Kevin Trapp confirmed his form, which has been dazzling for weeks, in the cauldron of Piraeus. Especially in the first half, the keeper kept his team in the game with strong reactions. Coach Oliver Glasner sees the world-class performance in the 2-1 win in Munich a few weeks ago as the starting point for Trapp’s sharply rising form curve.
The trip to the Greek coast could not have gone better for Trapp. His good performance in the away win in Piraeus was followed by his return to the German national team on Friday. While national coach Hansi Flick had recently dispensed with the Frankfurt goalkeeper, he is now back in the game as one of four keepers. The nomination is undoubtedly deserved, there was no doubt about that during the 90 minutes on Thursday evening.
Many of Olympiakos’ passionate fans must have been screaming for a goal when Giorgos Masouras was released in the centre of the sixteen and fired a precise low shot into the right-hand corner of the net (36th minute). But instead of cheering, there was a big murmur, because Trapp was on the spot and blocked the shot with a lightning reaction with his left foot. It was the strongest scene for the goalkeeper, who has parried a number of balls in recent weeks that don’t need to be held. “He has gained a lot of confidence from the exceptionally good performance in Munich,” says Glasner and explains: “Kevin is someone who thinks a lot. Now he has found the ease and naturalness to make the right decisions. He reads the opposing strikers very well.”
At the start of the season, the performances of the goalkeeper, who returned to the Main from Paris St Germain in 2018, were still pretty mixed. Trapp was a good distance away from his brilliant deeds of earlier days. It is amazing what a brilliant game like the one in Munich can apparently trigger. The self-confidence factor cannot be overestimated. “He holds very good balls in every game and helped us win the game in Piraeus as well. We are all happy that he is so strong and stable at the moment,” Glasner enthuses.
Trapp: Leadership role without official post
The question remains whether the internationally experienced 31-year-old should not have had a say in the captaincy question. Glasner appointed midfielder Sebastian Rode, who had knee surgery in August and recently returned, as team captain – an understandable choice. Martin Hinteregger and Makoto Hasebe act as his deputies. But why was the extremely ambitious Trapp denied the post of vice-captain? “As captain, I prefer to have an outfield player who is a bit closer to the team on the pitch,” explains Glasner. Trapp fulfils his leadership role in the team even without an official post, he says. “You don’t necessarily need a bow around your arm to speak your mind. Kevin is like a captain,” the coach emphasises. He says that shows in the dressing room, before the game as well as at half-time.
The return to the national team circle should give Trapp further self-confidence. Good for Eintracht, who still have a tough programme to complete before Christmas and are dependent on a goalkeeper in top form.
