PressSplit
Igor Matanovic has experienced the past few weeks as if in a frenzy. But the Eintracht Frankfurt striker obviously still has issues on his list.
Frankfurt – Igor Matanovic’s career is picking up speed bit by bit. The striker himself said in an interview with the podcast of FC Bayern Munich: “I reviewed the past week and was able to recover a little. A lot of positive things happened. I experienced highlight after highlight.” The first goal in the DFB Cup for the Hessians, the first Bundesliga minutes, the starting eleven debut for Croatia, together on the pitch with Luka Modrić and against “CR7” Cristiano Ronaldo.
Will Matanovic now make his debut in the Bundesliga?
Will he make it into Eintracht’s first team on Saturday afternoon when he makes his Bundesliga debut in Wolfsburg? It is still questionable whether Omar Marmoush will be able to play after he overstretched the lateral ligament in his knee. Matanovic was again listed as a serious alternative by coach Dino Toppmöller. What particularly sets him apart is not only his massive body but also his strong mentality.
Igor Matanovic is making good progress at Eintracht © IMAGO/Marc Schueler
Matanovic explained: “My goal is always to go full throttle and make life difficult for the central defenders and sixes.” Goals are of course also “balm for the soul”. But above all, it’s about bringing the basics onto the pitch and performing even when the ball isn’t in the net. That’s how the 21-year-old fought his way forward during his year on loan at Karlsruher SC.
Toppmöller and his assistants work meticulously with Matanovic
When Matanovic scored for the first time, goal after goal followed. He scored 14 times for the second division team and provided seven assists. The new national player is also aware of his weaknesses. Toppmöller and his coaching team also keep a close eye on him. Despite his height of 1.94 meters, Matanovic sometimes does not position himself optimally in one-on-one duels. This means he can be outwitted and not be able to hold his own.
These are exactly the topics that need to be improved in individual training sessions. Toppmöller and his assistants Xaver Zembrod, Stefan Buck and Jan Fießer then take exactly these minutes on the sidelines of the training sessions, work meticulously on the weak points and give instructions. In other words: maintain physical contact with the defender, defend yourself and don’t let yourself be pulled away or knocked over too easily.
A big step from the second to the first league
The jump from a good to very good second division striker to a decent Bundesliga attacker is big, exhausting and detailed. It’s about speed of action, clever behaviour in one-on-one duels, assertiveness and goal-scoring instinct. Matanovic has a lot of qualities to be able to assert himself in the upper echelons in the long term: enthusiasm, will and the necessary portion of humility. He is already giving those around him a lot of joy and is still gnawing at the tree. Toppmöller and his team are helping him to fall soon.
