“Expecting a lot of chances” | OneFootball

Real defender Jesús Vallejo is looking forward to Wednesday’s reunion with Eintracht. Ahead of the game, the 25-year-old talks about his ties to Frankfurt and his admiration for his former club’s tactics.

Real defender Jesús Vallejo is looking forward to Wednesday’s reunion with Eintracht. Ahead of the game, the 25-year-old talks about his ties to Frankfurt and his admiration for his former club’s tactics.

Jesús Vallejo knows Real Madrid inside and out. Since joining Los Blancos from Real Zaragoza in 2015, the centre-back has managed to collect seven titles – including the 2018/19 UEFA Super Cup – despite leaving the club on loan on several occasions. Vallejo clocked up 27 appearances for Eintracht Frankfurt during the 2016/17 campaign, making his final outing for the Eagles in the DFB Cup final against Borussia Dortmund. On Wednesday, Vallejo’s Real face Eintracht in the latest edition of the UEFA Super Cup and ahead of the game, we sat down for a chat with the 25-year-old.

Jesús, thanks for taking the time to chat to us. What are you expecting from the Super Cup on Wednesday?“I’m expecting a very enjoyable final with two teams that play really good football. We’ve gained a lot of momentum after a very good pre-season. Eintracht also have a great team who did very well last season, especially in the Europa League. I’m expecting a lot of chances and an exciting game for the fans.”

What connections do you still have to Eintracht? “I still have a lot of friends in Frankfurt – people who work at the club and David Abraham, who I’m still in touch with following his retirement. I haven’t been in Frankfurt since I left, but I still have ties to the city and the club.”

You know your team better than we do – how do you rate Frankfurt’s chances? “As I said, we came out of last season with a lot of momentum and were able to strengthen our squad, targeting what we needed. Our coach Carlo Ancelotti wants to build on those foundations. I think it’s a similar case for [Eintracht]. Frankfurt have also been able to sign new players who can be fitted into an existing structure. That consistency has helped both teams reach the Super Cup.”

Is there a current Eagles player whose style of play you’re particularly fond of? “A lot has changed since I was there. Only two players are still with the team – Makoto Hasebe and Timmy Chandler. That said, the system is still similar with three central defenders, which sometimes turns into a back five. Every day in training we’re working on how to crack the system – both defensively and in attack. It’s an interesting tactic – it allows you to set up defensively but can also become very attacking when you have the ball.”