Bayer Leverkusen wonderkid Florian Wirtz scored on his return from a serious injury this weekend. In order to score, Wirtz had to touch the ball nine times. If you count the toe-poked volley to teammate Exequiel Palacios as part of the buildup, it would be ten. The ball never moved more than a meter from his boot until the final stroke, yet those nine touches demonstrated why he is so unique. Minutes before, when his prior dribble had served as the impetus for Moussa Diaby’s equalizer, the ball had been swiftly moved from one foot to the other. Only the top players are able to glide without pausing in their stride, and this player exudes tranquility in his play. The fact that it did not win made Wirtz feel nasty. The first leg of this Europa League match ended with Monaco winning 3-2 thanks to two late goals.
The great hope for German football is 19-year-old wonderkid Florian Wirtz of Bayer Leverkusen. The huge grin on the face of national team coach Hansi Flick, who is jubilantly celebrating with Rudi Voller in the grandstand, shows how widely felt the euphoria about his return to fitness is outside the confines of his own club. He was sorely missed at the World Cup, and many anticipate that he will be the face of Euro 2024. But even for someone who was quick enough to make his Bundesliga debut weeks after turning 17, an anterior cruciate ligament injury is the kind of setback that ends careers.
He swiftly adapted, scoring in his fourth match against Bayern Munich and earning his international debut the following year. The entire universe was his. Ten months away was thus a test, both physically and emotionally. How would he respond to that challenge? As a result, he returned to the team without skipping a beat. On his first start against Bochum last month, he had an assist, and he had another in a man-of-the-match performance against Hoffenheim in his first full 90 minutes this weekend. He is not only back, but he is back to his best. The ability to escape away from players is present. His low center of gravity allows him to easily avoid markers.
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