Wolfsburg buys the league, the best keeper in the league is in goal in Freiburg. But why doesn’t Niklas Dorsch fit into Augsburg – and why could Stevan Jovetic become a problem for Hertha? The theses of the 24th game day clarify.
1. Why Wolfsburg has already secured relegation
The recently expired transfer period is the turning point of a completely messed up Wolfsburg season. After the many wrong decisions at all levels with the selection of squads and coaches, the wolves took advantage of their biggest pound and once again acted decisively on the transfer market.
With Wout Weghorst, Wolfsburg was able to sell their most dissatisfied player for decent money and thus bring some peace to the inner workings of the team. And with Max Kruse and Jonas Wind, sports director Jörg Schmadtke was able to find and pay for the two crucial pieces of the puzzle for the offensive.
Kruse and Wind, who makes a very strong impression and shows no problems adjusting to the Bundesliga, will shoot Wolfsburg to stay up. Because even if things get more or less stuck in almost all phases of the game, the pure individual class in attack will help the wolves to leave the less well-positioned competition in the bottom of the table behind. Thanks to its lavishly filled coffers, Wolfsburg will literally have bought their way out of the league on the transfer market.
2. Cod and the FCA? That does not fit
During the summer break, Niklas Dorsch was regarded as the Augsburg king transfer and in fact many other clubs are said to have been behind the U-21 European champions. Dorsch, however, decided perhaps somewhat surprisingly for FCA. With Arne Maier, Dorsch was joined by a second strong six, Augsburg apparently wanted to be much more creative in the center of the game.
But the way FCA plays football after 24 matchdays, Dorsch’s qualities hardly come into play when in possession. Augsburg switched quickly after winning the ball, plays deep or, in an orderly structure, likes to cover up the opponent’s pressing with a long ball in order to then move up. A real build-up over the six or sixes is desirable in deep regions, but usually many balls simply fly over cod.
That’s why Dorsch still doesn’t feel as right as the player and his employer had thought and there’s still the feeling that this relationship doesn’t really fit. Because the core of the Augsburg company remains passion and fight, which the team was able to fully bring in in the second half against Dortmund who were getting tired. However, without Dorsch, who was already substituted on the bench when the game suddenly tipped over. His substitute Carlos Gruezo was simply better suited for this phase of the game, in which Augsburg feels much more comfortable – which was not only evident in the rigorous winning of the ball before equalizing.
3. Leipzig’s secret star is Konrad Laimer
Those were exhausting days for RB Leipzig with three games in eight days – but also very successful with three wins from these three games, securing fourth place in the league and moving into the next round of the Europa League. Christopher Nkunku, Dani Olmo and Andre Silva once again stood out for providing the attacking action and goals to win. And like Nkunku in Bochum or Olmo in 6:1 in Berlin after their substitutions, the games were decided without a long start-up time.
But it is Konrad Laimer who always falls a little under the carpet. He came on as a substitute in Leipzig, played from the start in San Sebastian and came on again as a substitute in Bochum. With Laimer came the turning points in the Bundesliga games, in the European Cup the Austrian was absolutely reliable in the middle of the game.
Tyler Adams and Amadou Haidara are Laimer’s alternatives, who were also allowed to play – but they don’t bring the influence on the game and intensity into the Leipzig game like Laimer does. The 24-year-old is the team’s metronome and stabilizer and is therefore at least as important as the often mentioned attacking players and goal scorers.
