Eli started a friendly against RB Leipzig yesterday, at the training centre in Leipzig, which RB won 2-1.
Good experience nonetheless to come up against players of that quality, and that's not a bad result for a smaller Superliga side against one of the form Bundesliga sides. Not much in the way of details on the game though, unsurprisingly, but Leipzig did run a reasonable starting 11 sans any WC participants; of their outfield lineup, only two haven't had heavy first-team involvement.
Horsens were playing some friendlies in Southern Turkey (Belek) as they warmed up for the restart of Danish Superliga season. Looks like they left just in time, playing Zorya (0-0) from the Ukraine there 1st of Feb!
Eli Just didn't start that game, but he did an earlier warmup in Turkey against Partizan Belgrade (1-0 win)
Horsens restart the Superliga season travelling to Bell's Brondby 20th Feb.
A Kiwi Danish derby to restart the Superliga season Brondby a crushing 5-2 win. They jump over Horsens on the table. Both Kiwis start. Just off at 60 mins (3-2) and Bell off at 62 mins (3-2) The only direct scoring involvement by either seems to have been a Bell Oggie!
Anyway good to see both Kiwis starting for their clubs as the season recommences. Think Horsens (now 10th/.3rd last) are most in danger of being relegated. Hopefully for Just they can stay up.
Full game in a 2-2 draw. Encouraging that Just is now starting regularly as season draws to an end.
Horsens (with 2 pens in this one) 6 points above drop zone with 5 games left.
Jeg kunne i øvrigt konstatere, at den gamle FCHer Elijah Just var Horsens' bedste mand. Jeg synes med fordel Superligaklubberne kunne kigge mod 1. Div. efter forstærkninger ind imellem. Ikke altid grund til at købe dyrt fra bundklubber og nedrykkere.
Roughly translates to 'Elijah Just, formerly of FC Helsingør, was Horsens best on show' and that there is gold to be found in the lower tiers of Danish football.
He also won a penalty for his sides first goal this morning too. So an encouraging performance that will hopefully see his run in the starting XI continue.
Just starts in a big game for Horsens. AaB who will be relegated if they remain 11th, have made it through to the Danish Cup final against Stamenic's FCK on 19th May at the Parken.
Edit - Horsens trail 1-0 at HT. Edit 2 - Full game Just, but Horsens get a 4-0 hiding. They are in relegation trouble now, only 1 pt above AaB who look in form.
Just starts in a big game for Horsens. AaB who will be relegated if they remain 11th, have made it through to the Danish Cup final against Stamenic's FCK on 19th May at the Parken.
Edit - Horsens trail 1-0 at HT. Edit 2 - Full game Just, but Horsens get a 4-0 hiding. They are in relegation trouble now, only 1 pt above AaB who look in form.
Aalborg's form is a bit worrying for Horsens, they were eight points adrift at the split but they've taken eleven points from the six games since; six of those have been in their two 4-0 wins against Horsens. Horsens have only taken four; only Silkeborg, who were only one point off the promotion group, finished third last season and were in Europe this season have picked up less. Even Lyngby, who beat Midtjylland today, are only three points behind Horsens with a superior goal difference (-15 to -21, Aalborg's is much superior at -7 as well)
AaB were a lot better than Horsens in this game, the crowd was pretty loud on a sunny Sunday morning (11am kick off) in Aalborg and that would have helped a bit. The fans might have been a bit over the top even, the Horsens keeper Matej Delac complained after the game that he had things thrown at him in both halves.
The score could've even been worse to be fair, a few big chances were spurned, whereas Horsens barely threatened (five shots, one on target, 0.22 xG, 0.03 xGOT). AaB had 21 shots. Horsens started a midfielder called Gemmer, which is the Danish word for 'hide', which felt appropriate for the performance; they didn't show up.
Just had one shot from a fairly promising position in the 53rd or so, but it was blocked by a slide tackling defender. It wasn't his best game, especially the first half, at half time he had only touched the ball eight times and made only three of seven passes. He was popping up on both sides off the pitch, yet still hardly got a touch, and when he did he wasn't really making it count. Second half he was a bit more involved but AaB probably didn't have the same impetus once they went up 2-0.
Doesn't get easier for Horsens, they travel to Midtjylland next, though AaB still have to play the same four teams as they do, so home/away is the only difference in their run-in to the end.
Also, in Danish the definite article -en (or -et) goes to the end of the word, so Parken directly translates to 'the park', so you don't need to add 'the' in front. 'A park' is en park, 'the park' is parken.Same with en Superliga and Superligaen (a/the Superliga). Bit similar to the old 'in the La Liga' in Spanish.
Horsens (11th /2nd last, 27 pts & -23 GD) badly needing a win, host Silkeborg (9th).
Realistically the only team Horsens can overtake with 3 games left to avoid the drop is AaB (10th, 27 pts & -7 GD). Both teams level on points but AaB far more in form, and they contested the Danish Cup final this morning against FCK. Horsens need a win to put some pressure on.
AaB (3rd last, 27 pts, -9 GD) lost 0-2 to Midtjylland. Perhaps a bit flat after their Danish Cup final loss to FCK midweek. Anyway excellent news for Horsens & Just.
Horsens (2nd last, 27 pts, -24 GD) travel to OB this Friday. Win or draw and they go ahead of AaB on the table, putting the pressure back on AaB who play the day after. 2 rounds left, with bottom 2 relegated.
Last placed Lyngby (24 pts, -20 GD), host AaB this weekend and travel to Horsens the weekend after.
Horsens (2nd last, 27 pts, -24 GD) travel to OB this Friday. Win or draw and they go ahead of AaB (3rd last, 27 pts, -9 GD), putting the pressure back on AaB who play Saturday night.
Horsens (27 pts, 1 game left) now need to win their final game at home, and hope at most AaB get a point (so max one draw) out of their final 2 games. AaB (27 pts, 2 games left) win tomorrow and Horsens are realistically relegated, the GD distance between the 2 teams being too large.
AaB are playing at desperate last placed Lyngby (24 pts) tomorrow, so won't be easy for AaB.