“I can’t explain it any other way” Burkardt bemused by Frankfurt’s second-half drop-off
“I can’t explain it any other way” Burkardt bemused by Frankfurt’s second-half drop-off Frankfurt appeared to be in full control early on during their 2-1 victory in Wolfsburg, racing into a two-goal lead before the break through Oscar Højlund and Arnaud Kalimuendo. But what looked like a comfortable afternoon quickly turned uneasy, as Die Adler retreated after half-time and allowed their relegation-threatened hosts back into the contest. Burkardt pointed to the opening 45 minutes as the foundation for victory.
“With a very good first half,” the 25-year-old told Sky after the final whistle, adding that SGE had “dominated” proceedings. He did, however, acknowledge a slice of fortune, referencing Patrick Wimmer’s early chances: Frankfurt had “a bit of luck,” as those were “two huge opportunities. ” Ultimately, he felt his side had simply “seized the victory.
” The contrast between the two halves was not lost on the striker. “We weren’t active anymore, we weren’t pushing forward as much, especially in the back line – and we didn’t dare to play as much anymore,” Burkardt admitted. Trying to pinpoint the reason behind the drop-off, he suggested recent struggles may have played a part.
“Perhaps because of the last few weeks? ” he said. “We knew that we’d repeatedly had problems after taking the lead.
I can’t explain it any other way. We became completely passive, almost exclusively defending – and that’s not the style of play we want to cultivate. The first half was the complete opposite; we played beautifully going forward and were incredibly active.