FC Schalke vs Bayer Leverkusen player ratings: Frustrated

I don’t often use the phrase “clever defending” but we saw some of that here. Sometimes too clever, as he got sucked out of his position a bit too often. He’s a midfielder, and that mentality dominates his decision making. Which put himself in some unnecessarily difficult positions. he wasn’t a liability, but he’s just so much more useful in the midfield.

Incredibly reliable yet again. The announcers called it right when they referred to him as “savvy.” He knows how to mix strength and intelligence to masterful effect. This was not an easy match to defend with how open everything was, but Kabak managed nearly every moment of it just as well as you’d want him to. His ability to make sliding tackles racing back on defense is just stunning.