A WONDERFUL WELCOME
Twelve years had passed since the last visit to the Allsvenskan for Gais. You could tell.
Gais stepped out for the match pumped up with adrenaline and thundered forward immediately. But when the first onslaught had subsided after a few minutes, BP displayed an Allsvenskan routine that was immediately painfully felt by the home team.
Gais will learn from the pace, aggressiveness and more. But it must happen quickly if this season is not to grow into a painful experience at an unpleasant speed.
MELLBERG’S MATCH PLAN PERFECT – BP CONVINCES
With several heavy player losses in the back, it was an uncertain BP that visited Gamla Ullevi in the Allsvenskan premiere. But with a more or less perfect match plan, Olof Mellberg’s men managed to defend themselves more than well – and at the same time to change the game as soon as the opportunities arose.
At the same time, BP was not a coward to try to establish play in the offensive half of the pitch, where captain Ludvig Fritzson was usually a big key.
Is BP underrated? Or was the meeting with Gais not a sufficient measure of value? The jury can continue to evaluate, but much points to the former.
THE EVENT OF THE MATCH
Gais went early on a heavy 0-1 goal that took time to recover from. In the end Grönsvart gained steam and had several bids for an equaliser. Then, with just seconds left until the break, Gais let go of his concentration for half a second and went sloppy at 0-2.
A leaden goal that took the edge off the home team’s weathering, belief and forward spirit.
When every point can turn out to matter in the end, that kind of goal is something Gais needs to get rid of – and immediately. Grönsvart cannot afford to give away a millimeter this season.
THE QUESTION MARK
Once Gais made it to the final third, it looked promising and resourceful many times. Otherwise, the green-black effort left much to be desired.
Gais was neither able nor allowed to control the game centrally in the lane as you basically want. Defensively, the surfaces became too large at the same time and BP could quickly get to advantageous surfaces via a couple of simple passes.
At the same time, Gai’s style of play places sky-high demands on both individual and collective defensive play. There, Grönsvart did not manage to rise to a sufficient level. That against a supposed bottom competitor in the Allsvenskan. What happens when the resistance quality increases even more?
There, coach Fredrik Holmberg has a lot to think about and work on.
PLAYER OF THE MATCH
3: Adam Jakobsen. Best on the field. Rib hit, beautiful volley to 1-0 and an otherwise safe and quirky game. Jakobsen impressed enormously.
2: Ludvig Fritzson. The BP captain quietly controlled large parts of the game in the match. Smart run and beautiful finish to 2-0.
1: Gustav Lundgren. Best in Gais. With his enormous understanding of the game, Lundgren was a great asset in the super league last year. He showed that class not least before the break in his first Allsvenskan match.
