Julian Malatini’s last Bundesliga starting eleven was 168 days ago: the current one started off scary, then the Argentine initiated Werder’s turnaround – and saved spectacularly.
Almost the equalizer 4:4: Werder defender Julian Malatini saves from Hoffenheim’s Adam Hlozek.
IMAGO/HMB Media
“Really remarkable in a negative sense,” was the verdict that Ole Werner made at least over the first twelve minutes of the game at 1899 Hoffenheim (4:3). And actually that meant the entire SV Werder Bremen team.
But because the coach was also specifically asked about Julian Malatini, Werner found it difficult to contain his impressions of the defender’s initial performance: “He didn’t exactly work well for a quarter of an hour, which wasn’t just Julian’s fault,” said Werner : “In general, we were overwhelmed in the first quarter of an hour with Hoffenheim’s speed and simply with their duels, to put it bluntly.”
Malatini’s goal brings Werder “back into the game”
Especially with the first goal, when Malatini didn’t show the most skilful positional play, and also with the third goal, when he let Marius Bülter fall too easily, the Werder professional didn’t cut a good figure until he was temporarily 3-0 behind .
However, Malatini then scored the 1-3 goal in the 21st minute, immediately following Stanley Nsoki’s red card (18th), which immediately unleashed a clearly noticeable new belief in the Bremen team. “Of course his goal was very important for us to get us back into the game,” praised Werner, who also said that the 23-year-old “played a very, very good game.”
Zetterer about Malatini: “I’m very lucky”
This probably meant two scenes in particular in which Malatini was there as a defensive helper this time: first in the 67th minute, when Bremen was the last man to cleanly clear against Valentin Gendrey, and then again in dire need after Werder- A ball slipped through goalkeeper Michael Zetterer – and Malatini spectacularly saved it from the goal line in front of Adam Hlozek (81′). “I’m very lucky that Julian stays in the situation,” Bremen’s number one told the club media: “One beer isn’t enough for me to buy him.”
Friedl returns – does Malatini still stay?
Despite the return of the suspended captain Marco Friedl to the Werder back three, Malatini can now expect to be in the starting line-up again for Saturday’s game against SC Freiburg (3:30 p.m., LIVE on kicker). By the way, his last one was a long time ago: 168 days, to be precise, on matchday 29 of the previous season in the 5-0 defeat in Leverkusen.
The fact that Coach Werner in Sinsheim opted for “more speed” compared to Amos Pieper should also be a significant criterion against Freiburg. Niklas Stark also threatens to miss the weekend due to muscular problems in his thigh.
