FC Midtjylland came up against FC Nordsjaelland in this game and the league leaders were able to bounce back from last weeks loss with a 1-0 win this time. Midtjylland played a 4-3-3 against a 3-4-3 and despite giving up a lot of possession to Nordsjaelland, they were able to dominate the game and effectively controlled the opposition when they were in possession. They created a number of chances and their wining goal came through Sonny Kaba just before half time.
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
Jens Cajuste
Player Profile:
- Nationality: Swedish
- Age: 20
- Date of Birth: 10/08/1999
- Current Club FC Midtjylland
- Career: Orgryte IS, FC Midtjylland
- Position: Central Midfield
- Preferred Foot: Right
Cajuste was one of three central midfielders for Midtjylland in this game and took on different midfield roles during the game. He showed ability to play in a more advanced role as well as dropping into a deeper role as the game progressed. Coming in at 6’1″, Cajuste was physically strong in this game, he was able to hold off defenders with relative ease when he ran past them, he was competitive in the air and made a few good tackles. His wiry build lent itself to a running style that looked a bit unorthodox but he covered ground quickly.
Cajuste was comfortable receiving the ball and would often find himself dropping deeper to pick up positions to receive the ball to feet. He didn’t always get it from his defence, they sometimes went quite direct as they struggled to retain possession at times. He was an impressive ball carrier, he was able to break forward with the ball well in the game and usually was able to play a good pass at the end of his run. His passing was accurate throughout the game and he showed he had an eye for a killer pass at times which he was sometimes unlucky to not complete.
He worked hard to get the ball back when it was lost in midfield and showed himself to be an effective presser, covering ground quickly and able to cut off pass options by covering a number of options with his defensive position. The midfield pressed high and when he was caught on the wrong side of the ball he sometimes appeared to be a bit slow to track back into a position to help on the defensive side but that was only on a few occasions. He held his position well and was able to cut out a number of passes from the opposition and start attacks high up the pitch.
When Midtjylland were defending they sometimes dropped into a 4-1-4-1 formation and Cajuste would be the 1 in front of the defence. He occupied good defensive positions in this role to help his defence and his lateral movement was quick and followed the ball well. His defensive positioning was good throughout the game, especially when he was in a situation where he was already goal side of the attack.
Cajuste proved to be a strong player in this game and was probably the best midfielder out of the three, which is no small feat when he’s being compared to the highly rated Evander and Onyeka.
Rating – A1
Evander
Player Profile:
- Nationality: Brazilian
- Age: 21
- Date of birth: 09/06/1998
- Current Club: FC Midtjylland
- Career: Vasco de Gama, FC Midtjylland
- Position: Central midfield
- Secondary position: Attacking midfield
- Preferred foot: Right
Evander played this match in a midfield three and had the most consistent defensive role in it. Whilst the other two midfielders seemed to share defensive and attacking responsibilities throughout the game Evander had clear defensive responsibilities in the game and he completed them fairly well. He occupied good defensive positions and helped to maintain a compact and narrow midfield three that was difficult to play through at times. His defensive responsibilities came by way of him being a deeper lying midfield player in the game more so than be being deployed as a defensive midfielder, he was often just the first player on scene in defensive scenarios. Evander’s build doesn’t lend itself well to being a combative midfielder but he used his body effectively in physical encounters and although he was dribbled past on a few occasions he tracked back well and help win the ball back with some effective pressing.
Evander was on of Midtjylland’s more creative passers in this game, he played some good incisive passes into the area and showed that he was capable of progressing the ball and breaking lines well with his passing. Both his simple and more expansive passes were accurate throughout and he retained possession well for his team.
Evander was responsible for a lot of the set piece delivery in this game. His corners were rarely threatening, they did sometimes find a man but they were often too floated or high to bring about any goal scoring opportunities. His free-kick delivery was more threatening, he delivered them with pace and whip into good areas which created problems for the defence.
Off the ball Evander made some good runs into attacking areas and he was unlucky not to receive the ball in good positions on a few occasions, he would often drop deep to get the ball to feet from defenders and he was able to find space well between the lines. But Midtjylland often went longer and bypassed the midfield so he sometimes struggled to get involved on the ball.
He was comfortable carrying the ball and a good dribbler, he was confident under pressure and coped well in tight spaces however sometimes he was a bit casual on the ball and lacked some urgency and intensity and was dispossessed.
Although this wasn’t one of Evander’s best games he still demonstrated a clear potential to play at a higher level.
Rating – A2
Frank Onyeka
Player Profile:
- Nationality: Nigerian
- Age: 22
- Date of birth: 01/01/1998
- Current Club: FC Midtjylland
- Career: FC Midtjylland
- Position: Central midfield
- Preferred foot: Right
Onyeka was the third centre midfielder for Midtjylland and his work rate both on and off the ball was impressive. At 6ft tall he possessed the strength to knock opponents of the ball easily, in combination with his aggressive pressing style it meant he was effective and winning possession back for his team quickly.
When in possession he played short passes with which he was almost always accurate but they were clever and put his teammates on the front foot when receiving. He was able to progress attacking sequences well by playing a short pass and quickly making a run off the ball, he covered ground very quickly. He demonstrated good ball carrying ability and he was able to beat defenders with the ball and break forward into good attacking positions, his strength allowed him to hold off players while dribbling well.
His positional interchange with Cajuste helped to maintain the midfield shape throughout the game, and Onyeka was able to make a number of tackles and interceptions as the midfield pressed high up the pitch. He tracked back in defensive transitions well and was able to get himself into good defensive positions to cut off progressive options for the opposition. He was rarely stationary so was always able to get a step on the break going forward and back which allowed him to get into good positions before any threat could develop.
He had a quiet game in possession for the most part but his positional sense during the game along with bis work rate and physical attributes were impressive.
Rating – A1
Joel Anderson
Player Profile:
- Nationality: Swedish
- Age: 23
- Date of birth: 11/11/1996
- Current Club: FC Midtjylland
- Career: Häcken, FC Midtjylland
- Position: Right Back
- Preferred foot: Right
Andersson played at right back in this game. He was comfortable defensively throughout and was solid without having to be spectacular. He did occasionally dive in for loose balls and was sometimes the culprit when it came to committing fouls. But his defensive positioning was generally good as Nordsjaelland failed to muster any threatening attacks for the course of the game.
He got into good positions often to receive the ball, when attacking moves started he took up very wide positions on the right and was a player that provided Midtjylland with their width as their midfield and front three were rather narrow. He made some good forward runs and got into some dangerous positions higher on the right flank but he wasn’t really able to convert them into anything threatening as he failed to attempt a cross during the game. He showed that he was capable of recovering well after moving forward and was quick to get back into defensive positions. At 5’10” he was strong in the air, winning all his aerial duels and he was happy to be involved in some strong and physical challenges.
He played most of his short passes accurately and usually made good passing decisions but he also demonstrated an ability to play a good range of longer passes. He was able to play some good driven passes forward to hit the striker and he also played some good long balls into channels for runners to chase. He was able to turn the opposition defenders with his clearances to put pressure back on them and he showed that he was able to strike accurate longer passes with both feet.
Andersson was involved on the ball quite a lot during the game and despite not offering a particularly dangerous attacking presence he was important in progressing moves for Midtjylland and was probably one of their better players on the day. He was also a threat from his long throw ins that caused a few problems for the defence during the game
Rating – B1
Anders Dreyer
Player Profile:
- Nationality: Danish
- Age: 23
- Date of birth: 02/05/1998
- Current Club: FC Midtjylland
- Career: Esbjerg, Brighton, St Mirren (L), Heerenveen (L), FC Midtjylland
- Position: Right Wing
- Secondary Position: Attacking Midfielder
- Preferred foot: Left
Dreyer started this game on the right of the front three, but found himself rotating with the other forward players and picked up positions centrally and on the left. He was confident on the ball and was always looking for opportunities to beat his man and get the team moving forward. On a few occasions he was caught out trying to hold the ball for too long in situations he would have been better served passing the ball and spinning away to create space but instead put his team under pressure sometimes.
He was a willing runner in behind the fullback and picked up intelligent attacking positions when playing on the shoulder of the defenders. One such movement lead to the only goal of the game, he was played in behind the defence from which he ran away before playing a good cutback to Kaba to finish. Dreyer showed intelligent passing in and around the box throughout the whole game and caused problems for the defence with his clever touches and technical ability.
He showed ability to deliver dangerous balls from wide areas on occasion and the majority of his passes were accurate. His passing game was fairly simple and short but it was effective in attacking areas, he preferred to carry the ball when looking to progress forward. When on the ball he effectively drew defenders in towards him before playing a pass, dribbling past them or drawing a foul and while he lacked any standout acceleration he was quick enough to beat defenders with some regularity. He was comfortable receiving the ball under pressure and showed ability to work with the ball in tight spaces thanks in part to his agility.
At 5’8″ he lacked some strength and was often beaten by defenders when they were able to stand him up because of that.
Rating – B1