As we saw live European football return to our screens, Holstein Kiel were unfortunate to come away with just a point after going 2-0 up and conceding a 90th minute penalty as the equaliser. The penalty was well taken but it was a harsh decision by the referee to give it. Holstein Kiel pressed well overall and made some good counter attacks while also being a threat from set pieces with a physical team.
Ratings
- A1 – Very good, could play higher
- A2 – Strong potential to play higher
- B1 – Good, strong player at level
- B2 – Potential to be strong player at level
- C – Average for the level, rewatch
- D – Below average, don’t follow up
Salih Ozcan
Player Profile:
- Nationality: German
- Age: 22
- Date of birth: 11/01/1998
- Current Club: Holstein Kiel, on loan from FC Koln
- Career: FC Koln, Holstein Kiel (L)
- Position: Centre Midfield
- Secondary Position: Attacking Midfield
- Preferred foot: Right
The Germany U21 international had a strong game in midfield. With two more defensive players he had freedom to push forwards, often drifting wide to the left wing but was very good at finding gaps and occupying spaces high up the pitch. He received in between the lines and exploited gaps. He received well and showed good awareness. Comfortable on the ball he used feints and tight ball control to avoid pressure and create space for himself.
He looked to drive at the defence and wanted to be quite direct in his play even if he wasn’t the fastest. He started and led counter attacks well with a lot of Holstein Kiel’s attacks coming through him. He could take some time of the ball but lacked options at times and had to find other solutions or play basic passes that he didn’t want to. If given more support he definitely could have been more dangerous.
He lacked physicality and was pushed off the ball quite easily but mostly evaded pressure well and was good in tight spaces to retain possession for his team. His set piece deliveries were also strong. His work rate in the last third of the match dropped as he tired, possibly the impact of the enforced break due to COVID showing its effect.
Rating – A2
Likely to be playing in the Bundesliga next season for Koln he could be a useful player for them and could develop into an important player who attacks can go through.
Phil Neumann
Player Profile:
- Nationality: German
- Age: 22
- Date of birth: 08/07/1997
- Current Club: Holstein Kiel
- Career: Schalke, Ingolstadt, Holstein Kiel
- Position: Right Back
- Secondary Position: Centre Back
- Preferred foot: Right
Playing as a defensive right back in this game. Neumann looked steady in possession, receiving the ball well and did okay under pressure other than one pass to his centre half being intercepted but he did well to recover. He mainly stayed back in possession but did push up to support the midfield when needed, but was rarely seen in the final third. He had good passing technique with some good passes through small gaps but did take risks in buildup.
He made a few underlaps and support runs in the middle third but wasn’t used that much. He stands at 6’4″ with a decent frame and showed some good strength in defence as well as good work rate throughout the match. He had good good pace over short to medium distances but his turning and direction wasn’t as quick and was at fault for the first goal as he couldn’t get across to the shot in time. His defensive positioning was pretty good other than in the lead up to the first goal the conceded where he was too slow to drop. He didn’t have to do much 1v1 defending and was mostly in crowded spaces but he stayed tight and didn’t allow much room.
Rating – B1
Emmanuel Iyoha
Player Profile:
- Nationality: German
- Age: 22
- Date of birth: 11/10/1997
- Current Club: Holstein Kiel, on loan from FC Koln
- Career: Bayer Leverkusen (Y), Fortuna Dusseldorf, Holstein Kiel (L)
- Position: Striker
- Preferred foot: Left
Normally a striker, Iyoha was deployed on the right side of the midfield four, where he looked out of position. He’s tall at 6’3″ with a decent build but not much muscle. He was left footed but was comfortable using both feet to control the ball. He was decent on the ball for his size but looked uncomfortable on the wing and stuck to simple passes.
He didn’t get much of the ball before being subbed off in the 58th minutes and was under-utilised on the wing. He made some decent runs at the back post but wasn’t able get any shooting opportunities. He worked pretty hard and tracked back where he was aggressive and physical but clumsy and gave away fouls as well as picking up a yellow.
Rating – C
Looks like a decent player technically and physically but was wasted on the wing and I’d like to see him in a more natural position.
Fabian Reese
Player Profile:
- Nationality: German
- Age: 22
- Date of birth: 29/11/1997
- Current Club: Holstein Kiel, on loan from FC Koln
- Career: Holstein Kiel (Y), Schalke, Karlsruher (L), Greuther Furth (L), Holstein Kiel
- Position: Striker
- Preferred foot: Right
Like Iyoha, Reese was wasted by playing on the left side of midfield instead of up front. He received switches and longer passes well but was quite static on the ball and wasn’t comfortable driving into space and lacked elegance on the ball. He was very right footed and struggled to impact the attack or create in the final third, He had a few shots after cutting in which were tame long shots. He also had some good chance from an angle after his teammates won the ball high up which was saved.
Rating – C
Again, it was hard to judge him from this game. I preferred Iyoha overall but I’d still like to see Reese playing up front.