Bayer Leverkusen looks very effective this season and they are great about attacking under Peter Bosz. They play with 4-3-3 line up. In set attacks, the line up changes to like a 2-1-4-3.
The stoppers are very important in the team because Peter Bosz wants to have the ball as he can and a lot of Bundesliga teams press to the opponent in the midfield and forward. And to have the ball, stoppers should be calm and pass to his teammates in the opponent’s pressing. Bayer Leverkusen’s stoppers are good about that but sometimes they can make basic mistakes and the opponents can find goal chances.
The full backs are very important too in set attacks and maybe more than the stoppers. When they are in set attacks, if the opponent is in completely set defence and just try to defend, this time both support attacks from wings. If the opponent wants to take the ball and attack quickly and press in midfield or forward, this time full backs’ roles have big importance. This time one of them close to the stoppers and be the 3rd pass option. With him they can make a triangle. 1 stopper, 1 full back and the team’s defensive midfielder. If the full back doesn’t close, they can’t make a triangle and they can’t make game comfortably.
If the ball is in the right wing, right back closes to the stoppers and be a pass option. Left back doesn’t close to the stoppers like right back when he is in the opposite wing but he doesn’t go to touchline too much. He is always ready to be a pass option because he knows if the ball’s wing will be change, this time he will be the pass option. And when the ball comes to him, this time the right back does what the left back did before.
The defensive midfielder is the team’s regista of course. His role is to make connection from the stoppers to midfield’s front. But he can’t be very effective. Because in Bundesliga, usually the opponents cover him and don’t let him take the ball comfortably. But this time he has a new role. This role is to pass the ball to the full backs. Complete the triangle. This is why full backs are very important about making game. When defensive midfielder covers by the opponent, they make game from behind and midfield.
Right and left centre midfielders are very important for the team in set attacks. They have great movement. They help to defensive midfielder about making game, make connection with forward players. They do what the team needs but usually don’t go to wings. Their biggest additive is that they make triangles with full backs and wingers.
If they are in a set attack, I mean if the opponent only tries to defend well, this time their roles are to find free spaces and find free players. And usually they do that using triangles with full backs and wingers. I said in behind or in the opponent’s pressing to make game, the full backs are very important. When they try to make game in the opponent’s side, right and left centre midfielders have the same importance.
Wingers are not helping about making game. They usually try to escape the opponent’s behind from wing or half-space. If they use half-space, full backs can support attacks from wing. But this time right and left centre midfielders spaces in half-space will be less. If they use wing, this time full backs can’t support attacks from wings and support the team from back and just be a pass option. But this time right and left centre midfielders have more free space in half-space and support attacks more effectively. And because they need to use right and left centre midfielders in set attacks to make game more than full backs in the forward, usually wingers take position in wings. If Bellerabi plays in the right wing, he always uses the right wing.
Centre forward hasn’t a specific role in the team. He tries to do everything that a centre forward can do in the side. He uses free spaces but also he creates free spaces. Sometimes he runs to wings and changes position with wingers.
In crosses, centre forward and wingers take position into the penalty box and they can change their positions amongst themselves. The full back who is in the opposite wing doesn’t take position too forward. He supports the attack but doesn’t go too far away from the defense line. Right and left centre midfielders run to the penalty box from half-space or wait in the penalty box’s front. The defensive midfielder takes position in the penalty box’s front too.
In transition attacks, they try to use Diaby and Bailey many times but the problem is both are not very good about making decisions in transition attacks. Schick or Alario can use all spaces in transition attacks and it confuses the opponent’s mind. Wirtz supports transition attacks well and if we think that he is the best about dribbles per game stat in his team with 2.2, he is an important player in transition attacks.