Laura Freigang: The Eintracht Frankfurt star’s power shift to the No.10 role | OneFootball

Laura Freigang is the central point of Eintracht Frankfurt’s plans. The squad is largely built around the midfielder, and all creativity and ideas come from her.

In many ways, there isn’t one without the other. Frankfurt is Freigang, and Freigang is Frankfurt. As the midfielder continues her seventh season at the club, this clearly is a pairing that is coming up roses.

For many parts of last season, Laura Freigang was Eintracht Frankfurt’s No.9. It worked for the most part — having a 4-3-3 formation with Freigang leading the line. But it is decidedly not her best position. Naturally a 10, Freigang shines in midfield. When she has been able to play there, Frankfurt have looked at their best.

Laura Freigang shift to the 10

With a shift in formation towards the latter side of the season — to a 4-3-1-2 — Freigang was back to the 10. This gave her the freedom to perform at her best. It is that exact part of the team’s game that I want to investigate. These are the benefits Eintracht Frankfurt gain by allowing Freigang to be their No.10.

Freigang is her best when she is given space to drift from midfield to the front line. She, in many ways, has an astute understanding of the team’s needs of when to drive forward, and when to allow the front two to operate as a two instead.  While she can play as an out-and-out nine, it is not where Freigang looks and operates her best. The drifting of the 10 in a diamond means she can make those decisions for herself, and choose her moments precisely.

In the DFB Pokal semi-final, Freigang’s drifting abilities frustrated Bayern München as it disrupted their usual overpowering midfield. Coming up against a formation that differs from your own does disturb the rhythm and flow of the game. As a result, they lost the Frankfurt 10 in the movement she brings.

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Shortly after the half-time break in the semi-final, Eintracht Frankfurt were on the break. A superb pass into the box from Verena Hanshaw allowed Freigang to drift towards the near post. While Maria Grohs got to the ball first, Freigang was just inches away from a header home. Freigang’s drifting means she can get past Magdelena Erikkson from behind quite easily. It’s ultimately harder to man-mark a person who excels in space and timing. Freigang is smart and timely in when and where she makes her runs. Her almost erratic runs and movement directly add to her drifting style. They make her increasingly difficult to contain and mark across the field.

Freigang in the 10 helps tame the Wolves

Space provides more than its fair share of opportunities for the German. In the 3-0 win against Wolfsburg, it is the space that allowed for the second goal from Nicole Anyomi. While the ball did ricochet off Géralidine Reuteler, Freigang was in plenty of space to receive the accidental ball. The quick reaction saw her collect the ball and pass off to Anyomi, who likewise, was in good space.

But the drifting came from Freigang pulling almost towards the near post as she excelled into the box. Pulling away from the defender with ease, she created the space for herself to receive the ball for the assist. Coming just after the beginning of the second half, Freigang’s assist to the forward set the tone. The tally sealed the deal on a fantastic win over the She-Wolves.

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But the true demonstrations of Freigang’s abilities come just in time to send Frankfurt to the top of the table. Despite causing a nuisance for the opening 30 minutes, Freigang’s goal in the 34th minute showed the true power of the drifting and how to act upon it. Freigang’s drifting works perfectly in conjunction with the rest of the Frankfurt forwards, for there is an unbelievable amount of freedom for her to act on. With Anyomi further in the midfield to help build against a stubborn Sport-Club Freiburg side, Freigang and Reuteler created the front two, with Freigang taking the German winger’s position. Drifting out wide, Freigang used the space around her to collect the ball from Reuteler and push into a 1v1 with the defender. Deciding against trying to take it around the defender and the goalkeeper, Freigang lofted it into the far side.

The drifting comes in because she pulled away from the defender towards the left of the box, instead of her usual centre positioning. By drifting out slightly, she created enough for herself to set up the shot, before letting it rip from the edge of the box. The hefted shot came from pulling away from the defender at the first opportunity, and using the space around her to her best ability. The curl and top bins finish was just an added bonus.

Laura Freigang primed to step into a larger role

With the recent retirement of Alex Popp from the German Women’s National Team, and Frankfurt’s constant fight at the top of the Frauen-Bundesliga, Laura Freigang’s talents have never been more valuable. The attacking midfielder’s drifting abilities could be the difference maker for club and country, for now and the future.

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