In the 8-0 DFB Cup win at Teutonia Ottensen, attacker Amine Adli shows how much his suspension can hurt Bayer 04 for the league opener. As his substitute, Adam Hlozek applies with a highly efficient short stint.
He impressively underlined why he belongs in Bayer’s starting eleven. In the 8-0 win against regional league side Teutonia Ottensen at Hamburg’s Millerntor, Amine Adli was Leverkusen’s best player together with left-back Alejandro Grimaldo, preparing the 3-0 with an in-swinging pass, taking the penalty kick, which he then converted himself to make it 4-0, and setting up attacking defender Jeremie Frimpong for the latter’s 5-0 goal with a slanting pass.
Nevertheless, the 23-year-old Frenchman will not be in the starting line-up for the league opener against RB Leipzig at the Bay-Arena. Due to a red card suspension, which the left-footer earned in the season finale for a 3-0 loss in Bochum, Adli will have to miss the first three games in the Bundesliga.
In the first competitive match of the season, it became apparent how painful this absence could be for Bayer 04. Especially since there is no equivalent replacement with the appropriate profile for his left wing position (just as there is for the right). Adli is strong and highly dynamic – Xabi Alonso does not have such a type of player up his sleeve. The Bayer bosses are still trying to solve this bottleneck in the squad.
A change of system is also an option against Leipzig
Whether this will succeed by the Leipzig game remains to be seen. And even if it does, the question remains whether the newcomer would then already be a candidate for the starting eleven. As things stand, Leverkusen’s coach will have to find Adli’s replacement from the current personnel.
Against Ottensen, Czech Adam Hlozek forced his way into the starting line-up, although he only came on for Florian Wirtz in the 69th minute. Five minutes later, the 21-year-old put a brilliant long-range shot into the net, then set up scorer Jonas Hofmann with a low pass into the deep for 7:0, and in the final minute he won the ball just outside the Hamburg penalty area, outplayed Teutonia keeper Marius Liesegang and slid the ball into the empty net. You can’t ask much more from a joker.
Will this be enough for a starting spot against Leipzig? In any case, Hlozek has made a lightning application and thus increased his chances of being called up. Unless, of course, Xabi Alonso plans to play a three-man or five-man 3-4-3 or 3-5-2 instead of the new 4-2-3-1 against Leipzig, who are increasingly moving at high speed through the centre, and thus have one less attacking force.
