The return to a three-man defence gave Makoto Hasebe a comeback in the starting eleven in the 1-0 win in Antwerp. The 37-year-old was the strongest player on the pitch, showing great calmness and cleverness in the duels. Will coach Oliver Glasner also be relying on the services of the veteran on Sunday in Munich?
Five times in a row Hasebe sat on the bench for the entire 90 minutes. This was primarily due to the switch to a four-man defence, which Glasner made on Matchday 1 at the break in Dortmund (2:5). Although Hasebe played in midfield, his best chance of playing was as a central player in a three-man defence, and this position does not exist in a four-man defence. In a way, Hasebe became a system victim.
In the Europa League match in Antwerp, however, the absences of Christopher Lenz (fibre tear), Erik Durm (concussion) and Evan Ndicka (knee ligament strain) forced the coach to return to a three-man defence. Glasner arranged his team in a 3-5-2; in midfield Djibril Sow and Ajdin Hrustic operated as a double eight in front of the only six-man Kristijan Jakic.
First cramps slow Hasebe down: “Packed in ice in the cold room “
Hasebe played as if he had never been away: calm, composed and strong in one-on-one. “Makoto showed a fantastic performance,” praised Glasner on Friday, the night before he had already spoken of a “terrific performance”. Only cramps in both calves slowed down the “Methuselah” of the Bundesliga, he left the field in the 72nd minute. For regeneration, he was “packed in ice in the cold room” on Friday, Glasner says. The coach is “confident” that Hasebe will be available in Munich on Sunday evening (17.30, LIVE! on kicker).
In addition to the long-term injured Sebastian Rode (knee surgery), Lenz and Ndicka will also be absent, while Durm has a “small possibility” of playing in Munich. There is also a small question mark behind Martin Hinteregger, who struggled with circulation problems on the return journey but was “okay” again on Friday, according to Glasner. “There are a few question marks. In the final training on Saturday it will be decided who will come with us to Munich,” said the coach. Due to the late kick-off time, the team will not fly to Munich until Sunday.
