2. Melanie Leupolz
The Blues’ No. 8 Melanie Leupolz started her fourth WSL match on Wednesday under the lights at Kingsmeadow since coming back from maturity leave. The fact that she is performing at this kind of level this early is remarkable, and an inspiration to all the women out there. It was the seventh time outside of cup competitions that Leupolz played more then 75 minutes in a match since the beginning of February. The German international was the player that executed all the dirty work for the west Londoners in the middle of the pitch.
It is now the second consecutive match in which Leupolz had five or more progressive passes and at least one successful take on attempt. The former Bayern Munich midfielder was constantly progressing the ball forward. The 29-year-old had her second match with three or more shot-creating actions since her return. She completed 70 percent of her passes while sitting just behind Charles in total final third passing entries.
Her arrival back into the team has given this club sensational depth in the middle of the park. Before February, Sophie Ingle was tasked with playing a whole lot of football at age 31 than many would not have expected. Leupolz has made a seamless transition into the squad, acting as a difference maker in the midfield time after time. The German was a thorn in the side of the Reds during her 79 minutes between the white lines, bringing the energy the west London side needed coming off a Champions League semifinal elimination.