augsburg

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AUGSBURG, GERMANY – OCTOBER 19: Reece Oxford of FC Augsburg and Kingsley Coman of FC Bayern Muenchen battle for the ball during the Bundesliga match between FC Augsburg and FC Bayern Muenchen at WWK-Arena on October 19, 2019, in Augsburg, Germany. (Photo by TF-Images/Getty Images) /

Rewind: Matchday 8 – Augsburg’s utilization of the wings

The hosts took an early lead in the first minute of the game. They used a heavy pressing technique after taking the lead. Martin Schmidt used a 4-1-4-1 formation on paper. The formation switched to a 4-1-3-2 while defending from an advanced position. Since they took an early lead, the strategy was working fine for Augsburg. They aimed for pressing Bayern using six players while their defensive line held a medium block at the back. Florian Niederlechner and Marco Richter led the first wave of pressure. Ruben Vargas, Rani Khedira, and Jan Moravek controlled the second lane. Reece Oxford shielded the defense.

Augsburg had effectively forced Bayern to play a pass on the wings. The Rekordmeister built their attack using two center-halves in a 2-3-2-3 structure. The full-backs surged slightly high as they flanked Javi Martinez in the number six role. Thiago Alcantara, who started alongside Martinez, pushed high with Philippe Coutinho in the attacking midfield zone.

Niederlechner and Richter pressed the two center-backs while also blocking the passing channel to Martinez. The moment a pass was played to a full-back, Augsburg would overload the space around him to regain possession. Also, Augsburg’s full-back would surge forward to press the ball on the flanks.

Even while attacking, Augsburg opted for creating attacks from the wide areas. As per WhoScored.com, 54% of Augsburg’s attacks originated from the right side of the pitch. The hosts targeted the wings when trying to initiate a counterattack.