Aalborg and Aarhus clashed in a match which marked the restart of the Danish Superliga after the Winter break. The home side lined up in a 4-2-3-1 and was hoping to start building some form to try to avoid relegation. Aarhus, on the other hand, lined up in a 3-5-2 and is fighting to stay within the upper half of the table. The very harsh windy conditions made the match very tricky, with both teams struggling to create opportunities during the first half. After the break, the visiting side came off strong and created multiple opportunities throughout the rest of the match. They managed to break the deadlock in the 65th minute, with a goal scored from a direct corner as the wind caught Theo Sander off guard. Therefore, the final score settled at 0-1 with the away side walking away with the three points.
Ratings:
- A1 – Very good, could play higher
- A2 – Strong potential to play higher
- B1 – Good, strong player at level
- B2 – Potential to be a strong player at level
- C – Average for the level, rewatch
- D – Below average in this match
Thomas Kristensen
- Nationality: Danish
- Age: 21
- Date of birth: 17/01/2002
- Club: Aarhus GF
- Career: Aarhus GF
- Position: Centre Back
- Preferred foot: Right
Kristensen played as a right-centre defender in a three-at-the-back formation for Aarhus. The 21-year-old stands at an impressive 1,98m with a muscular build. The Danish player has decent acceleration and sprint speed but did not seem to be able to maintain it over long distances. Kristensen was very strong in aerial duels and was always very dominant when contesting them. Overall, the defender showed an excellent sense of spatial and defensive awareness. He reads the game very well and is capable of adapting to cover for his teammates when necessary. These traits, combined with his positive aggressiveness in duels allowed him to put together a very strong defensive performance. He finished the game with multiple defensive duels won (75%-win rate), clearances and interceptions. Besides, he used his athletic build very well to stand his ground against opponents. He stayed composed during the 74 minutes he played while showing combative psychological traits.
Kristensen was not very successful with his passing in this game, possibly due to the strong windy conditions faced. He finished the game with only a 50% pass accuracy, even though he seemed to have a good passing technique. Most long balls he played did not reach the intended destination and he even struggled a bit with some medium/short-range passes. On the contrary, the young defender showed signs of being comfortable carrying the ball from the back. More than one time he progressed further up the pitch after regaining possession over defensive duels. Kristensen was very successful when doing so, displaying good control while also allowing the team to try to counterattack.
Rating – A2
Thomas Kristensen had a strong performance for Aarhus in this match. He was one of the best players on the pitch and put together a very strong defensive performance. On the ball, he seemed to have some liabilities, but I would like to see him playing under less harsh weather conditions before making a final judgement. Overall, he seems to have the potential to play at a higher level and I am looking forward to watching more from him.
Yann Bisseck
- Nationality: German
- Age: 22
- Date of Birth: 29/11/2000
- Current Club: Aarhus GF
- Career: FC Köln, Holstein Kiel (L), Roda JC (L), Vitória SC (L), Aarhus GF
- Position: Centre Back
- Preferred Foot: Right
Bisseck played as the left-centre defender in Aarhus’ 3-5-2. The German defender stands at 1,96m with a muscular build. Despite his height, he has very good acceleration and sprint speed and is able to maintain it over long distances. His balance and agility seemed to be good, traits that combined with the ones previously mentioned make him a very powerful defender. The 22-year-old showed a good sense of positioning that combined with his athletic traits allowed him to run down his opponents when necessary. Besides, he was also very strong in defensive duels and is not afraid to come out of the defensive line during the team’s pressing phase. However, during this match, he did not have a lot of trouble since Aalborg mainly attacked the opposing side. Nonetheless, he had a crucial action around the 57th minute as he was able to run down and tackle an opponent who was through on goal.
Bisseck looked very comfortable on the ball throughout the match. His passing technique was very good both short and long-range. Despite the adverse conditions, he finished the match with an 82% pass accuracy. The young defender was not afraid to go higher up the pitch to be more involved in play and showed good vision to make a couple of key passes. He displayed some very interesting psychological traits as he was always very vocal and combative.
Rating – A2
Yann Bisseck was also one of the best players on the pitch, as his defensive performance helped to keep Aarhus’ goal closed down. His athletic and personality traits combined with his strong defensive skills make him have a very interesting profile. I would like to see how he displays against tougher opposition, but based on this performance he seems to have the potential to play at a higher level.
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