Janis Blaswich focused on top-four finish after magnificent display in Bayer Leverkusen's victory at Cologne
Patrik Schick’s two goals either side of half-time may have earned Bayer Leverkusen all three points in Saturday’s Rhine Derby against Cologne, but goalkeeper Janis Blaswich played just as big a role in Die Werkself’s crucial 2-1 victory.
On his first Leverkusen appearance in over a month, 34-year-old goalkeeper Blaswich pulled off no fewer than eight saves at the RheinEnergieStadion to keep the Billy Goats at bay and preserve his side’s hopes of securing UEFA Champions League football next season.
Saïd El Mala and Jakub Kamiński will have been particularly relieved to see the back of the veteran stopper, who denied the teenager twice in the first half before thwarting the Pole with a superb save six minutes after the restart.
Watch: Cologne 1-2 Bayer Leverkusen - highlights
Luca Waldschmidt finally got the better of the Leverkusen custodian with 13 minutes remaining, but it was not enough to deny Blaswich and his colleagues a memorable victory over their North Rhine-Westphalia neighbours.
“I know what questions are coming,” Blaswich, who was restored to the Leverkusen starting line-up following a calf injury to Mark Flekken, told reporters as he made his way through the Mixed Zone after full time. Sure enough, the former Borussia Mönchengladbach and RB Leipzig keeper was promptly asked whether he felt he had staked a claim for the number-one jersey at the BayArena.
Blaswich, though, was not in the least bit interested in talking about competing with Flekken - or anyone else - for a first-team spot, preferring instead to talk about sixth-placed Leverkusen’s ongoing hunt for a top-four finish.
“We have goals to achieve as a team,” he replied. “That’s a fact. It’s much more important to get the three points.”
This was not the first time Blaswich has had to fend off questions about the number-one goalkeeping position at Leverkusen. The Gladbach academy graduate deputised admirably for Flekken after the Dutchman suffered knee ligament damage early this year, making 17 appearances in all competitions between January and March.
His most recent outing before Saturday was against Arsenal in the last 16, second leg of the Champions League. The Gunners triumphed 2-0 that night but would have won by a much more handsome margin had it not been for Blaswich, who produced 10 saves in a sensational display at Emirates Stadium.
Those lightning reflexes were on full display again on Saturday afternoon, but arguably Blaswich’s most important contribution - according to Leverkusen sporting director Simon Rolfes at least - came in only the third minute of the the Matchday 31 derby.
When Jarell Quansah’s misplaced back-pass was intercepted by El Mala, less experienced goalkeepers may have opted to bring the Billy Goats teenager to ground - and run the risk of a straight red card.
Not Blaswich, though, who let El Mala skip past him before watching Cologne’s No.13 slide his effort off target.
“Even if we’d gone 1-0 down, we’d still have had 11 men on the pitch,” Rolfes explained. “That was a key moment, because [as a goalkeeper] you tend to want to salvage something you might not be able to salvage anymore.
“Apart from the fact that he made some good saves, the most important thing for me was that he kept a cool head in that moment. It was a top performance.”
Leverkusen head coach Kasper Hjulmand was just as fulsome in his praise of Blaswich - although he offered no clues as to whether he intends to keep faith with him for next weekend’s crucial clash at home to top-four rivals Leipzig.
“Hats off to Janis - it was another fine performance from him,” said the Dane, who will find out next week whether Flekken is available for the clash with Ole Werner’s in-form troops.
“We’re very, very pleased with our goalkeepers. We’ll see what happens next week.”
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