Tuesday’s home tie against Barcelona showed some impressive work from BVB. The team improved from the reverse tie a week prior and continues to settle into the back three formation. Some of the improvements from Tuesday can be broken down and viewed statistically. All statistics are from Fbref.
The team improved their shooting on Tuesday, finishing with an accuracy of 59%, higher than the poor 23% in Barcelona. BVB had 100 more touches on the ball, which resulted in 35% more touches in the final third and a 59% increase in touches taking place within the penalty box.
Barcelona had fewer touches of the ball, but only by a total of 11. Dortmund were able to primarily suppress Barcelona’s ability on the ball compared to the previous tie. The chart below shows how Barcelona was stifled while still having more of the ball:
Leg | Touches | Progressive carry distance (yards) | Total distance moved on the ball | Carries into the Penalty Area | Passes into the Final Third |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
First | 678 | 1055 | 2068 | 11 | 41 |
Second | 667 | 660 | 1261 | 6 | 25 |
Dortmund’s defense improved, and the chart above quantifies the significant difference they made. As individuals, their statistics improved, as you would assume, as we break down every sector of the team: