An unusual situation is happening in St. Pauli, where the head coach is getting used to the new scheme, not the players. In the first rounds they were forced into frequent possession of the ball, from which Alexander Blessin is trying to wean his charges. The result came when they went deep and began to emphasize counterattacks. Wingers Saad and Afolayan revelled in this style, as they tore Freiburg apart with all three goals and created more dangerous chances than the whole of Leipzig in the face-to-face match.
Wolfsburg with losses, but still decently overcame a tough stretch at the beginning of the season, where they had to play against most of the best teams in the league. Jonas Wind and Mohamed Amoura are now defining Wolfsburg’s attacking play. The pair have been involved in 10 goals out of 15. But no matter how good they are, with such a defensive performance, it will be hard for the club to rise above the middle of the table.