Holding Midfield: What The Stats Tell Us: Bayer Leverkusen 0-0 Borussia Dortmund 27/8

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Holding Midfield is now collaborating with the lovely folks over at InStat Football, who provide us with a huge amount of detailed statistical reports on several leagues, giving us the option of getting nerdier than ever before. They will mostly be used to supplement existing features, but there will also be fairly regular reports like this to give a fresh perspective on matches. 1) Leverkusen’s more direct approach With ten players in the midfield, moving the ball through this area was difficult for both sides, and with 6ft 4 Stefan Kiessling up front, a more direct approach made sense for Leverkusen. Kiessling recieved 50 passes, more than any of his teammates, and only one combination (centre back Omer Toprak to his partner Stefan Reinartz at 14 passes) was used more than goalkeeper Bernd Leno to the striker (13 passes). Dortmund, on the other hand, stuck to more patient build-up play. Their striker Robert Lewandowski received half as many passes (25) as Kiessling, while both of Dortmund’s holding midfielders Ilkay Gundogan and Sven Bender received over 50 passes. Unlike Leno, Dortmund keeper Roman Weidenfeller opted not to hit the ball long to Lewandowski, aiming just two passes his way, the majority [...]

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