Leipzig (dpa) – The wondrous transformation of André Silva from a transfer flop to the undisputed top scorer is quite a textbook example of the role of the psyche in a striker.
With a lot of noise and 23 million euros, RB Leipzig lured the Portuguese national soccer player away from Eintracht Frankfurt. They think that Timo Werner’s successor has finally been found in Silva. Wrong thought. In his first twelve league games, the 26-year-old scored two goals, one of them from the penalty spot. During this phase, Silva’s playing time dropped as rapidly as the stock market prices at the beginning of the corona pandemic.
Tranier change has an effect
The turning point for the runners-up, who were reeling through the first half of the season, came with the new coach Domenico Tedesco. Suddenly Silva played better, found his sense again – and scored. The attacker has scored seven of his ten league goals under Tedesco. Why actually? He doesn’t really know himself. “I’m still the same player that I was at the start of the season. Sometimes it’s just a matter of time before hard work translates into performance and you see results,” said Silva.
The duel with old love Frankfurt is just right for the man from a suburb of Porto. On Sunday (3.30 p.m. / DAZN) Silva also has something to make up for from the first leg. At the end of October he had only managed an inconspicuous 25 minutes and then RB also conceded the equalizer to make it 1-1 in added time. For Silva, who had his best time in two years in Frankfurt with 45 goals in 71 games, it was ultimately a terrible trip into the past.
Silva wants to show unity
Now Eintracht should feel that the old Silva still exists. “I still have a fever with Frankfurt, for example in the Europa League. But if we were fighting for the same place, I’m obviously for Leipzig,” said the attacker. Most recently, after four games without a goal in Fürth, he scored again – just in time.
Tedesco wants to keep its own shares in Silva’s increased goal quota as cheaply as possible. “I try not to always project that onto the coach or myself. André also demonstrated his qualities before my time,” said the 36-year-old. Just not in Leipzig. A system change was required, which Tedesco’s predecessor Jesse Marsch had only brought about late. On the one hand, Silva was joined by Christopher Nkunku as a second striker.
In addition, Tedesco increased the number of positions from which Silva is flanked. In Marsch it was mainly the Spaniard Angeliño, who was struggling with his own form problems at the time, on the left side, Silva is now also served from the right. Or just through the middle. “It’s important to consider where his strengths are and how he should be played,” explained Tedesco. “He has very, very many who serve him. That is the positive effect of good teammates.”
Nkunku outstanding
The best of these is undoubtedly Nkunku, which is almost impossible to hold in the summer. “One moment it looks like the defender has full control over him. And a second later he’s in a situation where he can take a penalty or a chance to score. He creates space for all the players, it helps everyone.” said Silva. On Sunday he would like to tempt his old companions to lose control himself.