Terzic lauds Meyer's short-passing game: "He tires the opponent out."
Alexander Meyer will once again start between the sticks for Borussia Dortmund this weekend as the team travels to Köln for a tough test.
BVB trainer Edin Terzic sought to give his backup keeper full backing at a Thursday presser.
BVB trainer Edin Terzic sought to give his backup keeper full backing at a Thursday presser.
| Photo: Borussia Dortmund |
Results for the back-ups net-minder have been about as mixed as they could be. Meyer has collected two clean sheets (in the Bundesliga against Schalke and in the UCL against Copenhagen), yet did commit some errors in Dortmund's embarrassing league loss against Leipzig and the late UCL defeat against Man City.
On the whole, however, the former SV Jahn Regensburg backstop hasn't done anything egregiously wrong. Meyer's errors weren't responsible for the goals in the Leipzig match and he bailed his team out on several occasions when facing the EPL outfit. For BVB head-coach, the manner in which Meyer handles play out of the back remains particularly impressive.
"When you see the calmness he radiates when he is called upon with rushes, and the manner in which he finds our central defenders and fullbacks with one touch, that really influences the game," Terzic noted with specific words for Meyer's specific skills, "These passes force the opponent to sprint and ultimately tire out. That makes things easier for us. Alex has been really good in that regard."
A stern test awaits at Köln's RheinEnergieStadion on Saturday. Geißböcke enthusiasts, as always, will pack the house. A sold-out crowd of 50,000 will surely do everything to depress the play of returners Salih Özcan and Anthony Modeste - both of whom should be in the BVB starting XI - every time the former Köln players touch the ball.
It will prove essential for Terzic's lads to take control of the game early. Steffen Baumgart's cathedral city side will get their chances. Meyer must not only keep the high-pressing Effzeh at bay, but also successfully spark counters with quick one-touch play out of the back. Verticals, horizontals, and diagonals out to BVB actors before the Domstädter press can snatch the ball up.
"We were naturally very disappointed when Greg [Kobel] was ruled out," Terzic mused, "I can nevertheless say that, at that moment, I was very happy for Alex. He did very well in training camp and made a good impression."
