Using Data to Find the Best U23 Defensive Midfielders in LaLiga
With the winter transfer window finally closed and the summer transfer window incoming, clubs are beginning to scout the best young players who are showing signs of potential. This is a data analysis to find the best U23 defensive midfielders in LaLiga that will be fought over in the summer.
The data metrics we will be looking at are:
- Progressive Passing
- Passes to the final third
- Interceptions
- Defensive Duels
Furthermore, all the defensive midfielders in the charts have more than 400 minutes under their belt this season.
We will begin by forming scatter plots of the data metrics mentioned beforehand, to find the level of the defensive midfielders aged 23 and under, compared to the rest of the defensive midfielders in the league. In this manner, we can identify how they are performing and decide which defensive midfielders clubs should be keeping an eye on. Later, we will find the best defensive midfielders depending on how they perform in the scatter plots and we will look at each one individually.
Progressive Passing
This passing metric gives us more depth into the danger of each player’s passing rather than just passing the ball forward 5m. This is because this metric only includes more specific passes such as a pass 10m closer to the opposition goal if the pass comes from the opposition side of the pitch.
Passing to the Final Third
The precision and number of passes defensive midfielders give in the final third can tell us about their ability to play passes between the lines and generate advantages for his teammates.
Interceptions
The number of interceptions a midfielder has is a testament to their intelligence on the pitch and their ability to defend space.
Defensive Duels
The defensive midfielder is essential for defending, especially for defending counterattacks as he is the first man that the opposition have to beat.
Results
In our final results, we can observe that the best defensive midfielders U23 so far in La Liga have been Marc Casadó of Barcelona and Dário Essugo of Las Palmas.
Marc Casadó
Position: Defensive Midfielder/Midfielder
Country: Spain
Age: 21
Height: 172cm
Preferred Foot: Right
Current Club: Barcelona
Context: Marc Casadó was signed at an early age by Barcelona from Damm and has begun playing for the first team this season. The charts tell us that Casadó is an excellent player on the ball, capable of giving progressive passes with high precision. In addition, he is able to play passes into the final third with ease and this shows his overall ability on the ball.
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Furthermore, his defensive stats are also outstanding showing that despite not having as many interceptions, he is able to recover possession most of the time with these actions. Also, he is successful in his defensive duels which tells us that he is a complete midfielder capable of not just progressing the ball but also defending counter-attacking situations.
This chart compares Marc Casadó with the rest of the LaLiga players in his position using percentiles in different aspects of the game. The percentiles work in the way that whatever the number, he is better than that percentage of players. If it is 70, he is better than 70%.
Here, we can see that Casadó is a player who is extremely comfortable on the ball and is able to play progressive passes to a remarkable level being in the 85th percentile. In addition, we can see that in tackles + interceptions he ranks highly which is essential for midfielders.
Overall, Casadó is a player who has developed this season into a very complete midfielder capable of making his team progress the ball and also able to stop counter attacks as a single pivot which has allowed Barcelona to have great performances thus far. It is most likely that we will see him in a Barcelona shirt for many years to come unless, with their financial situation, they would be willing to give up a player of this caliber.
Dário Essugo
Position: Defensive Midfielder/Midfielder
Country: Portugal
Age: 19
Height: 178cm
Preferred Foot: Right
Current Club: Las Palmas
Context: Essugo came up through the ranks of Sporting Lisboa in Portugal and in the summer of 2023 he was named a first-team player, nonetheless, in January of that season he went on a 6-month loan to Chaves, and this season he has been on loan at Las Palmas.
In the charts, we can observe that Essugo’s most valuable qualities lie in the defensive part of his game given he is exceptional at reading the game as he has the second-most interceptions per 90 and is able to recover possession from these frequently. Moreover, his defensive duels show he is a player capable of winning these and shows remarkable defensive qualities in general.
However, his possession-based aspects have much to improve given that his progressive passing is quite poor, and his passes to the final third lack volume even though his precision is not low.
This chart compares Dário Essugo with the rest of the LaLiga players in his position using percentiles in different aspects of the game. The percentiles work in the way that whatever the number, he is better than that percentage of players. If it is 70, he is better than 70%.
Here we can see that Essugo is exceptional defensively, in addition to his 1vs1 defending where he ranks in the 81st percentile for % of dribblers tackled. However, we can see that offensively he does not improve a team’s capacity to score goals which is an aspect he will need to develop in the following years.
Overall, Essugo at just 19 years old has shown to be a midfield powerhouse defensively at one of the best leagues in the world. Sporting have a gem on their hands who, if he can improve his offensive qualities or he can be joined with a playmaker in midfield, he can be an outstanding performer.
My guesses go that he may not stay at Sporting for much longer, especially seeing their recent performances since Rubén Amorim has left, and with a look at his profile, he may jump to a more physical league like the Premier League or even Ligue 1.
By: Juan Fernandez Valencia / @ScoutLaLiga1
Featured Image: @GabFoligno / Quality Sport Images / Getty Images