‘Unbeatable’: Player Leeds United let go for free was ‘amazingly good’ in Europe this week and Leeds must be REGRETTING selling him

Former Leeds United Defender Robin Koch Shines in Europa League

Leeds United and Burnley may have racked up seven goals between them in midweek, but Monday night’s table-topping clash at Turf Moor brings to mind what Sir Alex Ferguson once said about the importance of defense. Attack wins you games – Leeds swept past Norwich City on Wednesday while Burnley obliterated Plymouth Argyle – but a rock-solid backline is often the foundation upon which a title-winning campaign is constructed.

Burnley have conceded a remarkable nine goals in 28 matches. Leeds’ ‘ground-breaking’ defensive numbers are even more impressive, however, when you delve a little deeper. Daniel Farke’s side restrict their opponents to fewer than two shots on target per match on average. Norwich didn’t even force Ilan Meslier into a save at Elland Road. Not even Scott Parker’s unbreachable Burnley can match that.

Norwich barely laid a glove on Leeds United, despite the continued absence of Pascal Struijk at the heart of Farke’s defensive unit. Over in Germany, meanwhile, the sudden departure of Omar Marmoush to Manchester City means Eintracht Frankfurt, shorn of their 20-goal top scorer, may suddenly find themselves placing an extra emphasis on the other end of the pitch.

Fortunately, with Robin Koch playing the best, most consistent football of his career, even a Marmoush-less Frankfurt look well placed to continue their progress under head coach Dino Toppmoller. Frankfurt swept aside Borussia Dortmund without Marmoush last weekend – Leeds loanee Rasmus Kristensen set up Hugio Ekitike’s early opener – before securing a second successive 2-0 win when Hungarian champions Ferencvaros travelled to the Commerzbank Arena in the Europa League on Thursday.

If Robin Koch was impressive against Dortmund, then he was imperious against Ferencvaros. Six clearances, two tackles, two interceptions, and a 93 per cent pass completion rate. This was about as complete a performance as you can realistically expect from a central defender. 24 hours after Leeds restricted Norwich to a mere three shots on goal, Ferencvaros mustered only one in Germany as Frankfurt continue their 100 per cent start to life post-Marmoush.

“A winner in the air and on the ground, defensive boss Robin Koch played a major role in ensuring that Ferencvaros remained without a scoring chance,” German publication Kicker write. To quote BILD, Koch was nigh-on ‘unbeatable’ at the heart of a ‘remarkable’ defensive performance.

“The defense is very good. We also have a very high level of individual quality,” Frankfurt assistant coach Jan Fiesser smiled following a victory which puts Frankfurt one foot and four toes into the top eight of the Europa League table. “The defensive readiness of the whole team is also at a very high level at the moment.”

Only Lazio have more than Frankfurt’s 16 points after seven matches. With Robin Koch on the pitch in continental competition, Toppmoller’s team concede only 0.7 goals per game on average. Koch’s ‘amazingly good’ distribution a reminder why Leeds signed him.

“[Koch is an] absolute boss in the ring,” local publication Frankfurter Rundschau say. “He held everything together, swept through everything properly. Wasn’t given any really difficult tasks, but he did them without compromise.”

It wasn’t just Robin Koch’s fine reading of the game or his physical prowess that caught Leeds United’s eye when they lured him away from Freiburg back in 2020. Marcelo Bielsa expects his centre-halves to provide the basis for attacks, all the while stopping opposition moves in their tracks. Koch’s impressive distribution was a major reason why Leeds identified him as the ideal successor to the exceptional Ben White.

And, as the 12-time Germany international picked out his Frankfurt teammates again and again with pinpoint passes out of defence on Thursday – his passing range was ‘amazingly good’, to quote the Frankfurter Rundschau – this is clearly a trait Robin Koch continues to develop as he approaches the peak years of his professional career.

Koch’s performances for Frankfurt have been impressive this season, and his display against Ferencvaros was no exception. The German defender was solid at the back, making several crucial interceptions and clearances to help his team secure a 2-0 win.

Frankfurt’s head coach, Dino Toppmoller, was full of praise for Koch’s performance after the game. “Robin was outstanding today,” he said. “He won every header, every tackle, and his distribution was excellent. He’s a top-class defender, and we’re lucky to have him.”

Koch’s teammates were also impressed with his performance. “Robin is a leader on the pitch,” said Frankfurt midfielder, Djibril Sow. “He’s always talking,