“Leipzig” is a complex and incomprehensible mechanism. But insanely strong

Champions League Champions League Tottenham RB Leipzig Nagelsman Julian
Nagelsman> Mourinho.
The most difficult (and possibly disastrous) my text on Bombardier was about Leipzig. I wrote it before the first match with Zenit in October.

The task was to explain what football Leipzig plays in, what are its features, strengths and weaknesses. And I absolutely did not cope with this task – the text came out slurred and chaotic.

Now I clearly understand why this happened. Because Leipzig football is an intangible chaos that cannot be explained in words. Branislav Ivanovich agrees with me – after the match with Leipzig he said: “We just didn’t figure out what scheme Leipzig was playing with.

Scheme changes are one of the reasons for the unpredictability of Leipzig. During the season, Nagelsman went out to matches with about eight different formations. In seven matches, the Champions League used four different schemes (goof).

And this despite the fact that the schemes are arbitrary, players rarely have fixed positions on the field, and Leipzig even more so. And despite the fact that “Leipzig” is constantly changing right in the course of matches – Nagelsman is one of the most flexible European coaches. For example, in a recent match against Borussia M, the team changed the alignment and plan four (!) Times in 90 minutes.

I, as an ordinary spectator, just do not keep up with Leipzig during the matches. Especially – for the movements of players and their interchangeability. Anyone can be anywhere and play with dignity.

For example, yesterday with Tottenham, Leipzig had the most unusual choice of defenders. Before the game, all the main ones were disqualified and injured (Upamekano, Orban, Konate). And the three central ones were closed by Ampada (the first match at the base of Leipzig), Halstengberg (left-back defender played all his career) and Klostermann (also a flank defense). Leipzig won and did not miss.

Or a supporting zone. There played Lymer and Zabitzer. Laimer is a universal hybrid player: last season he played 12 matches in the center position, ten on the left on the attack flank, seven on the right on the attack, nine on the right on the defensive. Zabitzer is generally an attacking player who went out in the middle of the field yesterday for the fifth time in his life (to understand: he has 40 career games in attack).

Mourinho, who is being modernized, also does not keep pace with Leipzig. He specially went to their match with Bayern, said that he had been preparing for the game for a long time. But lost almost no chance. In the home game Tottenham completely gave control to Leipzig, created fewer times and deservedly lost.

When Mourinho took the Champions League, Nagelsman was 16 years old. He studied a lot, thought differently, was (and remains) flexible and has already overtaken the master.