Quick Hit: Appreciating Filip Kostic
There are obviously a lot of excellent players in the Bundesliga, but one of the league's most unsung heroes is Eintracht Frankfurt forward Filip Kostic. Kostic, a 27-year-old Serbia international, plays with pace, technical prowess, and a flair that makes him one of the league's most exciting players.
To think, just a year ago, Kostic was largely over-shadowed by Die Adler's "Big Three" of Luka Jovic (Real Madrid), Ante Rebic (AC Milan), and Sebastien Haller (West Ham United). When those talents exited from Frankfurt it was expected that there would be a big drop-off in the team's performance. While the squad's record is not overly sparkling (eight wins, 12 losses, four ties), it is a testament to the resiliency and fight within that roster to be able to sustain a competitive style without those departed offensive juggernauts in the lineup.
Thanks to Kostic, Eintracht Frankfurt has not relented and has been trending upward prior to the COVID-19 hiatus. In 40 games across all competitions, Kostic has 12 goals and 15 assists and has been the engine that has powered Adi Hutter's squad.
As Bundesliga.com noted about Kostic:
Behind Rebic, Jovic and Haller, Kostic was the unsung hero of Frankfurt's brush with UEFA Europa League glory in 2018/19. The Serbia international contributed 10 goals and 13 assists in all competitions as the Eagles reached the last four of the tournament, and finished seventh in the Bundesliga, only missing out of the top four by four points.
The aforementioned goalbrokers fled the nest in summer 2019, but keeping Kostic and tying him down to a permanent deal was arguably Frankfurt's best bit of business. The 6'0" left-sided specialist - who can operate as a winger and wing-back - has already set a new single-season personal best with 12 goals and 15 assists across his first 40 first-team outings in 2019/20. No player outside of the top three - Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund or RB Leipzig - has produced more Bundesliga assists (nine). He also ranks in the top 10 for challenges won (284), while his 140 crosses from open play is a league best by a country mile, in fact approaching double that of Freiburg left-back Christian Günter (84).
Currently sitting in 12th place of the league table, Eintracht Frankfurt is just nine points away from the league's sixth-place position, which would make Die Adler eligible for Europa League qualifiers. Clearly --- if the season ever resumes --- Kostic and his squad will have an opportunity to even progress higher up the table.
That might not seem like such an overall great position, but considering how much firepower the club lost in the transfer market last summer, it is actually a great indication of how Kostic and his teammates have taken on the challenge of replacing those players.
