Barcelona midfielder Marc Casado has been one of many standout gamers within the group stage of the UEFA Champions League.
His all-around contributions make him one of the full midfielders on this yr’s event, and he enters the knockout phases as one of many prime performers in a number of essential metrics.
Casado’s defensive statistics are significantly spectacular. He’s the participant who wins probably the most defensive duels within the event, no matter place.
Out of the 76 defensive duels he has contested, he has efficiently received 51, which is a win fee of 67.11%. No different participant has confronted as many defensive duels or received as many as Casado, making him an important determine in Barcelona’s defensive efforts.
By way of tackles, he’s second in your complete competitors, with 10 tackles, trailing solely Jude Bellingham of Actual Madrid, who has 15.
Casado has been strong
These defensive statistics spotlight Casado’s capability to recuperate the ball for his crew. His relentless urgent and fast decision-making put him among the many prime gamers for ball recoveries, particularly in moments when he wins the ball again instantly after a turnover.
In truth, he ranks because the sixth midfielder by way of fast recoveries, having regained possession 39 occasions within the 8 matches he has performed.
Whereas he has dedicated 13 fouls to this point, solely 4 midfielders within the competitors have dedicated extra, which displays the excessive depth of his taking part in model.
Casado’s passing method
Regardless of his spectacular defensive contributions, Casado is way more than only a stopper. He additionally stands out for his passing and skill to keep up possession in midfield.
He has accomplished 441 out of 480 tried passes, showcasing his precision and consistency. Amongst midfielders, this locations him within the prime seven for cross completions within the competitors.
What’s much more exceptional is that he hardly ever loses possession of the ball. Of the 52 occasions he has misplaced the ball, solely 15 have occurred in his personal half of the pitch.
For comparability, Atletico Madrid’s Rodrigo De Paul has misplaced possession 90 occasions within the event, underlining Casado’s effectivity in possession.
One among Casado’s strengths is his capability to make decisive passes into the ultimate third. He has tried 60 passes into attacking areas, efficiently finishing 49 of them.
This locations him 14th within the event for this explicit stat, which additional highlights his function in linking defence to assault.
High participant regardless of restricted publicity
Casado’s performances are much more exceptional contemplating his age and relative lack of expertise on the prime stage of European soccer. Beneath Hansi Flick, he has really established himself as a daily starter in Barcelona’s midfield.
At simply 21 years outdated, Casado is already one of the used midfielders within the competitors amongst gamers in his age group.
With 611 minutes performed throughout 8 matches, he ranks eleventh for midfielders aged 21 or youthful, an indication of his rising affect within the squad.
What makes Casado much more thrilling is the truth that he’s nonetheless growing. His capability to influence each ends of the pitch, coupled along with his rising confidence in possession, means that he has the potential to turn into probably the greatest midfielders in Europe.
His work ethic, tactical consciousness, and flexibility make him a useful asset to Barcelona as they progress by the Champions League this season.