1.27 vs 0.94 compared to last season.

xG/90 and xGA/90 for this season vs last season:
24/25 season so far: 2.5 & 1.23
23/24 season: 2.04 & 1.09

Clear rise in both metrics.

Last iteration of the same graph👇
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The aim for the season wasn't trophies anyway, development and minute management of the youngsters and playing good football was the target, unfortunately so far we have once again failed in the first bit driving the young players into the ground for no real gain.

therefore only a miraculous run in the 2nd half of the season and opponents collapsing would see us regain the lead back.

I don't see that happening unfortunately and that means the focus should then shift to the Copa del Rey and Champions League depending on the draws.

Top 2 on a tactical level, perhaps but on a personnel level, not really. In a sport decided by moments and game breaking ability, what's the point of being at the top if you can't impose it.

In game images of the same:

The best part of the half was that there weren't many Gittens vs Kounde matchups, one that was(part of the previous sequence of play), Gittens outpaces Kounde to find Guirassy in this spot, he misses the chance obviously.

Next time? 45', Can carries the ball to find Guirassy free, Inigo doesn't read the situation and Kounde for some reason is higher which forces Cubarsi to be attentive to Gittens. It's good that Guirassy didn't pick his head up and look for Sabitzer there.

At about 41', when Dortmund bypassed our press, Reyna was found free in the middle not picked up which led to a 2v1 on Kounde's side, Bensebaini's cross into the box involved the questionable penalty decision on Inigo's tug on Guirassy.

importantly(something we discussed in the pre-game thread, bsky.app/profile/diss...) whose marking depended on how Raphinha pressed who either stayed with Ryerson, leaving Can time on the ball or when he pushed up on Can, Balde followed up on Ryerson while Inigo on Duranville.

Dortmund built with a single pivot(Nmecha, picked by Olmo) Lewa stayed on Schlotterbeck, Lamine deeper on Bensebaini, Kounde on Gittens, m2m in the midfield and the most interesting bit, the dynamic positioning of Raphinha and Balde most...

About our pressing shape, Flick adapted in this game, changed how we usually setup, which involves both wingers pressing the two opposition CB's and Lewa with Olmo picking their two pivots, and our fullbacks pushing onto the opposition fullbacks.

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We also had better means to play through Dortmund's press(which wasn't all that intense), either by Pedri moving to wide left to receive, Inigo driving forward at times to find Olmo btl or Raphinha on the left touchline to receive the pass from Balde, etc.

Will start with Schlotterbeck, whose over aggressiveness was pivotal in our early chances(poorly executed jumps) and consequently why(possibly) we had control for a lot of the first half. Our few early half chances perhaps helped push BVB in a more conservative 442 shape

As I've explained over on the twitter, this move, i.e. the sale of VIP tickets isn't going to move the needle by much, so yes it would not be enough to register them both.

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Problems that we have created for ourselves, by this board alone. Olmo has featured in 12/22 games so far starting in only 7 of them.

Yep, unfortunately that's true but we need some semblance of adaptability from Flick asap, or else things might just fall off the cliff.