Tactics
Four at the back and three in attack: Christian Titz, who’s been head coach at 1. FC Magdeburg since February 2021 following spells at Hamburger SV and Rot-Weiß Essen, generally sets his team up in a 4-3-3 formation. They’re attack-minded in possession, press aggressively without the ball and like to play exciting football, which is how Magdeburg stormed to promotion last season with 83 goals and 78 points. The key figures in the front three are Baris Atik (19 goals and 21 assists), Luca Schuler (12 goals) and Jason Ceka.
One to watch: Baris Atik
A goal machine with a very good eye for his teammates, Baris Atik is the pillar of the Magdeburg attack, and normally dictates the rhythm and tempo. With 19 goals and 21 assists, the 27-year-old German, who has Turkish roots, set a new record for goals and assists combined in the 3. Liga last season, which saw him voted ‘Player of the Season’ in the third tier.
Key battle: Mario Götze against Andreas Müller
With his experience of 231 Bundesliga games, 23 DFB Cup ties and 62 Champions League games, Mario Götze has been brought to Eintracht to pull the strings in attack. Götze will certainly get acquainted with Andreas Müller at the MDCC-Arena. The defensive midfielder, 22, is the main man in defensive midfield for Magdeburg.
