German-Ghanaian winger Ansgar Knauff again found himself starting as Eintracht Frankfurt’s central attacking option in the Bundesliga match against Wolfsburg.
For the second time in a few days, coach Dino Toppmoller opted against a classic number nine, instead trusting Knauff’s pace and pressing intelligence to disrupt the opposition’s build-up.​
Toppmöller explained that Knauff was chosen as a solution to Wolfsburg’s high pressing, highlighting his speed and his ability to repeatedly press from centre-back to goalkeeper. In terms of goal threat, the 23-year-old’s display was modest, though there was a controversial moment around the 55th minute when he appeared to be prevented from shooting in a promising position.​
The coach admitted Knauff probably feels more at home on the wing but still praised his “decent performance”, movement and work rate in the zones Frankfurt wanted him to occupy. With Burkardt out and alternatives like Michy Batshuayi and Elye Wahi struggling to fully convince, Frankfurt have already used similar “speed solutions”, pairing Knauff with Jean-Matteo Bahoya even in the Champions League.
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