Brøndby overcame AGF 1-0 in a tight game on the final day of the Superliga season. Brøndby lined up in a 3-5-2 formation against AGF’s 4-3-3 and dominated the first-half but failed to capitalise on a number of chances to give them the lead before the half-time.
The second-half was more competitive, with Jesper Lindstrøm giving Brøndby the lead in the 72nd minute before Andreas Maxsø was sent off for a second yellow card just moments later. Brøndby held on to their lead with 10 men and secured a well-earned victory, with AGF already guaranteed a 3rd place finish.
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
Player Profile:
- Nationality: Danish
- Age: 19
- Date of birth: 07/04/2001
- Club: Brøndby IF
- Career: Brøndby IF
- Position: Defensive Midfield
- Preferred foot: Right
Frendrup had a very good game at the base of the midfield, looking assured in possession and making important interceptions to break up AGF’s attacking play. He has a very mature style of play for his age and was a calming presence in the middle of the park. He always had a clear idea of what he wanted to do when receiving possession and so was comfortable under pressure and able to create space effectively to give himself time on the ball.
He made good decisions in possession and was accurate with his passing, moving the ball on quickly with mostly short forward passes that helped maintain Brøndby’s attacking momentum. He is not a very dynamic midfielder and lacks speed so did not look to travel with the ball but was effective in retaining and recycling possession from deep positions.
Defensively, he did a lot of good work in protecting the back three and covering the wide positions in possession turnovers when the wing-backs had pushed on. He showed very good strength and aggression in his challenges and used his physicality well to win possession back on multiple occasions. He reads the game well and was very effective at anticipating passing lanes, using this positional awareness to step in quickly and break up moves early.
Rating – A1
An assured performance from a very promising player who has established himself as a key part of this Brøndby team. If he can build on this season and add more to his game in terms of contribution to the attacking phase then he will be ready for the next challenge very soon.
Player Profile:
- Nationality: Danish
- Age: 20
- Date of birth: 29/02/2000
- Club: Brøndby IF
- Career: Brøndby IF
- Position: Attacking Midfield
- Secondary position: Second Striker
- Preferred foot: Right
Lindstrøm played in a free role behind the front two, drifting between central and wide positions and receiving the ball between the lines to link the play between the midfield and attacking third. He showed great pace and energy, with his constant movement causing problems for the AGF defence as they struggled to mark him tightly.
He is very effective at creating space in tight areas which made him particularly dangerous around the edge of the box where he would find pockets of space to receive the ball and look to get shots on goal. His ability to shoot with either foot made it difficult for the defence to get bodies in front of the ball and as a result he tested Eskelinen in the AGF goal on multiple occasions.
His close control also made him an effective ball carrier, often accelerating away from opponents into space and playing passes into the channels for the front two to run on to. He can be slightly too full-throttle at times, though, and needs to learn to control his speed to avoid over-running or losing control of the ball. His hard work was rewarded when he scored the only goal of the game, starting the move with a pass out wide and finishing it off with a tap in from just outside the six-yard box.
Rating – A2
Good performance in and out of possession and was Brøndby’s biggest threat throughout, still quite a raw talent but with lots of potential.
Player Profile:
- Nationality: Danish/Tunisian
- Age: 19
- Date of birth: 16/03/2001
- Club: Brøndby IF
- Career: Akademisk Boldklub (Y), Strømsgodset IF
- Position: Centre Midfield
- Preferred foot: Right
Slimane has a good combination of strong physicality and technical ability that make him a dynamic box-to-box midfielder for Brøndby. He is incredibly strong on the ball and is a powerful runner which allowed him to drive the team forward. However, it was not purely through force that he was able to carry the ball and he displayed surprising agility considering his 6’2 frame.
He also used his size and strength effectively in defensive duels to outmuscle opponents and ensure he was consistently first to loose balls. He did look slightly clumsy at times and was lucky not to give away a penalty with a push in the box but he committed himself to challenges and was very difficult to evade when pressuring opponents.
He is very effective at driving into space and gliding past opponents on the run but struggled to get out of tight spaces and could do with adding some subtlety and deftness to his game. His passing was generally accurate but his final ball was lacking at times and his first touch was inconsistent. He liked to receive the ball on the turn to open up the game but his control was sometimes too heavy which allowed opponents to step in and win possession.
Rating – B1
Slimane has a unique skillset and with the right development he would be very well-suited to the pace and physicality of the Premier League. Staying it Denmark would be a good idea for the time being to allow him to improve and gain experience at a level he is comfortable at.
Player Profile:
- Nationality: Danish
- Age: 21
- Date of birth: 16/01/1999
- Club: Brøndby IF
- Career: Brøndby IF, FC Roskilde (L)
- Position: Right Back
- Preferred foot: Right
Bruus put in a good performance at right wing-back in this game, causing problems with his forward runs from deep. He displayed good pace and energy to cover a lot of ground up and down the right side as well as an ability to beat opponents in one-on-one situations.
His passing was assured, often playing forward into the channels for the strikers to move into, dragging defenders out of position and creating space in central areas which he would look to exploit with underlapping runs. However, his decision-making in key areas of the pitch need improvement as he was too often getting into promising attacking positions only to hesitate or make the wrong choice with his next move.
Defensively he was solid, defending well both in his own box and 1v1 where he made a couple of very important tackles. AGF like to get crosses into the box and he dealt with them well, ensuring he stayed goal-side of his opponent and reacting quickly to be first to the ball and clear to safety.
Rating – B1
Good performance from a player who looks strong at this level but needs to work on his composure before he is ready to take the next step.