Wolfsburg travelled to Hertha Berlin last Sunday seeking to gain their second Bundesliga win in as many matches. They achieved this with a professional 3-0 away win at the Olympiastadion, in large parts thanks to a very early goal from Wout Weghorst. In this tactical analysis, I will use analysis to show how Wolfsburg managed to stay compact and hold off Hertha and point out some structural issues in Hertha, both offensively and defensively.
Lineups
Glasner lined Wolfsburg up in his favoured formation, with the exact same lineup as matchday one. This three/five at the back played a key role in the game for Wolfsburg, as I will move onto later. Hertha meanwhile employed a 4-3-3 and struggled to break down a compact, difficult Wolfsburg side.
Wolfsburg’s adaptation
Upon taking the lead early on, Wolfsburg adapted their shape and sat much deeper, challenging Hertha to attempt to break down their mid/low block. We can see their 5-4-1 formation below, which looked to limit space between the lines and limit Hertha’s build-up. If the ball was recycled wide, the winger could move out to press while still being backed up by the full-back, and due to the large numbers of Wolfsburg committed behind the ball, they were able to shuffle across without leaving much space.
If you want to read the full tactical breakdown of this game, head over to totalfootballanalysis.com or click HERE
If you love tactical analysis, then you’ll love the digital magazines from totalfootballanalysis.com – a guaranteed 100+ pages of pure tactical analysis covering topics from the Premier League, Serie A, La Liga, Bundesliga and many, many more. Buy your copy of the August issue for just ₤4.99 here.
