More than Maignan’s assists: In Germany, a goalkeeper turns playmaker!

The increasingly popular trend of “playing from the back” in football, where offensive strategies are built from a stronger defence and often involve the goalkeeper, is becoming revolutionary. The position of Dominik Reimann, a goalkeeper in the Zweite Liga, Germany’s second division, has particularly stood out.

This strategy fits perfectly with recent trends in Serie A. Mike Maignan, for instance, recently scored yet another assist with a perfectly calibrated long throw for Pulisic’s goal at San Siro against Frosinone.

“We have an extra midfielder,” Milan’s Leao wrote in an Instagram story about the French goalkeeper. This was in celebration of Maignan’s assist, his third since arriving in Italy. Considering these performances, perhaps Maignan might become more of a midfileder, taking hints from those who not only adventure into foot play, but do it as a real moving player.

These movements in the game in Italy are met with a similar one in Germany. Focusing on the Zweite Bundesliga, one cannot ignore Magdeburg, a team managed by Christian Titz.

Titz plays by fully utilizing all available players. The cornerstone of this strategy lies with Dominik Reimann who, as Magdeburg’s goalkeeper, plays an active part in the offence.

When Magdeburg has the ball, Reimann comes up to the defender’s line and manages the game like a real director, leaving the goal unprotected. He boldly advances forward to the point that he almost touches the midfield circle.

Most of the passes that Reimann completes involve out-of-field passes. Despite this, he doesn’t miss the opportunity to engage in vertical passes, selecting midfielders who drop to receive the ball. In many instances, Reimann takes the opportunity to play long throws, similar to Maignan’s, contributing significantly to the creation of offensive opportunities.

This style of play may be risky, but seemingly doesn’t impact Magdeburg’s goals negatively. It’s evident that Reimann knows when to advance forward and when to hold back. This aspect adds a revolutionary element to the game.

Whether Reimann’s strategy is reckless or progressive, one must ponder its effect if applied to other premier leagues, where there is certainly no lack of good-footed goalkeepers.