How is Nuri Sahin building his Borussia Dortmund team?

2. Tactical variations

During this pre-season, Sahin made pretty clear what he requires from his side. For instance, which spaces they should occupy, attitude with and without the ball, and mainly conserving the tactical structure he established. Even though it is high-risk/high-reward, it is his style of coaching.

Eventually, BVB will deal with situations where plan A may not work as expected, hence the need for tactical variations. Nuri Sahin showcased a few tweaks in his strategy as a form of adaptation to what his opponents have to offer. One of the prominent examples of his tactical flexibility occurred in the Pokal match.

After scoring the first goal with Waldemar Anton's header, Dortmund struggled to progress the ball effectively in dangerous areas. They also had a hard time dealing with Lübeck's low block, while the fourth-division side alternated high-pressure moments. The solution was relatively simple and did not require any substitutions: changing formation.

Sahin decided to change the build-up structure to a 4-2-4, with Ryerson joining the back four and Schlotterbeck as a natural left-back. In this new setup, the coach aimed to invite pressure from his opponent and then find a suitable space to attack. This approach with a sixth man in the build-up to help create numerical superiority, similar to what De Zerbi's Brighton used to do.

That extra man worked out as Dortmund surpassed Lübeck's mid-block, generating a 3v2 situation that resulted in Emre Can's penalty goal. A small sample size, indeed, but it illustrates how the new coach is able to adapt to distinct circumstances and overcome challenges within games. What also calls for attention is the diverse set of strategies Sahin might have up his sleeve.

Not exclusively De Zerbi, but Sahin cited managers of varied profiles in a recent interview as an indicator of his tactical versatility. And he has also started to manifest it on the pitch.