Benjamin Sesko is one of the few players at Manchester United who will benefit from the international break and minutes in a familiar team and system.
Benjamin Sesko began for Slovenia against Sweden in their World Cup qualifying match after starting one of the four games at Manchester United.
Sesko made a significant contribution to the game, and although his matchup with Alexander Isak was eagerly anticipated, the £125 million striker never came off the bench.
In the process, the Slovenian media was unable to look away from Sesko’s amazing display of skill, which they dubbed a form of “martial arts.”
How Benjamin Sesko fared vs Sweden
Sesko has always played a talismanic role for the Slovenian team, and his arrival at Old Trafford will further heighten that reputation.
Despite acknowledging that the Premier League is subject to more scrutiny than the Bundesliga, Sesko played his first game for Slovenia with all eyes on him.
He had his work cut out for him because Sweden is a far stronger team on paper, as seen by the game’s basic statistics.
With 32 touches of the ball at the end of the game, Sesko had the fewest touches of any outfield player who played 90 minutes.
He took just one shot and finished 15/19 passes in a display that was fairly unassuming, but sparked to life when it mattered the most.
Like any world-class player, Sesko made the difference in the dying embers of the game by assisting Vipotnik’s goal to save a point for Slovenia in the 2-2 draw.
Slovenian press in awe of Sesko’s ‘martial arts’
Sesko was surrounded by three Swedish defenders when a hopeful long ball was thrown to him and bounced awkwardly.
He had to produce something out of nothing because Slovenia was behind 1-2, and he succeeded.
He managed to juggle the ball in midair, flipped it onto his head with his knee, and then found Vipotnik racing by the Swedish defense with a head pass that was precisely placed.
Only someone with Sesko’s physical prowess could pull off this amazing feat of talent.
It was described as “martial arts” with “a lot of skill” by Slovenian publication Ekipa. “[Sesko] did a great job, it was not easy with the tall and strong Swedish defenders,” they said, quoting goal scorer Vipotnik. I did as he did, and I didn’t think twice about taking a shooting stance. Fortunately, I scored.
Sesko’s ability to create something out of nothing was also highlighted by Zurnal24, who noted that he “intercepted” a hopeful long ball played by his team to create the goal.
Vecer described his assist in rich detail, writing, “What a comeback! After a long pass from Vanja Drkusic, Benjamin Sesko was not afraid of the defenders’ grip, tamed the ball, first with his knee, then with his head, to Zan Vipotnik, and he decisively struck from the edge of the penalty area.”
Sesko will next be in action against Switzerland as World Cup qualifiers continue on September 8.
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