Eintracht Frankfurt is one of the finalists for the 2021-22 UEFA Europa League, a feat that would not have been possible without the contribution of Philippe Kostik. The Serbian winger has become one of the best strikers in the Bundesliga this season and was crucial to the Germans’ victory against Barcelona in the quarter-finals.
After 42 years without reaching a European final, the German team, which had already won the title (then called the European Cup) in 1979-80, is now trying to secure its second achievement in the competition. The track of Eintracht Frankfurt is actually great and reveals a great solidity: in 12 matches, they have not lost anything, adding seven wins and five draws.
There were many assets in Eintracht that led the team to the top, but among them was the 29-year-old Serbian winger, who has been instrumental in the team’s offensive maneuvering since 2019, the last time the club reached the semi-finals of the European League (lost On penalties against Chelsea).
???? The highlight of Frankfurt, Philippe Kostik is one of those players with so little media and so much football!pic.twitter.com/E9qj9Z0yEn
– Photopopper???? (FutbooBR) May 17 2022
At that time, Philip Kostik contributed 10 goals and 12 assists to Eintracht’s performance on several fronts, having improved the numbers in the following season, setting a personal record, scoring 12 goals and 17 assists in 51 matches. In the current campaign, the Serbia international has scored a total of seven goals and 12 assists in all competitions.
a constant source of danger
Moreover, Kostik is the leader in assists in the current version of the European League, having scored his fifth goal and scored two goals against Barcelona in the quarter-finals. In the Bundesliga, the 29-year-old has an average of 6.96 crosses per game, which puts him at the top of this indicator in the Bundesliga.
When not feeding his teammates from the wings, the Serbian ace attacks the opponent’s last line of defense with his dribbling skills, a parameter in which he also stands out in the European League.
Although Kosteki admitted his performance in the victory over Barcelona was the best of his career, it wasn’t always easy for the winger to assert himself in Germany. Kostik had lost unsuccessful periods in Stuttgart and Hamburg, even relegated in that period, but he starred before that in the Netherlands, with Groningen, scoring 11 goals in 48 matches.
The journey, however, began in Serbia Radnicki Kragujevac, Childhood Club Philip. His rise has taken on new contours with the contribution of Freddy Bobic, the sporting director he initially appointed for Stuttgart, in 2014, who, four years later, recruited him again to represent him. Eintracht Frankfurt, a two-year loan with purchase option.
On the orders of Adi Hütter, the coach who welcomed him to Frankfurt, Kosteki added a bit more rigor without the ball to his attacking qualities, opening the door for him to start Austria’s preferred system, 3×5×2. The Serbian began covering the entire left wing, giving him space Enough to use his speed and prove his quality with the ball.
???? Barcelona ?? Eintracht Frankfurt????
Barcelona kicked out of the Europa League after a fantastic display by Philippe Kostik Who was among the 3 German goals??#UEL #BarcaEintracht # Retaj pic.twitter.com/0WvLnAYaTd
– GoalPoint.pt (_Goalpoint) April 14, 2022
With a change of management at Eintracht, now led by Oliver Glasner, the Serb has kept the spotlight. Athletic and lethal left-footed, Kostik has shown a great ability to marry both offensive and defensive roles and last summer he was taken for granted at Lazio, but the show failed to impress the Eintracht captains.
However, it is likely that interest in Philip Kostik has surged in recent months. And for Eintracht, the next transfer period will be one of the last chances to get a big deal, as the player’s contract expires in 2023. What happens next night, in Seville, against Rangers, could send the value of offers.
Edit the text by Nono Souza