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Borussia Dortmund: Analysing the 3-4-3 system under Lucien Favre

By Varun Madhavan

DORTMUND, GERMANY - DECEMBER 10: Dortmund line up during the UEFA Champions League group F match between Borussia Dortmund and Slavia Praha at Signal Iduna Park on December 10, 2019 in Dortmund, Germany. (Photo by Lars Baron/Getty Images)
DORTMUND, GERMANY - DECEMBER 10: Dortmund line up during the UEFA Champions League group F match between Borussia Dortmund and Slavia Praha at Signal Iduna Park on December 10, 2019 in Dortmund, Germany. (Photo by Lars Baron/Getty Images) /
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With the back four not producing the desired results, Borussia Dortmund head coach Lucien Favre switched to a back three a few months ago. We look at the impact the formation change has had on the performances.

Early Days

Borussia Dortmund got off to a flyer with a 5-1 win over Augsburg in the opening day of Bundesliga despite conceding first which led to a short panic attack for the Yellow Wall. However, they overcame the hurdle with ease and the system hence established was clear.

A tried and tested 4-2-3-1 which comprised of a dynamic front four supported by high-flying full-backs and a double pivot who ensured both attacking and defensive cover in the middle of the pitch.

Lucian Favre has always been a fan of systems which have a back-four rather than a back-three and hence it is of no surprise that Dortmund kick-started the season with the tried and tested
4-2-3-1

“In my opinion, two systems work best in the long run: 4-2-3-1 and 4-3-3. All the big clubs play with four at the back,” Favre said last year. Moreover it was a system that he had already established in the previous season as well; a fast-paced, high-pressing, attacking gameplay that brings out the players’ potential to the fullest.

However, despite a promising start to the season, defensive woes and lack of game management led to a streak of unfavourable results, like the hat-trick of 2-2 draws against Eintracht Frankfurt, Freiburg and Werder Bremen in September.

BVB did show some signs of recovery with some key victories like the 4-0 win against Leverkusen and a 3-2 win against Inter in the UEFA Champions League. But the tides weren’t really turned as Favre’s men yet again ran into a line of defeats with humiliation at the hands of Bayern and Barcelona.

Change was the need of the hour as the Black and Yellows were hovering around the 6th place in the Bundesliga with merely 5 wins from 12 games, conceding 18 goals in the process. A 3-3 draw against Paderborn was the final nail in the coffin after which Favre shifted to the 3-4-3, after which the season has turned over its head.

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