Complete Tactical Profile of Borussia Dortmund Midfielder Julian Weigl

Borussia Dortmund had many big performers during the 2015-16 season. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang picked up where he’d left off in the previous campaign and had the best year of his career to date, while Henrikh Mkhitaryan was the club’s most improved player as he put two disappointing seasons behind him and became the heartbeat of the club’s attack.

But of all the players in Thomas Tuchel’s side, one name stands out as the biggest surprise of the campaign: Julian Weigl.

Signed for a bargain-basement price of just €2.5 million from 1860 Munich (per Transfermarkt), the central midfielder came to the club at just 19 years of age and without a moment’s experience in the Bundesliga. Actually, he had only narrowly avoided relegation to the 3. Liga with 1860, which says it all about the level he’d played at prior to his move.

Yet Weigl impressed in preseason, and Tuchel didn’t hesitate to throw him into the fray. Much like Shinji Kagawa in 2010-11 (the playmaker had come from the Japanese second division), Weigl took to the Bundesliga like a fish to water and massively exceeded expectations.

Perhaps signed with an eye to the future, Weigl made the present his and became the cornerstone of the BVB midfield as Nuri Sahin and Ilkay Gundogan spent much of the season injured. Weigl also made Sven Bender an afterthought, at least as an option in midfield, and at season’s end he made the cut for Joachim Low’s final roster for the 2016 European Championship. 

By this time, Weigl has established himself as one of the most coveted and promising young central midfielders in Europe. Yet to many, the question remains: What makes the Dortmund player so good?

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Image: Sven Bender and Julian Weigl among best pass success rate in Bundesliga #bvblive [opta] pic.twitter.com/9rtMjO2xEd

— bvbstuff (@bvbstufff) May 25, 2016"

Position and Role

When a young player emerges, he is always compared to a star of the present or past, and in Weigl’s case, it’s Sergio Busquets. The comparison is quite appropriate, as both are extremely proficient when it comes to moving the ball around deep areas of midfield and "recycling" possession.

Although more of a free central midfielder at 1860 Munich, Weigl now plays in a deep midfield role. On the ball, he has two passes of choice that he relies upon again and again: 1) Long, diagonal balls to the wings and 2) Mid-range balls played on the ground in the center.

The former often end up with full-backs on the overlap, allowing Weigl to stretch opposing defenses with ease.

His ability to spray long passes to the flanks so well may partially explain the decision to sign Raphael Guerreiro, a left-back with abundant attacking qualities, who at least in attack appears to be a clear upgrade on current starter Marcel Schmelzer.

The latter are the types of passes that Mats Hummels has become well known for, moving the ball from a defensive position to the forwards to immediately pass or turn and look for goal.

Moving the ball vertically and deliberately with pace is a great way to catch opponents out of position, and with Hummels leaving, Weigl will need to play such passes more often next season.

In general, Weigl has a keen eye for passing and offers considerable creativity and vision within the context of his role. He failed to score a single goal in 51 appearances in all competitions last season and put just one shot on target in the Bundesliga, per Squawka. His only assist came in the Europa League qualifying playoffs against Wolfsberger AC.

Suffice to say, Tuchel plays Weigl in a deep midfield role, and the player is disciplined enough to stick to it.

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Image: Julian Weigl completed 199 successful passes against Köln (210 attempted) A new Bundesliga record [opta] pic.twitter.com/CrVcoe7woR

— bvbstuff (@bvbstufff) May 17, 2016"

Movement

As with Busquets, Weigl has developed an incredible sense of positioning at a young age. The way he moves around the pitch is more characteristic of a seasoned veteran than a 20-year-old.

He has a knack for following the ball around the pitch and stepping in when a teammate looks to be in trouble: either offering himself as a passing outlet or placing himself where an opponent will move to after winning the ball back.

Weigl isn't notably physical, but his brain makes the difference. He doesn't need very much upper-body strength to hold off opponents because he's so adept at making the right decisions with the ball at his feet. If he doesn't pass, he can make the right body feint to evade opponents.

He has excellent ball control, partly because he controls his body: He appears to operate almost in slow-motion at times, with the ball sticking to his foot because he isn't trying to sprint out of danger. And when he's ready, Weigl can drop a shoulder and accelerate to safety.

Off the Ball

Some holding midfielders are physical, aggressive hulks. The lanky Weigl will add muscle to his frame over time, but he is already a solid defensive player despite appearing to be rather small for his position.

The Dortmund man's positioning makes the difference, as he rarely needs to sprint. His way of reacting to events unfolding around him is to predict the next actions and position himself accordingly. As such, he can often be found waiting for an opponent to approach him, at which time he's quite good at sticking in a foot to win the ball.

When Weigl fails to win possession, he's good at practicing the "dark art" of tactical fouling. It's an attribute often looked down upon, but it is an important one for the last central man ahead of the interior defenders and helps to win games.

Weigl's method of defending is similar to his game plan on the ball in that he uses his foresight and doesn't have to play at breakneck speed. He knows what to do, and when he fails to do it, at least he can break up play to avoid the worst-case scenario of conceding a goal.

In Summary

Weigl overall is an extremely mature player for his age and has enormous upside. 

Although it is not directly related to his tactical profile, it's worth noting that he became the youngest captain in 1860 history at the age of 18. A natural leader, the Germany international is never shy to accept responsibility, which is crucial in a position that requires so many touches of the ball.

There are still some areas where Weigl has to grow, particularly in terms of his size and versatility as an auxiliary attacker. But given his tactical nous and quality on the ball, he resembles a young Busquets in many ways.

The Barcelona man is a player who for years has been at the heart of the midfield of one of football's best-ever teams: If Weigl continues his development, he could surpass his comparison in a few years.

@Mr_Bundesliga