Luck. Union striker Taiwo Awoniyi (24) has not been followed for weeks.
On Saturday in Wolfsburg (0:1), the striker scored an own goal, and his assist when Sheraldo Becker (27) supposedly scored the equalizer was whistled off. Things are not going well for the Nigeria international, who has scored nine times in the first half of the season. This year his joker goal against Mainz (3:1) is on the credit side.
Why is Awoniyi in crisis?
► Does he miss his former storm partner Max Kruse (33)? That doesn’t have to be the main reason. Can but.
The fact is: Kruse only prepared the first four of Awoniyi’s ten goals. But Kruse knew how to stage Awoniyi. And preferably with passes into the interface.
Union legend Torsten Mattuschka (41): “Max couldn’t just play the passes. Max also tied the opponents to himself, which gave Taiwo and the others more space.”
► Physically, Awoniyi already looked tired and overplayed at the end of 2021 after the triple burden of league, cup and Europe. The Africa Cup in Cameroon followed in January. Awoniyi was only able to breathe deeply for a week in December.
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► Union’s record purchase (6.5 million euros from Liverpool) really took off at the beginning of the season. If he was perhaps still underestimated at the time, the opponents have now adapted to him. Once Awoniyi gets going, it’s almost impossible to stop him. Slavia Prague successfully stopped him in both Conference League games (1:3/1:1): they kept Awoniyi far from the goal and doubled him at times.
How does Awoniyi get back on track?
Cruse is gone. Mattuschka: “You don’t have the same type of player yet. But Öztunali, Haraguchi or Michel can develop there. Add to that Voglsammer or Becker with his mega-tempo on the outside – Union has to get the ball back into the last third.”
And then serve Awoniyi.