5 new attacking combinations that will flourish this season

While a resolute defence and innovative midfield are just as paramount to a team’s winning formula, the footballing community, and namely the media, are not averse to placing the most interest in a side’s attacking dimensions – after all, goals win games. With this sentiment in mind, many clubs have streamlined their Summer spending on the meanest front-men Europe has to offer. The Champions League resumed this week and we got a sneak preview of the most mouth-watering attacking combinations the continent’s Big Guns will be looking to deploy over the course of the season. Moulding the most clinical forward armoury is dependent on funds available, tactical know-how and willingness to experiment yet, even without one or two of the aforementioned ingredients, some teams can surprise and captivate with barnstorming attacking dynamics.It’s still early days this campaign and therefore, there is still time to prophesise how successful teams will be. So, here’s a list of five, newly-crafted attacking combinations that I expect will flourish over the course of the season.

#1 Manchester City

City's attack is easily the Premier League's best

Kevin De Bruyne – Sergio Aguero – Raheem Sterling – David Silva

Having created 27 chances already this term between them (that’s more than the number made by Messi, Ronaldo, Modric and Rakitic so far this season), Manchester City’s new-look quartet seems destined for great things this forthcoming campaign. After splashing out over £100-million on half of the combination, with Raheem Sterling’s £49-million price tag being edged by the £54-million fee De Bruyne’s talents warranted, City’s attacking line has been revitalised after a season many believed highlighted the lack of pace and creativity the Manchester club had at their disposal in the final third.

Having conceded just two goals this season, City have barely put a foot wrong – apart from the West Ham loss – from back to front and, as we now venture away from the early, tentative stages of the season into a less-restricted, experimental patch in the domestic calendar, one should expect the Sky Blues to turn it up a gear and begin blowing teams out of the water.

Silva is slick and has the expert vision to dissect the sturdiest of back-lines with a single pass while Raheem Sterling has the pace in his locker to play off a dominant front-man or glide down the flank. De Bruyne may be new to Premier League life, but his ability to play with either foot and make driving runs through the centre will be pivotal. Aguero’s low centre of gravity meanwhile gives him the balance to hold off stronger opponents and we all know how good the Argentine’s eye for goal is.

#2 Bayern Munchen

Bayern Munich's attack can wreak havoc against any opposition

Arjen Robben – Robert Lewandowski – Thomas Müller – Douglas Costa

While the above list may mirror Louis Van Gaal’s Summer shopping list, this is in fact the intimidating, brutal Bayern attack which has been licking clean the carcasses of many a German outift over the last few weeks. After bruising Hamburg on opening day with a 5-0 battering, lashing Leverkusen 3-0 and decimating Darmstadt on Saturday, the Bavarians have taken the Bundesliga by the scruff of its neck this term and, while this is not exactly a rarity, I’ve noticed something different about their play.

It was a relatively direct approach which handed Bayern their 10-point title triumph last term, with Ribery and Robben drawing the full-backs down the wings with their blistering pace, while Müller and Lewandowski would hover around the edge of the box, ready to bundle the ball in. What’s changed since then though? Well, it seems the acquisition of a tricky, little Brazillian may have done more than many thought.

Brought in from Shakthar this Summer, Douglas Costa is not necessarily a better player than Franck Ribery, but I feel he has more options to his game. Bayern’s average possesion (66%) and pass accuracy (89%) have increased this season and I believe this is due to Costa’s inclination to cut inside and provide another body. Add this to a Thomas Müller in red-hot form with six goals this season, lethal Lewandowski’s three and Arjen Robben’s unrivalled stamina and drive and it seems difficult to see past another stellar season from Bayern.

#3 Atletico Madrid

Athletico Madrid's attack seems to get better by the year

Antoine Griezmann – Koke – Jackson Martinez – Fernando Torres

We may not always see these four deployed together, but they embed the framework for Atletico’s typical front-line combination. Antoine Griezmann has transitioned from a speedy wide-man at Real Sociedad to the focal threat through the middle at Madrid and his brace against Galatasaray mid-week encapsulate the fresh discipline and mental strength the Frenchman has employed.

Although they seldom monopolise possession, Atletico’s midfield magician who goes by the name of ‘Koke’ is a trademark Spanish youngster; good balance, small, versatile and able to spark danger from practically anywhere on the pitch. Favouring the shorter option (with an average pass length this season of 15m), Koke is no stranger to mixing things up with a longer ball and this plays very well to new signing Jackson Martinez’s style of play. The Colombian provides Atletico with a much-needed physical threat up-top, much like Diego Costa did in his time at the Vicente Calderón, and this particular quartet has the combined experience and varying styles of play to gel expertly.

Diego Simeone has insisted Atletico won’t shy from their traditional, workman-like attitude but there’s no doubting their success this season will be heavily reliant on the goal return of Martinez and company. Fernando Torres loan stint at the club so far has shown signs of El Niño’s sparkling Liverpool days and, providing he is played in his favoured position at the top of the tree, he could provide useful cover for Martinez and Griezmann, should the vibrant Vietto need resting.

#4 Roma

Roma will look to catch up with Inter's and Juventus' attack this season

Edin Dzeko – Iago Falque – Mohammed Salah – Juan Iturbé

One of the lesser known attacking amalgamations, Roma’s financial strength has given them the opportunity to reinvigorate their rich history in the Italian top flight and, although Inter lead Serie A at present, do not rule out a title push from Rudi Garcia’s men.

Edin Dzeko has always boasted a fine goals-to-game record, but the Bosnian was lost in a back-drop of multi-million pound men at City and was rarely given the opportunity to impress last season. The 29-year-old’s scored already this season and I would expect him to spearhead a Roma side playing in a 4-3-3 formation, consisting of two quick wingers (any two of Falque, Salah or Iturbe) and a stable midfield to release them.

Roma’s average possesion has flirted in and around the 50% mark in season’s gone by, so they don’t focus their game around possession play and adopting the above method would do wonders for them on the counter-attack. Iago Falqué may not be a name you’re famliar with yet, but the Spaniard’s regular inclusion is well justified. Suffocated by great competition for places in his time at White Hart Lane, Falque, now plying his trade in a side blessed with hard-working youngsters, has the raw potential to unlock the more aggressive defences and matches the pace of other speedy wing men Salah and Iturbe. Mo’s Premier League tenure has given him the mental boost to perform in big games while Iturbe, while some days can be poor, will often excite with his thunderous strikes and winding runs.

#5 Borussia Dortmund

Dortmund's attack is the closest thing to a nightmare Pep and Bayern will face

Marco Reus – Henrikh Mkhitaryan – Shinji Kagawa – Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang

Klopp out, Tuchel in – it was an inevitable, albeit eyebrow-raising, move following Dortmund’s desolate start to the 2014/15 campaign. Jurgen Klopp’s departure initiated a flurry of tactical tweaks amid the Dortmund camp and, having won their opening four Bundesliga encounters in a rather emphatic style, it is clear the changes have worked.

Gone are the days of the aimless long ball and brutal, direct approach, as Die Schwarzgelben now seem to have turned their attention to a more attractive, short-passing game. A bank of four midfielders resting on the pivot of either Julian Weigl or Sven Bender has allowed the likes of Aubameyang, Mkhitaryan and Kagawa to play more advanced roles and merge-in attack. Armenian Mkhitaryan has especially profited from new coach Thomas Tuchel’s alteration, having already equalled last season’s return of 3 goals after just 4 appearances, while Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is showing no signs of fading following specualtion of a move elsewhere this Summer, having bagged 5 goals himself.

Marco Reus, arguably Dortmund’s main man, has alternated between playing out wide and through the centre this season, but bagged a hat-trick when affirmed in the latter in a Europa League qualifier in August. Reus has scored twice in the Bundesliga himself.

Dortmund have been very impressive in the start to this season’s Bundesliga and are joint top scorers with Bayern so far this season (15). The rotation up-top is particularly key and, one thing’s for certain, goals can come from anywhere in Tuchel’s new look side.