Saturday, 16.11.2024
Jurgen Klopp’s first three games as Liverpool manager gave us just as much gegenpressing, high work-rate, and press conference comedy as we expected. The only real surprise from these three matches was that he still hadn’t earned his first win. This was rectified on Wednesday night as Liverpool beat an ever impressive Bournemouth side 1-0.
Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool just fell short of their first win as Sadio Mané equalised following a Benteke header. The game was fairly balanced throughout with a particularly interesting approach from Klopp which featured a number of changes in shape.
Since joining the club he played for between 1987 and 1991, Alan Pardew has designed an attacking-minded Crystal Palace side who have performed largely above expectations and sit 7th in the Premier League. This is even more telling when you consider the strength of the teams they have already faced, with Arsenal, Manchester City, Chelsea and Tottenham all featuring in their first 8.
Bayern were issued their first loss of the season to an impressive Arsenal defence. Guardiola’s team were the cause of the majority of their issues with a possession game which lacked intensity and failed to have a good enough level of penetration as they dominated the passing stats but failed to convert them into chances.
After a week of preparation, although some players did their duties for the national teams, Jürgen Klopp began his Premier League career with a point at Tottenham. Liverpool showed only rudiments of Klopp’s preferred style of football, trying to emulate the high energy gegenpressing which was synonymous with the Klopp era at Borussia Dortmund.
An early title-decider in Bundesliga by the two dominant teams so far. Tuchel has his first game with Dortmund against his supposed-mentor Pep in what was sure to be a great tactical battle. The promise was kept as we saw numerous tactical changes by both dugouts throughout the match.
Roger Schmidt’s pressing machine fell late on against a Barcelona side lacking the injured Lionel Messi. Taking the lead through a Papadopolous header, Leverkusen controlled the game for the majority of the 90 with strong central-dominance and the typical intense pressing.
The first matchday of this season’s Champions League threw up a fixture worthy of the Champions League final. Last year’s finalists travelled to one of the most in-form clubs in the world. The match was fairly dull in the first hour, maybe to be expected with two teams that probably would have taken a 0-0 draw, however Kompany’s 57th minute goal was the catalyst for an entertaining last third of the match.
As Tuchel looked to rest a few of the key players in the Dortmund squad, he made an interesting and ultimately ineffective adaption of their possession game which led to a weak first half showing.
Four games into the 2015/2016 Bundesliga season and Borussia Dortmund sit at the top of the table with a 100% record, 15 goals scored and just 3 conceded. Under the new management of Thomas Tuchel, the former-Mainzer has rejuvenated a side who looked lost just a matter of months ago with Jurgen Klopp.
Just how has the prodigal coach turned Die Schwarzgelbe around?