Hjulmand on Grimaldo’s role: “I realized how much he can contribute to our midfield play”

The B04 head coach was full of praise for his Spanish left-sided playmaker.

In an in-house interview with Kasper Hjulmand, the Dane highlighted the importance of Alejandro Grimaldo and his special tactical role in Bayer Leverkusen’s game. 

“I saw his games on the left wing, where he and Florian Wirtz played together. They rotated positions constantly. I saw how comfortable Grimaldo felt in the center.

“Then we played a few games, and I realized how much he can contribute to our midfield play,” Hjulmand told the Leverkusen cameras.

“It’s so difficult to find players who can cut inside from the wing or move from defense into midfield instead of always playing in their natural position.

“When you switch positions, for example, when a midfielder moves wide and a full-back moves inside, it’s difficult for the opponent to immediately recognize it.

“When Grimaldo plays with Ernest Poku, for instance—who is a winger—it creates space for Grimaldo in the center, and then he performs fantastically. Like a free number 10.

“I like players who can break up a team’s usual playing patterns because I think football is sometimes too focused on linear movements and is increasingly evolving towards dynamism,” said Hjulmand.