The lineup is as follows: Hitz, LP, Akanji, Hummels, Schulz, Sancho, Weigl, Witsel,Hazard,Reus Alcacer. I cant watch the game so cannot provide updates. I hope during the season Burki, Hakimi, Dahoud and Brandt come into the team. That for me is the strongest and most balanced line up.
0:0 after 45 mins. The first cup game is often hard because the lower league teams start their season earlier. Taking that into consideration, our play is decent. Hummels had the kind of erros he used to have for us from time to time. Better to get it out now, I guess. I didn't see everything but I thought Hazard was good. Could have had 2 assists with better finishing. I know that one shouldn't draw too many conclusions from such a game but he looks like a good fit with an eye for his teammates and the ability to bring useful balls into the box.
Reus 1:0 and Alcacer 2:0 with the freekick we know well. Before he took the shot, I thought that everyone knows his Augsburg goal by now and that the keeper would be prepared for it. It looked like he was but it was well executed.
Ended up watching the match. Weigl was excellent, fantastic on the ball, good defensive positioning, got forward when the opportunity arose and was nimble footed. He was my MoTM. Reus was good too, he linked up play and scored the important first goal. He did well considering the other attacking players were a bit off. LP grew into the game and after a poor start got better. Hopefully he continues to improve. Schulz had a solid game and looks like he will be a good addition. Akanji was solid and technically got the assist for the goal. Alcacer didnt contribute as much as he should have, but scored a great free kick. Hazard did well considering his return from injury and lack of preseason. Sancho had a poor game for his standards. Witsel wsaw terrible. The game passed him by and lost the ball in dangerous areas. Hummels had the worst game. He gave away needless fouls when his lack of pace was exposed and gifted the opposition two chances. He needs to cut out those mistakes and get fit. He does not look match sharp. Slightly worried about the lack of creativity, but the huge positives today were Weigl looks back to his best, Reus looks in form, Schulz will he a great addition to the team and Hazard will be an upgrade at the very least on Larson. I am still anxious to see Brandt in the starting lineup, but this team is crying out for Dahoud.
I liked Weigl, too and I'd really be surprised if he doesn't get more chances. Schulz is a definite improvement and can be dangerous in offense. Sancho had his struggles during the preseason as well. I don't think it's anything to worry about. The easy mistakes are one part but he generally just seems to be in one of those phases when he has to find his place in the team again to feel more comfortable and to be on the same wavelength like his teammates. I think this season will a learning experience for him of a different kind. Following up a great season with a similar and constant performance is always a hard task for a young player but it would be an important milestone for him. Substance over style might be the most important lesson for him.
Yes I am not worried about Sancho either. I think he will have an excellent season, the additional threat on the other side will be a huge help. I am only slightly concerned with Hummels too. He doesnt look match fit yet and and I think he will come good as long as he does not over do it. Fully agree about Weigl. I am excited to see what he can.
It's unfortunate that Gurreiro has one of his signature muscle injuries. Weigl, Schulz, Akanji, Hitz, Hazard were all excellent. Pacos freekick was a beauty. Reus, Witsel and Sancho were decent. Hummels really polarized. His typical blunders. Didn't even have anything to do with pace. But his presence strengthens our dead ball situations. I hope we can retain Hakimi. That would be huge. We really need to give Dahoud more chances but I can see why Witsel is trusted by LF.
I cant agree with this at all. I think Hummels will be a good signing, but any game where a CB makes two huge mistakes giving the team clear chances is not a good game. Not sure how you can place Reus and Sancho's performance on the same level either. Again Sancho is going to be a star, but that was sub par performance. As for Witsel he was awful. Slow passing and almost gave the ball away in dangerous areas.
That's why I said Hummels polarized. Also he won a lot of headers and was dangerous on offensive corners. That's a clear improvement for the squad. As for Witsel, I don't get the hate. He's statistically excellent. Just look it up on who scored or sqwaka or sofascore. And he isn't a Toprak or Castro always passing the ball back. His job is to win the ball, retain the ball and hold onto it under pressure and he does those things well. You don't really understand some of our players. I admit Reus was excellent. Better than Sancho.
Yes Hummels did lots of good, but his had was just too bad. It's not a big deal, because I think he will he excellent for the things you bring as mentioned. Today because the opposition defender is deep he didnt even have to launch his long balls. I get exactly what Witsel brings. He is a 6/10 player. He does most things at a decent level. Overall he is a good player, but that is not enough. We need more to challenge the top teams. Stats don't tell the whole story, just seeing the difference in the speed of Weigl's passing would tell more of the story. Witsel is too slow and ponderous on the ball. It does not cut it against the better teams. Speed of pass, speed of thought, nimbles and the ability to drive are what we need. Witsel will never ever compete with the physical specimen like Ndombele, henderson etc. Nor will he cope with the technicians.
That's an absurd comparison. Witsel cost a fraction of Ndombele and makes less money. Henderson plays further upfield and he's a ball carrier. Witsel is a ball winner in a squad that plays with a more possession and even more passing accuracy than Liverpool. Both Spurs and Liverpool have better squads. And midfielders shine more with talented players in front and behind them.
Henderson plays many different roles and has played deep. Witsel actually does not play that deep when Delaney is his partner. So what if Ndombele cost more? That's a ridiculous excuse. I can name many other players too. I don't think Spurs really do have a much better squad than us. They have a better central midfield and a striker, but even they regularly play Winks. Dortmund certainly do not play with more possession than Liverpool in the big games. Take a look at the stats for the matches against Bayern. Witsel is the biggest weakness in the team and holding back Dortmund from being able to compete at the highest level. He has not had one game against top midfield where he as has dominated. Weigl and Dahoud have shown they have the ability to compete and dominate world class midfielders. The two and especially Dahoud lack consistency and make stupid mistakes. However, to win the top trophies we cannot be cautious.