Kovač himself says Dortmund have to play much faster and more precisely than they have been.
“Wir müssen sehr viel schneller und genauer spielen.”We have to play much faster and more precisely. our translation
Dortmund's front three jump on your centre-backs the moment they get the ball.
“Pressing Asfissiante: I trequartisti e il centravanti escono immediatamente in pressione forte sui centrali avversari in fase di prima costruzione, cercando di sporcare le traiettorie e forzare l’errore.”Suffocating pressing: the attacking midfielders and the centre-forward immediately press the opposing centre-backs hard as they start the build-up, trying to disrupt their passing and force mistakes. our translation
Get past their first wave of pressure and there is a huge amount of grass behind their defence.
“Se la prima pressione a ridosso dell’area avversaria salta, o se la mediana commette un errore di posizionamento, la difesa del Dortmund si trova esposta a transizioni rapide in campo aperto su ben 40 metri di campo scoperto alle proprie spalle.”If the first press near the opponents' box is beaten, or the midfield is out of position, Dortmund's defence is exposed to fast breaks across a good 40 metres of open pitch behind it. our translation
They push right up the pitch and chase the ball from the first whistle. Their wide players drift inside rather than staying on the touchline, so the middle gets crowded.
“The press remained aggressive, Guirassy remained the reference point, and Kovač increasingly used inverted wing-backs to manufacture central overloads.”Dortmund push their whole defence high up the field. It works when they win the ball back early, but one pass through them and there is a lot of space behind.
“The high press worked rather well, even if the equally high defensive line naturally invited counters.”When Kovac turns it up, they keep the ball and send more players forward.
“They kept the ball more assertively, attacked with greater aggression and pushed more bodies forward.”High press, high back line: good when it works, open to the counter when it does not.
“Das hohe Pressing funktionierte ziemlich gut, auch wenn die ebenso hohe Abwehrlinie naturgemäß Konter einlud.”The high press worked fairly well, even if the equally high defensive line naturally invited counter-attacks. our translation