A Slovenian publication has addressed Daniel Farke’s continued omission from the Leeds United team directly after their latest World Cup qualifier.
Jaka Bijol has been forced to wait to make his Premier League debut for Leeds, having completed a high-profile transfer from Udinese in the summer.
The Slovenian international has played both games for his international side in the current break, with Bijol earning praise for his performance against Kosovo.
Bijol kept another clean sheet against Switzerland, playing at the heart of a back five, to give Farke more food for thought ahead of Leeds’ next game against Burnley.
Now, the Slovenian media has praised Bijol’s display again, with one paper going as far as to address the Leeds boss directly after the game.
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Leeds United man Jaka Bijol praised by Slovenian media
Slovenia’s defence has been rock solid in recent weeks, with Bijol playing a crucial role in consecutive clean sheets.
Bijol was given a positive review in the publication Ekipa, which gave Bijol a 7.5 rating for his performance and addressed Farke directly in their feedback.
They wrote: “If Leeds manager Daniel Farke watched the game, then Bijol will start the Premier League clash this weekend. He played without a mistake, Breel Embolo was invisible next to him.”
Bijol also received the joint second-highest rating from the publication Dnevnik, which rated him at a 7/10, 0.5 points behind their man of the match Jan Oblak.
Slovenia’s issues are at the other end of the pitch, having now gone three consecutive games without a goal.
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Jaka Bijol – Stats vs Switzerland
Switzerland were without Bijol’s Leeds teammate Noah Okafor, who continues to be overlooked, and struggled to find an opening against the home side’s resolute back five.
Bijol was at the heart of this, earning a 7.2 rating from FotMob, the second-highest behind Oblak’s 7.9, after another solid display in defence.
Jaka Bijol vs Switzerland:
- Minutes Played: 90
- Touches: 47
- Accurate Passes (Success Rate): 28 (85%)
- Defensive Contributions: 10
The Leeds man was a colossus at the back, making four interceptions, two tackles, two blocks, two clearances and two recoveries as the visitors pushed for a goal.
Bijol was also steady in possession, taking 47 touches in total and maintaining a passing accuracy of 85% over the 90 minutes.
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