Almost no one in Europe lets others score as often as Go Ahead player Oliver Antman

Suddenly he left. The moment everyone moves to the ball, Oliver Antman sneaks away in the opposite direction. On his toes, the wing attacker of Go Ahead Eagles dribbles towards the sidelines, away from the midfielder who covered him just before. As soon as the depth pass follows, it is already at full speed. With an almost endless space for him.

Only in the penalty area will Antman (23) find an opponent, Nick Viergever, one of the experienced central defenders of FC Utrecht. Antman pretends that he is taking on the game, nevertheless entails. He lagging, waiting for him to get help from teammates for the goal. Then he puts a viewed ball right through the Utrecht defense, towards the Milan Smit center striker. A sliding defender can just prevent a goal.

It is the first warning that the FC Utrecht gets, and also the last. Because the next time that Antman is so emphatically involved in an attack, Jet is the first goal. The match in the Adelaarshorst is not yet busy for less than fifteen minutes, when the Finn is running away from the back of flank defender Souffian El Karouani. A little later, his pass ends up at the feet of shadow striker Victor Edvardsen, who shoots hard: 1-0.

Most assists

It is surprising that he will get so much space this Sunday in a short time. It surprised Antman himself, he said afterwards. Because few players are as dangerous this season as he: he already created 41 chances this season, eighteen times he was involved in a goal, as a maker or declarant. Only top scorer Sem Steijn (FC Twente) and Feyenoord-Dribbelaar Igor Paixão were more productive.

But where Steijn should be of his goals, Antman stands out for his passes. Twelve times he already enabled a teammate to score a goal, the game against Utrecht has not yet been included. That is more than any other player in the Eredivisie, and even in a European context, that statistics is exceptional: in the five largest football competitions only Mohammed Salah (Liverpool) gave more assists.

Did he expect that himself when he made the switch to Deventer this summer, from the Danish FC Nordsjælland? Antman avoids the question on Sunday afternoon grinning: of course he knew he could play well. But he also had to fight at Go Ahead in a team that was already running pretty well. Where he also competed with Bobby Adekanye on the right flank, the fixed choice for two years.

Yet Go Ahead seemed like a nice club: in 2023 Antman also played in the Netherlands for six months, on a rental basis at FC Groningen. At that time he had been to the Eagelaarshorst once, and he was charmed by Dutch football. So when Paul Bosvelt, the technical director of Go Ahead, contacted contact last summer and made an offer, the choice was quickly made.

Difficult start

His start in Deventer was difficult. Because of Adekanye, Antman played his first matches for Go Ahead on the left flank, where Oliver Edvardsen was still missing in the beginning of the season due to an injury. Despite his two -leggedness, he could not convince, and so Antman lost his base place after the return of the Norwegian. A disappointment, but afterwards also the turning point.

In training, coach Paul Simonis sees how Antman does it even better, he says later Vi. Antman is determined to recapture his place. As a substitute, he can participate a quarter match at the end of October when visiting AZ. Just before time, he gives the pass that Go Ahead still produces a draw. A week later, in the regional derby against PEC Zwolle, he does that again.

For Simonis that is a reason to try Antman on the right, instead of Adekanye. Since then he has been a fixture in the basic eleven: almost every week he plays the full match, almost every week he is involved in goals. With two goals, for example, he determines the surprising 3-2 victory over PSV at the beginning of March. A week later, at the victory on NEC, he gives two assists and makes the winning goal himself (2-3).

Against Utrecht, Antman is again the best man on the field. The entire game goes out of his threat, he walks away from the cover of El Karouani. One time by sprinting away with large steps along the sidelines, the other time by looking up the space between the back and central defender Viergever and taking action there.

Disappointing afternoon

He is also decisive at the 2-0, after fifteen minutes. It arises from a long ball from left behind Dean James towards the Utrecht goal. Antman catches that pass and threatens towards the goal. Then he suddenly turns the other way and plays so handy teammate Mathis Suray Vrij, who can shoot in unhindered. Again two assists, in the time frame of less than three minutes.

Yet it turns out not enough. Go Ahead is better, but also has a very sloppy period just before half -time, so that Utrecht makes it the same before the break. That makes it a disappointing afternoon for Antman, he says afterwards. Because with a victory, Go Ahead had shared fifth, with a view of fourth place. Due to the draw, the team remains seventh for the time being.

With the cooperation of Anne Minnaard.

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