Thirsty streak over. After a long wait, Alassane Plea scored his own goal again in the 1-1 draw in Bielefeld.
It was nine games without a Plea goal, including the 3-0 cup defeat in Hannover, before the Frenchman ended his goalless streak on Saturday. The attacker scored the all-important 1-1 in Bielefeld with a stunning diving header and got on the scoresheet again for the first time since the 4-0 win over Greuther Fürth on 20 November.
A release for Plea. “It feels good. For an offensive player it’s very important for confidence,” the striker said in an interview on the club’s own “Fohlen-TV”. He had “worked hard in training”, which had paid off, Plea explained further. And he encouraged the Borussians that things could continue to look up for him personally after the clearly recognisable rise in form. “I feel physically better and better. I played through the whole game and felt good. It’s a difficult phase for me but I’m not letting up. I have the quality to do much better,” said the 28-year-old.
After Saturday’s performance, Plea will be assured of a starting place for the basement duel against Augsburg. Especially as he has also stepped up a gear in terms of commitment and worked a lot for the team in Bielefeld. Now Plea wants to take the next step together with the team – and finally get the much-needed win against Augsburg. “The goal is the three points. We know we are in a difficult situation,” said Plea. “We have to win the game, for the fans and for us.”
