Bayer Leverkusen’s good begin to the season has rivals taking discover.
Bayern Munich coach Thomas Tuchel, whose workforce is the one different one to have began the Bundesliga with three wins, says Leverkusen might even problem his Bavarian powerhouse for the title.
For that to occur, a lot is determined by Jeremie Frimpong, a defender who has began each Leverkusen recreation this season and already arrange three objectives within the Bundesliga. He additionally scored in each the league and German Cup.
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Speeding up and down the suitable flank in a wing-back position, Frimpong is a key a part of the eye-catching fashion coach Xabi Alonso favours at Leverkusen. It took the workforce to the Europa League semifinals final season and has produced 11 objectives in three Bundesliga video games up to now.
The intention is to “keep the fire burning” this season, Frimpong informed The Associated Press in a latest interview. Leverkusen’s latest type has raised expectations about what the workforce can obtain this season. Next up is a conflict with 11-time defending champion Bayern in Munich on September 15.
Leverkusen has a close-knit, bold younger squad. Half of the 20 gamers Alonso has used this season are aged 23 or youthful, together with the 22-year-old Frimpong, promising midfielder Florian Wirtz and ahead Victor Boniface. They’re led in midfield by the expertise of Granit Xhaka, newly signed from Arsenal, however misplaced Moussa Diaby to Aston Villa within the low season.
The chemistry between the bold younger gamers within the workforce is a consider Leverkusen’s rise, Frimpong stated. Since arriving from Scottish champion Celtic in 2021, he believes he’s turn out to be a extra harmful attacking menace, utilizing his tempo on the suitable flank to overwhelm groups. He has a aim and three assists this season already.
“I improved every year I think, especially in my end product,” he stated. “When I was at Celtic, I was getting up there and I would not finish the actions. That’s one thing I had to improve on my game, because what’s the point if you go all the way up there and you don’t finish it?”
His quest to enhance has even included experiments with modeling his working fashion — which already produced formidable tempo — on Olympic sprinters.
It’s Alonso’s first teaching job with a membership’s first workforce after working with reserve and youth squads in Spain. Frimpong says Alonso’s document as a participant at golf equipment similar to Liverpool, Real Madrid and Bayern, together with the Spanish nationwide workforce, is a robust inspiration.
“You’ve got to respect him because he’s been there and done it. He’s won everything, Champions League and World Cup,” Frimpong stated. “As a footballer, that’s what you want to win, and of course, to have a manager like we have, we’re very grateful as well. And he knows how to use the team. He knows our abilities, our weaknesses.”
Leverkusen had one other enhance Monday when defender Edmond Tapsoba signed a five-year contract extension.
Frimpong was born in Amsterdam however grew up in Manchester, the place he got here by means of Manchester City’s youth system however by no means performed a senior recreation for the English champion. A transfer to Scotland with Celtic in 2019 on the age of 18 confirmed how remoted the lifetime of a soccer star might be.
“All that was new to me,” he stated. “Waking up to seven of my siblings to waking up alone when I was in Glasgow, that was different, that was very difficult.”
Frimpong goals to emulate Alonso’s achievements within the Champions League and the World Cup, however his profession with the Netherlands nationwide workforce has but to get going. Frimpong was within the Dutch World Cup squad final 12 months in Qatar however didn’t get a recreation. He hasn’t been chosen since by coach Ronald Koeman.
Asked if he feels he’s been given a good shot with the Netherlands he stated: “I just give it my all, give it my best. What I can do is just speak on the pitch, give it my all, and then we’ll go from there.”
Source: sportstar.thehindu.com