Tactical talking points: Germany 2-0 Poland

The Germans are gunning for glory, but there's still some kinks to smooth out...

Germany kicked off their European Championship title bid on Friday night with a 2-0 victory over tournament debutants Poland. Let’s analyse the tactical talking points…

Germany’s variable and dynamic fullbacks

Germany used variable and dynamic fullback positioning to try to squeeze through Poland’s stringent defensive setup. Wide and high, high and narrow, and on occasion, inverting, too. Giulia Gwinn and Sarai Linder set an example for wide midfielders Klara Bühl and Jule Brand to follow.

Christian Wück facilitated this fluid style of play by deploying a midfield double pivot consisting of Sjoeke Nüsken and Elisa Senß. The pair were tasked with guarding the central spaces, so that the attackers could probe more freely.

It was unfortunate that Gwinn had to come off in the 40th minute due to a suspected ligament injury, but Eintracht Frankfurt’s Carlotta Wamser was a more than able understudy. The main concern now is that Wück only brought one right-back with him to Switzerland, and there’s a real possibility she might be sidelined for a significant period.

How to shut out Pajor

Previously, Germany had struggled to react quickly to opposing team counter-attacks. Ahead of the game, there was a strong belief that Poland could target that flaw with their bombing forwards.

Germany did well to stifle any suggestion of a defensive siege, even with Ewa Pajor lurking in attack. The Barcelona forward scored 46 goals in 43 games in Liga F last season, averaging 1.13 goals per 90 minutes. She should have had more goal involvements, but her teammates failed to provide her with adequate service.

Ewelina Kamczyk should’ve been the primary provider of service. The wing-back-turned-midfielder is known for her silky dribbling skills. Last season in the Première Ligue for Fleury, she sat in the 99th percentile for fouls drawn that led to a shot. The Germans had an answer for her, too.

They neutralised the 29-year-old’s spellbinding runs with a high-pressing 4-2-3-1 formation. Linda Dallmann and Lea Schüller led the charge deep in Poland’s penalty box, often forcing goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger to go long, resulting in a breakdown/turnover in possession.

So, if Pajor never gets the ball from her teammates, then she doesn’t score. If Pajor cuts in deep to collect the ball, she vacates the final third. Schlau

Poland’s frustrating low-medium block

Poland came in with a plan and executed it perfectly: sticking to the 5-4-1 shape, both in and out of possession, and cutting off service to Dallman by exploiting the weakness of the German defensive midfield.

Sure, this did mean a lot of ball time for Brand and Bühl on the flanks. But statistically, there’s less chance of a goal occurring via a cross than open play, and even then, Germany weren’t convincing with their deliveries into the box.

The low-medium block approach worked for almost an hour before Brand unleashed a fiery shot from about 30 yards out into Katrin-Berger’s top corner. You don’t save those, especially when it’s coming your way at 91 kph.

It’s also worth noting how Poland’s defensive setup impacted Germany's double pivot. Nüsken, the number eight, was responsible for being the penultimate passer in attack, but she often struggled to connect with Dallmann and Schüller. While the Chelsea midfielder has many strengths, her metrics from last season raise questions: sitting in the 45th percentile for progressive carries and averaging just 0.24 successful take-ons per 90. In the second half, there was a noticeable shift as Nüsken began to push higher up the pitch, but ‘all gas and no breaks’ is not a sustainable way of operating.

On the other hand, Senß was a lot busier tackling and doing her best impression of the absent Lina Oberdorf. Her ball progression stats are better than Nüsken’s, but still fairly mediocre.

Fortunately for the pair, after Brand’s stunning opener, Poland were forced to come out of their defensive shape, allowing Germany to manipulate the gaps behind the defence and mask their early struggles with an xG of 3.3. The result was a second goal, courtesy of Schüller’s head.