Lyngby and SønderjyskE played out a 1-1 draw in the last gameweek of the Superliga Relegation Round. The first half was full of action, with Lyngby missing a penalty in the 10th minute and SønderjyskE hitting the bar before taking the lead midway through the half. Lyngby equalised early in a second half that was lacking in real quality as both teams looked increasingly tired as the game wore on.
Lyngby started in a 3-4-2-1 formation before a triple change at half-time saw them switch to a 4-3-3. SønderjyskE lined up in a 3-4-3 system and made five second-half substitutions which added to the general lack of flow and made it difficult for either team to build any attacking momentum.
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: 17
- Date of birth: 16/01/2003
- Current Club: Lyngby BK
- Career: Lyngby BK
- Position: Centre Back
- Preferred foot: Right
Panjeskovic was making his senior debut in this game and was, for me, the best player on the pitch. He started the game on the right of the back three before moving to right back at half-time and impressed in both positions with his ability on the ball and his defensive quality off it.
He is a player who likes to play on the front foot throughout, with a good reading of the game and quick reactions that allowed him to commit early and attempt to win the ball back high up the pitch. He did so successfully, asserting himself in the opening stages with a couple of strong tackles that let the opponent know he was comfortable in physical battles.
He was extremely confident and comfortable in possession, displaying a variety of different passes as well as an ability to carry the ball out from the back. He was similarly inclined to play on the front foot with the ball as without, always looking to play it forward with passes infield, through balls, and chips over the top of the defence that were all effective in progressing the ball up the pitch.
He moved well with the ball at his feet, using a good burst of pace and decent footwork to make progressive runs into the opponents half before offloading it to one of the attacking players. He coped well when under pressure and made it difficult for opponents to harry him in possession, drawing fouls on multiple occasions by using his body intelligently to get between the ball and the man.
Rating – A1
For a 17-year-old to put in such a good performance on his first senior appearance suggests a player with a very big future. Hope to see him playing more regularly next season and continuing his development in the first-team.
Player Profile:
- Nationality: Danish
- Age: 19
- Date of birth: 04/01/2001
- Current Club: Lyngby BK
- Career: Boldklubben 1903 (Y), Lyngby BK
- Position: Centre Back
- Preferred foot: Left
Winther played on the left of the back three in the first half and as the left-sided centre back in the second half after Lyngby switched to a back four. He is a tall, athletic defender who performs his defensive tasks with a calmness and efficiency that means he rarely looks troubled.
He possesses good awareness and tactical discipline, often acting as the covering defender and dropping back to utilise his speed against balls in behind. He often chooses a more patient approach when defending 1v1, opting to stay on his feet and force his opponent to take him on where he will wait for the right moment to step in and win the ball.
He saw a lot of the ball and was given a lot of responsibility in the build up play but, while he was comfortable stepping in to midfield and looking to spray passes out to open up the game, his long passes were being consistently overhit or were inaccurate in this game. He is very press resistant and showed good agility to move away from opponents and create time and space for himself in possession.
Rating – A2
Winther has all the necessary qualities for a modern-day centre back to play at the top level. Some improvements to be made in his passing game but he is already a key player for Lyngby and will no doubt be the subject of interest both domestically and abroad this summer.
Player Profile:
- Nationality: Danish
- Age: 22
- Date of birth: 27/05/1998
- Current Club: Lyngby BK
- Career: Lyngby BK
- Position: Central Midfield
- Preferred foot: Right
Westergaard worked incredibly hard and put in a good performance in a dynamic combative box-to-box midfielder role. He is a well-rounded player, standing at over 6’1 with a lean build and a good combination of technical and physical qualities that saw him both defend well and contribute effectively in the attacking third.
He pressed very well in the midfield, shutting down passing lanes and making it difficult for SønderjyskE to progress the play through the middle of the pitch. He used his height effectively to dominate aerial duels but could be slightly stronger in the tackle, losing a couple of 50/50 challenges that gave SønderjyskE possession in dangerous areas.
He played a few lovely long passes in the opening stages of the game in a deep-lying playmaker role but generally did not see that much of the ball, with Lyngby for the most part bypassing the congested midfield and building attacks either through the wings or looking for the centre backs to play long balls over the top. However, he always made himself available to receive a pass or collect a loose ball and covered an impressive amount of ground out of possession.
Rating – B1
Westergaard performed a very important job well and was the engine in the middle for Lyngby. A strong, athletic player with good ball-playing ability but there are question marks over his ability to perform at the same level in a league of higher quality.
Player Profile:
- Nationality: Turkish
- Age: 20
- Date of birth: 25/04/2000
- Current Club: Lyngby BK
- Career: Brøndby IF (Y), Lyngby BK
- Position: Centre Forward
- Secondary Position: Right Wing
- Preferred foot: Left
Tekşen played as a narrow right winger in this game, with most of his involvement coming in the right half-space and central areas in and around the box. He faded in and out of the game and needs to find a way of impacting games more consistently, showing flashes of real quality and technical ability but then going missing for large periods.
One of his biggest strengths was his first touch, showing cushion-like control on multiple occasions with passes fizzed into him in advanced areas. He came to life after a quiet start to the game, collecting a pass in the box and sending a defender the wrong way with some nice footwork that led to him being brought down for a penalty which was subsequently missed by Emil Nielsen.
He was able to create space for himself in tight areas effectively with nice bits of skill but from these positions he was trying to do too much. He was constantly trying to pull off passes with high levels of difficulty and force the killer final ball but more patience was required as this often led to promising attacking moves breaking down.
Rating – B2
Tekşen evidently is a very talented footballer and his creativity should be encouraged but he risks becoming a luxury player unless he can find room for the more simple and functional play in and amongst the flair and finesse.
Player Profile:
- Nationality: Danish
- Age: 22
- Date of birth: 12/06/1998
- Current Club: Lyngby BK
- Career: Lyngby BK
- Position: Left Wing
- Preferred foot: Left
Marcussen played the first-half at left wing-back before moving to the left wing for the second-half. He is quite a small but stocky player who carries the ball well by utilising his low centre of gravity and good acceleration. He struggled to impact the game in the first-half, being crowded out down the left side and left with very little room to operate in.
In the second-half he was more effective from an advanced position, cutting inside and beating a couple of defenders inside the first few minutes before hitting the crossbar with a dipping shot that had the goalkeeper beaten. He was positive and direct when receiving the ball, looking to drive forward and take people on down the wing and showing good aggression to retain the ball under pressure.
Rating – B2
All in all a quiet game for Marcussen, would need to watch him in his preferred position for a full match before being able to pass a considered judgement.