The Danish Superliga returned this past week, AC Horsens first game was against table topping FC Midtjylland. AC Horsens lined up in a 4-4-2 formation against FC Midtjylland’s 4-2-3-1. Horsens played well in this game, it was a fairly even game in the first half and they were able to create chances for themselves. As the game progressed they were defensively resolute, disciplined and were able to break with some regularity as they came under increasing second half pressure. They came out 1-0 winners.
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 in this match
Louka Prip
Player Profile:
- Nationality: Danish
- Age 22
- Date of Birth: 29/06/1997
- Current Club: AC Horsens
- Career: Hvidovre IF, AC Horsens
- Position: Right Midfield
- Secondary Position: Left Midfield
- Preferred Foot: Left
Prip played this game on the right side of midfield before being replaced in the 82nd minute as Horsens looked to defend their lead. Prip measures 5’11” with a slim build, he was not afraid to initiate physical contact with opposing players in attacking and defensive situations and he was competitive in aerial duels.
Prip scored the game’s only goal after an aerial challenge. He picked up position on the blindside of the defender as the cross came in and jumped to challenge the defender with another of his teammates, the ball fell nicely for him and he was able to finish nicely on his left foot. His positioning and movement leading up to the cross was good and afforded him space and time to challenge for the cross that came in.
When AC Horsens were attacking Prip took up position very wide on the right. He started right out on the touchline which gave him options to either cut inside onto his stronger left foot or take on defenders down the outside. His first touch was good and rarely got away from him, he kept the ball close and was able to manipulate it quickly and effectively. He was very comfortable when carrying the ball, he covered ground quickly when dribbling and he demonstrated his ability to beat defenders off the dribble and create dangerous opportunities for himself and his team. His dribbling ability proved very useful for the team, he was always an available outlet for his defenders after winning the ball back and he was able to carry the ball and he was clever at drawing fouls which helped to relieve some pressure from his defence as Midtjylland pressed hard for an equaliser late on.
Prip passed and linked up well from wide positions, he showed intelligence when choosing his passing options and he passed with attacking intent and purpose. He was always looking for ways to move the ball forward, sometimes this resulted in him losing the ball but his positive outlook helped drive his team forward early on. He released the ball with good timing after dribbling and demonstrated good technique from set piece deliveries. He was a threat from both free kicks and corners in the game.
When defending Prip tucked inside to keep the midfield four compact and difficult to play through and picked up sensible defensive positions to help his full back. He worked hard to track back in defensive transitions and he did well to follow runners from wide positions that ran beyond him. He was defensively sound without having too much to do on the defensive side of the ball.
Rating – B1
Malte Kiilerich
Player Profile:
- Nationality: Danish
- Age 24
- Date of Birth: 16/10/1995
- Current Club: AC Horsens
- Career: FC Midtjylland (Y), Bronshoj BK (L), Bronshoj BK, Hvidovre IF, AC Horsens
- Position: Centre Back
- Preferred Foot: Right
Kiilerich played the entire game and centre back and out in a solid performance to help AC Horsens to victory. Kiilerich is 6’2″ and is a strong physical player. He made a number of tackles and was strong in the air throughout the game. On a few occasions he found himself caught underneath the ball when trying to win a header as he misjudged the flight but generally he was strong and made one particularly good low diving header to prevent a good quality chance for Midtjylland after a dangerous cross.
Horsens gave up 63% possession to Midtjylland so Killerich found himself deep in his own half for a lot of the game alongside his defensive partner Ludwig who also had a good game. Kiilerich was good positionally and was rarely caught out, he communicated well and ensured his team maintained a good defence shape throughout the match and were difficult to break down.
He demonstrated some good acceleration and pace on one occasion as he was able to chase down an attacker breaking away and make a good tackle whilst chasing back but apart from that his speed was not evident as they spent a lot of time defending as a unit. He made some good blocks and tackles as the ball came into the box and showed he was a competent defender as he made some important last ditch interventions. He was able to cover across to the right back position on a few occasions and he was comfortable when stepping across and dealing with the wingers
Early in the game, when it was more open, Kiilerich showed a willingness to receive the ball from his midfielders, he was confident on the ball and displayed some good touches and a bit of dribbling ability when he was on the ball. His passing wasn’t always accurate, but he did attempt a number of long balls. A few of these balls found teammates but often the balls were played into areas for players to chase. He did a good job of turning the opposition defence with clearances and long balls to give teammates more chance of chasing the ball down and it gave him time to reorganise the team defensively and earned them a bit of respite late on.
Rating – B2
Jonas Gemmer
Player Profile:
- Nationality: Danish
- Age 24
- Date of Birth: 31/01/1996
- Current Club: AC Horsens
- Career: FC Midtjylland, Fremad Amager, AC Horsens, Kolding IF (L), AC Horsens.
- Position: Centre Midfield
- Preferred Foot: Right
Gemmer played 87 minutes of this game in central midfield, he had a quiet but solid game. Gemmer stands at 5’10” tall and has a good build. he was quite a combative midfielder and took on a more defensive role than his central midfield partner. He was strong and aggressive in the tackle and was a capable header of the ball.
Gemmer played a quite defensive role when Horsens weren’t on the ball. he sat deep and found himself operating just in front of the back for. He shuttled across the width of the pitch effectively and provided support for the defence depending on which side the ball was on. He picked up good positions and pressed the opposition at the right times to force them to play into areas were other defenders could make tackles. He was strong in tackles and came out on top in a number of his fifty-fifty challenges. He was important to AC Horsens defensive structure as he helped to outnumber attackers by working across the width of the defence and win the ball back as quickly as possible.
When possession was regained Gemmer showed he was comfortable on the ball and he was often in positions looking to receive the ball. After winning the ball back, he was effective at breaking forward off the ball and he made some good runs into attacking areas and was able to receive the ball centrally and in wide areas to help progress the attacks. Sometimes when the ball was lost in forward positions Gemmer found himself caught upfield and out of position on a few occasions, He was able to run back into position but when chasing back he was sometimes guilty of committing some cynical and lazy fouls to halt attacks instead of working to get back into his defensive position.
He displayed a decent passing range, he mostly played short passes quickly and accurately and attempted some more expansive passes with mixed success. He was a threat from set pieces on occasion, one corner in particular was delivered into a dangerous area with great pace and whip.
Gemmer had a quiet game in possession, despite making a few good forward runs he was used sparingly on the ball but he was a solid defensive presence and was one of the reasons that AC Horsens were so difficult for Midtjylland to break down for the majority of the match.
Rating – B2