Tactically, the kick-off. Nobody cares about the kick-off. I run that on Tuesday. When we’ve got eleven, that is.
On Saturday, Vincent Kompany’s Bayern kicked off at Augsburg. Pass back to Manuel Neuer. The keeper pushes his ball too far ahead on his first touch, Robin Fellhauer nicks it off him and scores into the empty net. Six seconds. The fastest goal in Bundesliga history, three seconds better than the old record.
What I see is a lad who was in exactly the right place when the keeper’s touch went too long. That, I put in place: you never leave a goalkeeper alone with the ball, not even at kick-off. At our place, the first man to run is usually going to fetch the ball that rolled down to the bottom of pitch 2, because a kick-off on a slope is already a transition.
Vincent pulled a doubtful face. I know that face. It’s the one I pull when my club delegate opens his folder and finds he’s forgotten the match cards. You’ve prepared everything, and the first thing that happens is something you never drew up.
After about 40 minutes, according to HLN, Augsburg had 1.75 xG against 0.72. Me, I work out my xG at the chip van: one per missed chance, for team spirit. Harry Kane just missed the equaliser in the 45th+3, 1-0 at the break.
“In 1980, you said hello before you scored.”
Noted, Marcel. But I’ll say this: the level in the Bundesliga, on kick-offs, has gone way up. People don’t realise. Sunday at three, I’m sending mine forward again. A flat pitch away, mind you.
It’s true, we checked: RMC Sport.
