IEintracht coach Oliver Glasner’s team currently has a few high-flyers. Above all Randal Kolo Muani, who sets milestones on the Main with his accuracy (14 goals in three competitions) and his skill in attack. A total of 14 assists by the French national striker are also an unsurpassed Hessian house number in the Bundesliga. Kolo Muani’s consistency at the top level is impressive. Or Mario Götze, for whom ingenious passes like the one before Kolo Muani made it 4-2 in the cup against Darmstadt are almost standard at the highest level.
The German national team player, who barely got a chance at the World Cup in Qatar, celebrates football in Frankfurt as the mastermind with his gift for spectacular moves. Götze and Eintracht are a successful community. And Aurelio Buta, about whom Glasner says that the Portuguese with Angolan roots “literally flies over the training ground”. “And if someone flies, you should let them fly.” As a Frankfurt soccer flight captain, the coach has the right foresight when putting together his climbing team.
“Hottest Stock”
Buta is nowhere near the importance of Kolo Muani and Götze for Frankfurt’s successes in the Champions League, the Bundesliga and the DFB Cup. But its soaring flight has a special note. Like a phoenix from the ashes, the 25-year-old right-back, who had missed the entire first leg due to persistent knee problems, rose to become an invigorating element in the Eintracht game. His first two shots at home against Schalke and Hertha BSC Berlin ended up 3-0 in injury time.
Before the Hessian cup derby, this prompted Glasner, with a grin on his face, to classify Buta as “our hottest share in scoring next to Kolo”, he was a little surprised “that Aurelio is so dangerous in front of goal”, revealed the coach. The professional, who came from Antwerp before the season, has “a run, he has total euphoria in him,” said Glasner happily.
Randal Kolo Muani (right) scores twice against Darmstadt 98.
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Image: Reuters
He hadn’t expected the brilliant late start of his former problem child: “I’m a bit surprised that Aurelio plays so consistently and stably at this level.” The 40 sprints that Buta had put on against Berlin meant the best of all professionals on the pitch . Despite the long downtime, the Portuguese is physically in top form.
Buta played 82 minutes on the field before Ansgar Knauff replaced him in the round of 16 win over the “Lilies” – the thrilling game with its six goals thrilled the almost 50,000 spectators in the World Cup arena. Again, the winger could have been among the goalscorers. But after 72 minutes Buta lacked the consistency to get the ball into the Darmstadt goal with a score of 3:2. At least Buta proved himself early on as a goal preparer when Kolo Muani headed his cross ball to make it 1-0 (6th minute).
Future of Knauff open
Rafael Borré, on the other hand, didn’t know how to use Buta’s pass. Only once was Buta not up to par in the role of law enforcement – before the 1:2 by SV 98 professional Mathias Honsak, which Buta let go. All in all, Markus Krösche confirmed that the 1.72 meter tall professional had “developed very well”.
“He gets into the rhythm, has weapons like his speed, his good technique and his understanding of the game.” In short, Buta is doing “really well”, said the sports director and agreed with captain Sebastian Rode, who was also full of praise for the Right-back, who had already impressed in the training camp in Dubai and in the friendly against Lech Poznan.
Currently, Buta, who has always tried to “stay positive” despite his bad luck with injuries and has worked hard on his return, has pushed Knauff out of the starting lineup. It will probably soon be decided whether the loan player will return to Dortmund or whether he will be signed by Eintracht, who are courting Hoffenheim’s defensive midfielder Dennis Geiger. BVB coach Edin Terzić recently left Knauff’s future open. The Frankfurt-based company, in turn, has repeatedly expressed its interest in wanting to work with Knauff on a long-term basis. The sticking point at Knauff could be the transfer fee.
Buta feels like a newcomer, while Philipp Max on the other wing is a real one. Signed from Eindhoven on the last day of the winter transfer window, he was immediately in the starting line-up against Berlin and Darmstadt. Physically strong left-back Max, who enjoys running, has done so well in his territory so far that he gives hope that he can reasonably close the huge gap left by Filip Kostić’s departure to Juventus.
Max pulls it powerfully to the opposing goal, his flanks mostly pose a threat to the opponent. In the duel with Darmstadt, Götze missed the huge chance to make it 3-0. Max is present on the pitch from day one, he didn’t seem like a foreign body. “The team made it easy for me to integrate myself.” The new spoke of a “rehearsed squad. It’s definitely no coincidence that she’s so successful.” In any case, she has enough high-flyers.
