The sudden departure of key midfielder Wataru Endo to Liverpool left a gaping hole in the squad, but Stuttgart put their fears to rest with an emphatic opening day win. The new tactic of playing Jung Woo-young, who joined the team this season, has worked well, erasing Endo’s absence.
Stuttgart thrashed Bochum 5-0 in the first round of the 2023-2024 German Bundesliga at the MHP Arena in Stuttgart, Germany, on Monday (Sept. 19) to take a commanding lead at the end of the match. They moved above Bayern Munich, who they beat 4-0 the day before. Last season, Stuttgart finished 16th out of 18 teams in a relegation playoff, signaling a different story this season.
Such a smooth start was hardly expected, as the team lost key player Wataru Endo just before kickoff. Endo has played for Stuttgart for the past five seasons and is considered one of the team’s best players, and despite being a defensive midfielder, he was second on the team in offensive points last season with five goals and four assists. The void would be huge.
Filling the void of captain Endo with a similar player would be difficult, so Stuttgart responded by reducing the number of central midfielders. Last season, Stuttgart played with three midfielders in a 4-3-3 or 3-5-2 formation. This season, they opened with a 4-2-3-1, a formation they rarely used last season. The midfield was reduced to two, with Atakan Karachor, a semi-regular, and Enzo Miyo, a 21-year-old prospect who made just nine starts last season.
Instead, Jung Woo-young, an attacking midfielder with good team play, took over in the attacking midfield, so despite being one less central midfielder, the team had no problems controlling possession. He pressed diligently when the opponent was building up, reducing the defensive burden on his teammates. Conversely, when the team was in possession, he actively circulated the ball and took the pressure off the opposition himself with great ball-keeping moves.
Rather than trying to play through passes, Jung Woo-young prefers to pass the ball to his teammates and move around to penetrate the defense himself. His role and tendencies were highlighted by the fact that, at the end of the game, he had a 100% passing success rate and only one key pass (a pass that led to a teammate’s shot). With 16 key passes for the team, it’s a low number for a central attacking midfielder. However, there were several ‘starting passes’ where Jung’s pass went through a teammate to a shot.
In other words, his tactical contributions were significant: in the build-up phase, he played as a third central midfielder with his teammates, filling the void left by Endo; when the ball was circulating on the flanks, he approached and facilitated his teammates’ attacks; and when the ball was played forward, he penetrated and played as a second striker.
According to the Bundesliga’s official statistics, Jung was the best player in the match in a number of areas, including four shots on target, 11.6 kilometers played, and a 3.51 passing influence rating. He also led the team in tackles made with two, according to the Husqvarna scorecard. He contributed in three areas: offense, defense, and buildup. In a game where the team scored five goals, even without Jung’s offensive contributions, coach Sebastian Hoeneß will be able to rely on him.
Despite missing four shots, it’s hard to argue that they were inconclusive, with two on target and one against the body of the defense. Two chances in particular, both in the final minutes of the first half, were crucial. One of them was an advanced left-footed shot that was saved by a secondary block, and the other was an out-front kick that was aimed squarely at the corner of the goal when finishing a teammate’s pass straight into the box, but was saved by Manuel Riemann. If he’s this calm in front of goal, you can expect a lot of goals in the future. 카지노사이트