The Geneva Gladbach star will take off in Geneva
No, these statistics are not creditable. The last goal from the game was scored by Switzerland against the brave Northern Irish … 1964. Köbi Kuhn was blessed to score with his head. 57 years and a measly chick on penalties by Ricardo Rodriguez later, it is imperative to bury this statistic.
And why not by the man who runs up instead of the injured Captain Granit Xhaka: Denis Zakaria (25). Most recently in top form in Gladbach. Finally. After a year and a half. At that time he crashed with his own goalie Yann Sommer. He thinks it’s not that bad. In the end, he ends up on the operating table because of these knee problems. “After that, I wasn’t at one hundred percent for a long time, had lost confidence in my body.”, Says “Zak” and shows his gleaming white teeth, which man often sees because he has this cheerful disposition. «Now I am fully there. Finally!”
Eberl and the Haaland comparison
And so he delivers at Gladbach. One goal each against BVB and Bielefeld. And the assist to Embolos overhead kick dream goal against Wolfsburg. Foal sporting director Max Eberl is almost over the moon: “He won’t score 30 goals like Erling Haaland, but he is as important in our game as Haaland is for BVB.” Well, says Zakaria, the comparison is lagging, the types of players cannot be compared. And Sommer, still Zak’s goalie, always adds seriously because he is like that: “I tend to compare him to Patrick Viera. With this power he can hardly be stopped on the ball. “
Mou becomes Zak
Ironically, Eberl makes the comparison with BVB. You know that the Dortmunders are just as keen on Zak as the AS Roma die. In the summer, Granit Xhaka was the target of José Mourinho’s desires. Now it’s the Geneva. Gladbach will extend the contract that runs in the summer. The player, on the other hand, is covered, says nothing, focuses fully on the national team. Because his story is not yet in such a way that the traces are indelible. At the EM, he only plays away from the start in the quarter-finals because Xhaka is suspended. Zak seems overwhelmed against Spain. Against Northern Ireland in Belfast the captain is missing again. Zak can give little impetus. Only in the 0-0 win against Italy does he bring a bit of dynamism into the game as a joker. “The EM was unsatisfied for me,” he says, which is why he sought an interview with Vladimir Petkovic. The result is waste.
Yakin relies on the Geneva
Murat Yakin, on the other hand, relies on Schlak from Geneva, who is only playing for the fifth time at the Stade de Genve (2x Challenge League with Servette, 2x Nati). «He has dynamism, he has confidence. Under he is well again. Denis showed in Gladbach that he has rhythm and can score goals. I am sure that he will be enormously motivated at home in Geneva and that he will show his performance. “
And then there might be a Swiss victory with a Zakaria goal. Because one thing is not only required for historical reasons, but also extremely important in order to stay in step with Italy in the battle for first place. And to tie Northern Ireland back absolutely, second place was concerned.
Blick TV feels the pulse: “17,000 fans are expected in Geneva”(02:51)