Man of the Match: Wirtz (7.5)
I said it last week against Gladbach, but I can’t say the same today as he took a lot of risks. His curling shot in the second minute lit up the stadium. He continued to be involved in all the good moves, providing a through pass for Grimaldo that led to the second goal. Overall, his influence was evident throughout the match with excellent control and dribbling. With 20 minutes left, he was denied a double by the post despite his good reaction on the action.
Freiburg (4-2-2-2)
Atubolu (3): The second goal conceded is clearly his fault and the spectators must still be wondering why he didn’t take the ball with his hands instead of his foot. Two other goals to top it all off to make his day even worse.
Sildillia (5): He held his own defensively, well helped by Doan, but with little offensive contribution. An average match overall.
Ginter (3.5): Unfortunately for him, he defends poorly on Wirtz for the opening goal and his marking is not good on Schick’s goal for the 1-3. Heavy consequences on the final result. Replaced by Lienhart.
Gulde (6.5): The central defender resisted well against the assaults of the blue jerseys. He made several decisive tackles, both sliding and standing, especially around the half-hour mark.
Gunter (5): Good and bad defensively and offensively with several precise crosses but he is also too lax on Frimpong who crosses for the 1-3.
Rohl (5): Several overruns which allowed him to attack the goal but he was not successful in the end. He also tried his luck from afar, without success. Replaced by Keitel who reduced the score with two strikes.
Hofler (4.5): Like Ginter, he is passed by Wirtz for the first goal. Overall, his defensive contribution was weak.
Doan (6.5): The right midfielder had a perfect first half with several offensive actions including a goal, and defensively he came back as a fifth defender and it paid off against Grimaldo. In the second half, he quickly ran out of steam and should have been replaced.
Grifo (3.5): Little influence and his 33 touches of the ball explain it. A few passes that could have made the difference despite everything. Replaced by Muslija who is the one who launched Keitel in depth who scored.
Holer (5): He is very quickly decisive with an excellent one-two where he is the passer for Doan. In addition, he often came back to defend and some of his deflections were interesting. Replaced by Philipp.
Sallai (3.5): Only 19 balls to play but several times in good positions but where he failed to capitalize on these actions, especially on an action where he missed. Replaced by Gregoritsch.
Leverkusen (3-4-3)
Hradecky (5): The Finn had little to do in this match, making only one save, which was against Keitel but did not prevent him from scoring from close range in the next move. He still conceded two goals in this match…frustrating.
Hincapie (6): 103 touches of the ball, of which only 4 were lost, this match attests to his technical accuracy, as he sometimes went up high, as in the action where he tried his luck from afar. The goals conceded by Leverkusen are not his fault, moreover.
Tah (5): He had a rather good match, being a threat in the air and often in contact with the attackers, including on the second goal conceded at first, but he was not reactive after his goalkeeper’s save, allowing Keitel to score.
Stanisic (5.5): He also had a rather good match with many duels that he won. He generally stayed in his position, even on set pieces, as his training as a full-back requires.
Grimaldo (6): Not as flamboyant as lately but he held his own. Defensively he was called upon without being overwhelmed and offensively he made his weight felt, as evidenced by his assist for Wirtz for the 0-1. However, Doan’s descent to support Sildillia still limited his impact.
Palacios (5.5): His match started averagely with a delay he accused Doan on the equalizer for Freiburg. Then he actively participated in the game without being as impactful as usual however, the fault perhaps only 50% of duels won, below his usual standards. Replaced by Tapsoba.
Xhaka (5.5): An activity similar to that of his Argentinian teammate, so an obvious participation but not enough risk-taking today. Moreover, it was not the Leverkusen midfield that led to the goals, the latter all coming from the sides.
Frimpong (6): A good match for him who was returning from a suspension, and it paid off with an assist for Schick which gave his team a cushion of advance. Replaced shortly after by Tella.
Wirtz (7.5): See above.
Hlozek (6): Rarely a starter, he seized his chance today with a goal at the key, taking advantage of Atubolu’s mistake. Much more discreet than Wirtz, he still weighed on the match beyond his goal. Only too bad that he was late on Holer who gave the assist to Doan on the 0-1. Replaced by Andrich.
Schick (6.5): He seemed relatively discreet, touching few balls in the box. However, his teammates were able to find him at times thanks to his good mobility, often with good control allowing him to continue the action. In the second half, he scored a “chic” goal just by sticking out his foot and finished with a double post. Replaced then by Adli.
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