Mohamed Simakan was a guarantee of defensive stability in RB Leipzig’s groundbreaking 4-1 win against Borussia Dortmund and paved the way for success as a goalscorer – and that as a commuter.
Strong performance against BVB: Mohamed Simakan. IMAGO/osnapix
It is not yet certain whether the French defender will be able to take part in coach Marco Rose’s team’s away game at TSG Hoffenheim on Friday evening (8.30 p.m., LIVE! on kicker).
When Mohamed Simakan left the pitch in the 51st minute on Saturday and walked around the pitch to RB Leipzig’s bench, applause erupted in the stadium. The RB fans paid tribute to the performance of the man who had recently steered things in Leipzig’s direction with his goal to make it 3-1 (46th).
The goal by the defender, who also acts reliably in his core business against Jadon Sancho or Marco Reus, was a symbol of what the footballer Simakan stands for. After a throw-in by Xaver Schlager on the left and a pass from , where he shot in Openda’s cross pass.
Commuter in two respects
The dedication to go all the way to the top and the physical presence to assert oneself are among the qualities of the Frenchman, who is not one of the undisputed forces in Leipzig even in his third year. Simakan plays a lot and regularly from the start, but to this day the trained central defender is, firstly, a commuter between the starting eleven and the bench and, secondly, a commuter between the central defense and the right-back position.
This season he played 39 of 41 possible competitive games, in which he was in the starting line-up 28 times. Simakan started the season as a regular in the back four and as an orientation aid for new signing Castello Lukeba due to captain Willi Orban’s injury. Since Orban’s return at the end of January/beginning of February, the 23-year-old has been coming off the bench more often.
Orban and Lukeba are currently in the central defense, in the right-back position Simakan has a tough competitor on an absolute level in Benjamin Henrichs, who was also able to score points after coming on for Simakan with the assist to make it 4-1 from Christoph Baumgartner. “Mo had prepared the goal in Heidenheim and has been at it for weeks and is accepting his situation well,” says the RB coach, describing his reasons for starting the 1.87 meter long Frenchman against Dortmund.
It is still unclear whether Henrichs or Simakan will defend on the right in the next game on Friday in Hoffenheim. Also because Simakan had to leave the field early against Dortmund due to calf problems. He already had that before the game, but according to Rose, he felt fit to play. “I hope it’s not that wild and that the calf is only a little tight,” says Rose. The exact diagnosis should follow on Monday.
2024-04-28 13:32:16
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