Hansi Flick lauds Leon Goretzka for his substitute appearance against Eintracht Frankfurt

One of the few positives from Bayern Munich’s 1-2 loss to Eintracht Frankfurt was midfielder Leon Goretzka’s comeback. After having recovered from Covid-19 infection, the Bochum native started the game on the bench and came on for Marc Roca at the half-time break. Although the Frankfurters managed to escape with three points, Goretzka’s substitution instantly injected vitality and aggression to a relatively weak Die Roten midfield in the second-half.

“We currently have many injured players or those who are out with Corona. Leon Goretzka’s comeback was good for us because he was extremely aggressive and won the ball a lot,” Flick said after the match (as captured by AZ), before showering more praise on the 26-year old. “Leon was someone who took the team along with him and radiated positive energy, which he transferred to the team. That’s why it was very important that he was available to us again.”

Goretzka himself was satisfied to have made a positive return from illness, taking to Instagram to express delight over his performance and congratulate the Eagles.

“I’m lucky that it (Coronavirus infection) was mild for me. I feel fit again,” he told ZDF.

The Germany International further reflected on his team’s performance, pointing out that the damage incurred in the opening-half of the game proved to be irreparable.

Photo by Arne Dedert/picture alliance via Getty Images

“We went missing in the first half. If we’d given the performance in the second half from the beginning, we would have definitely won the game,” he remarked.

It was the Bavarians’ 12th league game where they fell behind to the opposition. This time, however, they failed to outscore a gritty Frankfurt side despite putting in a much-improved performance in the second-half.

“It was a top game today. Being present in the game is usually FC Bayern’s greatest quality. Today it wasn’t the case,” Goretzka lamented.

Nevertheless, the central-midfielder assured that his side will be back to winning points. “We will look to provide the answers on the pitch in the coming games. We’ve dropped five points in the last two games. Now it’s tense again. We’ll make sure we step on the gas again and pick up points,” Goretzka declared, before offering another point of optimism for his fans - “In the next few weeks, some players will be back, so we’re not worried.”