After the 1:1 against 1. FC Köln zwei, Backhaus praised the defensive protection, was annoyed about the chance utilization and missed his three center forwards.
Alemannia Aachen has not lost in the Regionalliga West for five games. However, they have only managed one win. Clearly too little for the Alemannen, who could not reward themselves against the 1. FC Cologne II (1:1) – and that, despite a superior number from the 17th minute.
“We get the first goal with the first chance, but recover from it and immediately equalize with a rehearsed standard. Then we have the game under control, the opponent is decimated,” coach Heiner Backhaus actually looked back positively on the opening phase to Sporttotal after the game, even if he emphasized, “The goal against was completely preventable.” The coach would have liked his players to have stopped the counterattack earlier with more duel toughness or a tactical foul.
Cologne’s fast offense “must first be controlled for 90 minutes”.
After Elias Bakatukanda was sent off, however, the home side struggled to create big chances from their numerical superiority. “Of course, it’s also difficult when the Cologne team doesn’t even play in the center anymore, but plays long forwards after winning the ball every time. If you look at the speed players, you can’t say: ‘I’ll just change the position and throw everything forward’. You have to do that with the necessary respect for Cologne’s switching game,” Backhaus said, explaining the tactical orientation in overtime. “You have to control a team like that with players like Justin Diehl up front in depth for 90 minutes. There it is also not at all about whether there are eleven or ten players.”
Backhaus misses Peters, Brasnic and Marquet
Offensively, however, little succeeded. Anton Heinz then put a penalty only at the post and failed with a well-taken free kick to Jonas Nickisch. “There were at least 15 crosses in the second half. If you don’t have your three top players with you then, the box possession is not like when they are on the pitch,” said Backhaus, explaining the lack of danger from the game with the absence of his three top players Cas Peters (muscular problems), Marc Brasnic (back problems) and Sascha Marquet (Achilles tendon problems). The conclusion of the 41-year-old was nevertheless clear: “If you want to be up there, you have to win the game, period.”
As early as Friday (7:30 p.m.), Aachen travels to leaders Fortuna Köln – the gap is still nine points. “I’ve proclaimed it a bit of a week of truth. With a win, we could have reduced the gap, then it would have been possible to talk about our goals again. But if you don’t win a game like that, then I’m miles away,” Backhaus clarified.
The coach hadert: “The chances must be enough”.
The victory would actually have been mandatory. The chances must be enough. “We missed another penalty, a free kick was taken from the angle. Last week it was similar. You just have to force the goal with everything you have,” the coach demands. “We didn’t manage to do that, so we’re going to Cologne with a lot of respect, but we also know that that’s when we often play our best games against opponents like that.