Not only keeper Tom Kretzschmar, but also defensive talent Niklas Lang is a guarantor of the good Löwen start.
Köllner: "We'll need him for the next few weeks too."
Wiesbaden
- Tom Kretzschmar (22) was not the only Löwen youngster who stood out at 0-0 in Wiesbaden.
The other is even three years younger than the Hiller representative in the 1860 goal - and he also played for the second time in a row without blame or blame.
The serene appearance of Niklas Lang (19) made people sit up and take notice, because at the moment it is the young lions in 1860 who are pulling some ailing "ale" with them
Michael Köllner obviously enjoyed the age debate, which triggered a demand for Lang's routine appearance.
“I don't know whether a 29-year-old is always better than a 19-year-old,” said the 1860 coach and noted with a smile: “Well, I don't feel better at 51 than at 41 - and I come after games like this pretend I'm already 120. "
I've seen 29-year-olds where I thought: I hope you'll stop soon.
So I'm glad that Niki plays the way he does.
1860 coach Michael Köllner.
With his playoff in the second half of the season, Köllner looked at least that way - fittingly, it occurred to him on Saturday that Lang had also made a significant contribution to the long streak of success back then. "Niki absolutely convinced me last year - including at the game in Uerdingen (3-1 away win on April 3rd / Red.), When he and Belkahia formed the youngest central defense that has ever played for 1860." Köllner enthuses: “That was fantastic back then. So it's all the better for us that we can now rely on Niki. I'm happy for him that he played to zero for himself - as he did against Würzburg when he came in and took over for Semi. "
For Köllner, the labor game was the ultimate proof that there was no risk in entrusting Lang to represent Belkahia, an ankle patient. “We'll need him for the next few weeks,” said the coach: “He now has the chance to continue working on his game so that it gets better and better.” And again on the subject of age: “I've already seen 29-year-olds Where I was thinking: Hopefully you will stop soon. That's why I'm glad that Niki plays the way he does. "