A Close Look at the Top Under 21 Players in the Danish SuperLiga

Denmark, not only the home of the pastry but also to some of the world’s most exciting young talent. With the increase in mainstream attention that Scandinavian football has been getting in recent years with their incredible amount of young talent being produced, I thought it would be a perfect opportunity to take a close look at some of the Danish SuperLiga’s most exciting Under 21 stars. I had little knowledge of the outlook of the league coming into it. After doing some research I found some amazing analysis work done by the guys at Statsbomb that broke down how the SuperLiga compares to the EPL and German Bundesliga. I thought I would share what they found in order to give some useful background on the league and how this may affect the evaluation of the players I have reviewed. The analysis showed that the SuperLiga is a much more balanced league with the disparity between the top and bottom teams not being as large as the EPL and the German Bundesliga. This means most of the games in the SuperLiga are going to be even affairs with both teams going for it. The style of play between all three leagues are roughly similar, but the SuperLiga likes to create more from wide areas and plays slightly more direct than the EPL and German Bundesliga. The SuperLiga also places the largest emphasis on set pieces. When it comes to defensive pressure the SuperLiga is slightly less aggressive, this means players have more time on the ball which is something to consider. Overall the SuperLiga lines up pretty well with the EPL and German Bundesliga’s trajectory. Obviously, there is a large gap in talent but with the leagues playing similar styles it may be an easier transition for players from the SuperLiga to make that step. With all this being said, I found the Danish SuperLiga to be an incredibly unique league with balanced teams, a high level of players and teams with an interesting diversity in tactics, and most of all the ever-increasing exciting pool of young talent.

Jesper Lindstrom

When he’s on the ball he is decisive in his decision-making, rarely hesitating. His incredibly quick first step, combined with his long strides makes it easy for him to glide past defenders. While he is slight in stature he uses his body well to shield the ball from the defender, which helps him draw fouls as well as keep possession in tight areas. He has an excellent first touch and close-control that sets him up to pass or dribble. There is a real energy about his game. The silky first touch instantly springs him to life, often dancing around defenders or using the two strikers to quickly link play and spring his team into attack. His ability and confidence to use both his favored right foot and his weaker left foot makes him difficult to defend when he drifts into wide areas on either side of the pitch. If a defender applies heavy pressure, he uses his long legs and quick feet to poke the ball away from danger and either turns his man in a blink or shields the ball and keeps possession. He is the player on the pitch that you know every time he gets the ball he is going to make something happen, often taking the necessary calculated risks that help explode his team up the pitch. He has incredible vision and understanding of where the spaces are to exploit both for himself as well as the spaces to hit for his teammates to exploit.

While his goalscoring is creating the headlines, he is also in the 95th percentile in expected assists. He is not only creating for himself at a high rate but is creating for his teammates at an even higher rate. As I mentioned earlier, his ability in and around the opposition’s box is what sets him apart. This also goes for his ability to facilitate chances for his teammates to exploit. He has the vision to slip passes into the small gaps combined with the perfect weight of pass to set his teammates up for shooting opportunities.

Lindstrom is a willing presser, constantly chasing and applying pressure in the opposition half. He is also disciplined, understands his pressure triggers, and makes sure not to overcommit so he does not leave gaps. His understanding of the game and spaces allows him to anticipate on the defensive side really well, allowing him to get interceptions as well as block passes.

Overall, Lindstrom is a special talent that is well on his way to being an incredible player. After receiving his first senior cap for Denmark this past fall, he will only continue to get better. He has all the talent and work ethic to make the step up in the coming years. There will be some question marks over his size and whether a more physical league would just overpower him. As I mentioned in the intro the SuperLiga also allows more time and space on the ball, so a step up in intensity and ball pressure might make him less effective, but from what I have seen his ability in tight spaces and his understanding of positions to pick up should allow him to flourish. It will also be interesting to see if he can keep up his efficient scoring as he is currently exceeding his xG by 6 goals this season. Will the xG Gods catch up to him like they did to Mason Greenwood? Definitely one to keep an eye on. He is however a natural in and around the box and that is hard to come by so I’m certain there will be many teams fighting for his signature in the upcoming years. I see him fitting best in the German Bundesliga, the space and pace of the game would suit him perfectly. Teams like RB Leipzig, Frankfurt, and Leverkusen would be perfect fits for him. I don’t think he is quite ready yet but I would love to see him in the Premier League one day.  

Kamaldeen Sulemana

Nordsjælland boasts having the youngest squad in Europe, with their chairman Tom Vernon and his Right To Dream Academy being the catalyst for that. Sulemana is at the forefront of that young squad with the 18-year-old drawing interest from the likes of Bayern Leverkusen in Germany. This comes as no surprise as he has a natural and devastating dribbling ability, taking defenders at mercy almost every game he plays. Kamaldeen is one hell of a player to watch, the excitement and energy he plays with is represented excellently by the array of joyus noises that come out of the Nordsjælland’s commentators mouths when he does the unthinkable (which happens incredibly frequently). 

Kamaldeen is an explosive dribbler who takes space very quickly pushing his team up the pitch. At Nordsjælland he tends to play either LW or as a SS, this leaves him space to drive into as well as make runs in behind. He has incredibly quick feet with great close control, using his quick feet to get out of tight areas and then exploding into the space. He uses his frame incredibly well, he is stocky and strong (especially for his age). He gets his body in front of the defender preventing them from making a tackle or forcing them to foul. His ability to hold and keep the ball in tight spaces then turn and burst away leaving the defender for dead is a common trait among the world’s best wingers, which Kamaldeen certainly possesses and utilizes often. He has a strong shot which he certainly isn’t afraid to use (more on that in a little). He is the heartbeat of everything that Nordsjælland does, dazzling with the unthinkable and taking defenders lives for fun.

He is a very direct dribbler, when he comes into the pocket to collect the ball he drives at the defense with pace leaving the defenders to commit where he uses his quick feet and slight body movement to slickly glide past defenders. The same can be said when he lines up the full back on the wing, he drives straight at him with speed forcing him backward where he shifts his body either to cross or his preferred option, cut in and shoot. He is comfortable using both feet, again causing defenders real problems as they can not force him to a weak side when he is driving at them. His immaculate first touch sets him well, he is able to either protect the ball and use his creativity and control to get away from the defender and accelerate into the space or he faces up the defender and drives at him with subtle touches waiting for the defender to commit where he again uses his incredibly quick feet to get away and burst into the space. He knows what he wants to do with the ball before he receives it, there is a confidence to his play that can not be teached. This allows him to explode to life when he receives the ball, using his creativity, dribbling and speed to ignite something out of nothing. 

As I mentioned earlier the SuperLiga is played at a pretty high tempo pace meaning that there tends to be a lot of transition moments, which really allowed Kamaldeen to flourish. He is able to pick up the ball, beat one man and drive into the opposition’s half, immediately putting the defense under significant pressure and creating man advantage attacks. This also allows Kamaldeen space to run in behind, which he often exploits. You can tell he has a great understanding of the game and what positions he needs to occupy, he is constantly on the move, with the license to float anywhere on the pitch. When his team wins the ball his movement is sharp and effective, either making the run in behind or floating into the pocket to collect the ball and spring the attack from his feet. He rarely stands still in possession, always on the move looking for pockets between the midfield and defensive lines to collect the ball or making clever bursting runs in behind the defense. This causes severe problems for the defense as he is unpredictable, not allowing the defenders the ability to anticipate his movement. 

While Kamaldeen is one of the best teenagers in the professional game right now, he (like many others his age) still has room for major improvement. He has quite poor decision making in the final third, tending to shoot in bad positions where the extra pass would be the better option. He often beats a few defenders, gets into the final third and wastes the opportunity with poor shot selection, shooting from impossible angles or with several defenders in the way. At the moment he is a little too trigger happy, which can be expected from someone his age. His ability to beat several players with ease attracts a lot of defenses’ attention which leads to his team having an attacking numerical advantage quite often. This means he often creates 2 v 1, 3 v 2, 3 v 1 scenarios in his team’s favor in the final third, which he does not tend to exploit. Learning the right moment, angles and positions to shoot in as well as looking to take advantage of numerical mismatches will elevate his game to a new level. If he is able to make better decisions in the final third his overall goals and assists production will begin to skyrocket without a doubt.

He is truly a star in the making. He is a joy to watch as his unpredictability and skill leave you in awe. He is every defender’s worst nightmare, the SuperLiga defenders already know about him. Bundesliga defenders might need to start paying attention as if he does make the move to Germany they will be having many sleepless nights ahead. His power, skill, movement and understanding of the game are already there for all to see. If he combines that with greater production and decision making in the final third, the world will be on notice very quickly. He is definitely more suited to a free roaming role where he can float and pick up the ball at drive at the defense. It will however be interesting to see to what extent Kamaldeen can flourish in a more traditional role on the wing. Will he be able to affect the game as strongly in a team that plays more in possession and less in transition, as well as playing against a low block? As of right now there isn’t anything to suggest he wouldn’t thrive in any system and role but certainly one to keep an eye on. Remember the name. Kamaldeen is upon us.

Morten Frendrup

I turned on Brondby against Midtjylland to watch Lindstrom. Within the first five minutes as the ball gets played to Onyeka (who’s not too shabby himself), a Brondby  midfielder was on the move, anticipated the pass, closed the space in a blink and hounded Onyeka not giving him even a second. I immediately paused and thought who on earth is that, and to my disbelief it was 19-year-old Morten Frendrup.

While Lindstrom is the offensive heartbeat of Brondby, Frendrup is the defensive heartbeat and engine room of the team. Frendrup plays alongside Lindstrom as an 8 in the 3-5-2 as well as in the holding midfield role. He can also fill in at either full-back when needed, but his best position is in central midfield. He is incredibly strong and powerful for his age. He rarely gets outmuscled, he is in fact often the one bullying his opponent. The 19-year-old brings aggression and energy to the Brondby team. When you watch them you instantly see his impact, he is all over the pitch (in a good way) defensively applying on-ball pressure as well as cutting out passing lanes. One of the most impressive things about him is that you can see the determination to win the ball but he treads the line of aggression and energy without losing his positional discipline. He has a clear understanding of the structure and positions he needs to be in to prevent the opposition from threatening.

Frendrup has an incredible ability to anticipate the play, he always seems to be a step ahead of the play which allows him to close down opponents in a flash. He closes space very quickly and then prevents forward play or wins the ball with his impressive tackling skill set. His ability to read the game at such a high level was so impressive to watch. He would in seconds understand which passing options the player on the ball had, anticipate the play and quickly close down the opponent, forcing a turnover.

In possession Frendrup is decisive in his decision making, rarely making a mistake. He keeps possession well for his team, keeping the ball ticking when in buildup. He is constantly checking his shoulders, looking for pockets to pick up the ball in. He is never afraid of getting the ball in tight spaces, he clearly trusts his ability. He collects the ball with the correct foot allowing for his body to be in the correct position to make the necessary passes in the tight spaces. He is always asking for the ball, trying to dictate play. His passing range hasn’t really been tested yet, he often opts for the safer pass rather than trying the long ping. When he ventures forward he makes very clever runs in between the midfield and defensive lines, likes to make runs into the flanks and delivers some surprising skills, with his favorite, knocking the ball past the defender and using his strength to beat them. He shields the ball well from defenders, allowing him to retain possession but can tend to turn into trouble, overplaying at times. He is a powerful dribbler, he takes space well and uses his body to shield off defenders. Overall his offensive game is not his strong suit at the moment but there are some real flashes in there to build upon. 

Frendrup is well on his way to being a great player that is easily capable of playing in a top 5 league in Europe. He already has all the defensive attributes to hold his own, if his all around game continues to develop he will surely make the step up. His best position is unclear which may hurt him, he is not disciplined enough to play a lone 6 or strong enough offensively to play 8. He is probably best suited to a double pivot, but narrowing his focus on improving his attacking output as an 8 should lead him to thrive in any team. His anticipation and reading of the game will take him very far in his career. 

Jens Cajuste

FC Midtjylland are best known for their impressive and elaborate set piece routines that have been used by clubs all over the world, but their appearance in this year’s Champions League group stage with the likes of Liverpool, Atalanta and Ajax gave them and their extremely talented group of players more of the attention they deserve. One of these players being the 21-year-old Jens Cajuste. Through the youth levels, Cajuste played in both his home country Sweden and China where his family moved for a short period of time. Cajuste came through the academy at Örgryte IS where he later made his senior debut in 2016 before Midtylland acquired in the summer of 2018. He made his debut shortly after, in August of that year. He has now worked his way to be a regular starter, making his Champions League debut against Atalanta this season. 

Cajuste mostly plays as a #6 in a two man holding midfield, but has also played as a lone 6 on a few occasions. His strength and size stands out immediately, at 188 cm (6’2) and 77 kg (169 lbs), but can also move very fast, with an incredible recovery pace. Cajuste is a monster in the middle of the pitch. Cajuste’s defending is what makes him a monster, he defends smartly but emphatically. He makes his presence and size felt on the pitch with an aggressive, full throttle approach to defensive duels. He closes space on very quickly, anticipating play and then hounding the player on the ball, not allowing them to turn. When he gets it right (which happens often), Cajuste uses his body, length and excellent tackling timing to wrap a foot in to steal the ball. He is one of the best tacklers I have watched recently. In the open field he is virtually impossible to get around, his lengths makes it impossible to get around him. On top of that he is constantly bouncing on his toes staying defensively active, anticipating and hounding the attacker, he is able to stay in front then use his excellent timing to get his body or legs in and win the ball. His aggression can sometimes lead to overeagerness where he applies the right pressure but is a little too eager to win the ball and this can allow him to get turned where he is then forced to commit a foul. He reads the game incredibly well and because of this is very disciplined in his positioning. He covers depth and the wings excellently as well as breaks up play and recovers the ball high up the pitch keeping his team on the front foot.

As mentioned above one of his best attributes is his reading of the game and positional discipline. This sets him up for almost everything he does on the defensive phase. His starting position along with this anticipation allow him to read the game a few steps ahead. He is constantly checking his shoulders and surroundings, giving him a clear picture of the threats and spaces in and around him. When the ball is being shifted and progressed he is able to read a few steps ahead and instinctively know when to step and press the ball and when to drop back into position. He also recognized passing lanes and positions to occupy in order to block those lanes, not allowing the team to progress vertically, forcing them to go horizontally. His positioning and anticipation leads him to get a lot of interceptions and tackles that look effortless, breaking up play quickly and effectively.

On the ball Cajuste is just as much of a monster. Cajuste will pick up the ball and almost seem not interested, and then suddenly he turns on the magic feet and he’s gone, bursting through the entire pitch, gliding past players with ease. He is well on his way to having the commentators pronounce his powerful runs the “Cajuste Express”, which will be his signature move if he keeps on doing what he’s been doing. His ability to glide past players is really unique from a player his size, reminiscent of Pogba. His confidence on the ball, along with his quick and tidy footwork, pace, strength and ability to drive with the ball make him virtually impossible to press. Along with that he uses his body well to shield the ball, holding off defenders. He has the ability to slither out of tight situations which allows him to sometimes lure the presser in with almost Busquets-esque, almost lazy looking body posture and then flip the switch and riggle his way free, gone in a blink. (On ball actions)

If there is any weakness in Cajuste’s game it is his passing. He picks up good positions to get on the ball, moving and looking for spaces to pick up the ball and keep the play ticking. He isn’t a bad passer by any means, he is very two-footed with a good range of passing with his left as well as his stronger right. When he gets on the ball he looks to spring the attack quickly. He does break the lines well with passes driven into the advanced forwards. When trying to make more difficult passes or under pressure his passing can get a little loose. Some of this could be down to his awareness of what’s around him on the ball, it seems at times that he doesn’t have a clear picture of where he wants to go with the ball before he receives it which makes him a little tense with his passes. He has the ability to make challenging passes, as he has shown off his range on multiple occasions, he just needs to be more confident and consistent in his passing. Improvements in this area should be a focus.

Cajuste made his senior debut for Sweden this past year, he is well on his way to competing at the highest level. Defensively he is ready to make the step. In perhaps his best game for Midtylland, Cajuste put on a defensive clinic against Liverpool showing he is capable of playing at that level. Improvements in his build-up/passing play should allow his game to reach new heights. His pace, power and tactical awareness are already at an incredibly high level. He is definitely best suited to a role in a double pivot where he can have more freedom to burst forward and less emphasis on him to be the catalyst in build-up. His defensive attributes along with his on ball capabilities should already be catching the eyes of some of the biggest clubs in Europe, only a matter of time before he reaches those levels. He is a unique player with room for improvement, certainly an exciting prospect for Sweden. 

I really enjoyed delving deep into the Danish SuperLiga and their young talent. I have been firmly hooked by the fast paced football as well as the abundance of talent. I will be keeping a close eye on the SuperLiga and the development of these player as they progress over the next few years. This was my first big blog post and I hope to be doing many more in the future, so stay tuned! Thank you for reading.