Upamecano vs Bayern Munich
In this blog I am going to be doing an in-depth analysis on how Dayot Umpamecano performed in such an important game, which could decide who wins the league, against the team which has dominated German Football for so many years. My reasons for doing this is because the 21-year old Frenchman has been a long term transfer target for Arsenal and therefore I thought it would be interesting to evaluate how he performs in one of his biggest games of the season.
It was a huge game on Sunday night in the Bundesliga between Bayern Munich and RB Leipzig and with the game ending in a draw it’s all to play for in the latter stages of the season in Germany. It was Leipzig’s first ever point away to Bayern which proves two things, one just how much of a fortress the Allianz Arena is and two how well the away sides defence did to come back with a point, with Upamecano being a major part of that.
Upamecano’s game in numbers vs Bayern
As you can see Dayot’s stats were incredible in the toughest of circumstances considering the fact he was at the heart of a make shift defence, playing in a back three alongside two fullbacks along with being away from home in such a difficult place to go, it was a very commanding performance and one that warranted MOTM. There we also reports that Dayot is carrying a knock, but as Leipzig have no other fit centre-backs he played through the pain! At such a young age, it’s only a matter of time before he is snapped up by one of Europe’s top teams, with this being another eye catching performance to put on his CV after keeping an inform Lewandowski extremely quiet.
At the start of the game, Bayern were very dominate, pinning Leipzig into their own half with no way out and it seemed as if it was only a matter of time before they opened the scoring. However, the away side stayed strong with Upamecano being a key part of keeping their defence organised and switched on. After this, Leipzig grew into the game, looking dangerous on the counter attack creating some chances at the start of the second half which probably should have seen them come away with more than just the point. Let’s look closer into the 21-year olds stats…
The Frenchman had 100% take ons completed (2/2) which shows his ability on the ball, an attribute that will suit Arteta’s style as he will be able to bring the ball out from defence and into midfield to help start attacks. That is a key part of Dayot’s game I picked up on, as he looked very comfortable dribbling with the ball and trying to find a pass to one of Leipzig’s creative players. This was highlighted when he made an excellently timed tackle in his own area then had the composure to push the ball around an on rushing Bayern attacker, then he found a good pass to Sabitzer.
Another stat that is very encouraging is the fact he won 100% of his aerial duels. To do this when playing against Lewandowski is nothing short of amazing, due to the Polish International being very competent in the air. It shows that even though Dayot isn’t overly tall for a centre-back at 6”1 he has the athleticism to make up for it, something that helps him when making recoveries as well. Speaking of recoveries, he managed to make 10 during the 90 minutes, which is quite a lot. This could be due to his positioning at times, as a young defender he isn’t always in the correct position, however his pace makes up for it. One time this became apparent was when he took down Lewandowski in the box which was a blatant penalty, if it wasn’t ruled out for offside by VAR. Of course this aspect of his game will improve, as he gets older which will mean he won’t have to utilise his pace as often. This stat is interesting to me as it shows his ability to win the ball back for his team, proving his marking is a key part of his style, staying tight to his man and not allowing them time on the ball. This is an attribute which is vital for the Premier League as any striker in England has the ability to punish your team if you give them even the slightest opportunity.
Some more defensive stats that were impressive was his 8 clearances, 4 interceptions, 3 blocks and 2 tackles. This shows how involved he was in the game and how vital the big man was in holding together the Leipzig defence. Some of the blocks he made very important, stopping shots which we going on target from close range, his best one coming from his own poor clearance that fell to the feet of an Bayern attacker, however the way he threw his body in the way afterwards to put the ball out for a corner, showed signs of a potentially world class defender. Not only this, but I noticed his reading of the game is similar to someone well above his years with a lot more experience, as a couple of times Bayern played testing through balls which would have caught most defenders out, however Dayot was able to cut them out with ease. Couple this with his 81% passing accuracy, which was summed up by his outrageous through ball to Lookman in the closing stages with the outside of his foot, topped a monstrous performance from Leipzig’s young talent.
Summary
Overall, this performance has only added to how much I want Arsenal to bring the Frenchman to North London in the summer. At a cut price of roughly €60 million euros, I feel it’s a no brainer, as he has all the physical attributes to be a hit in the Premier League along with already being comfortable on the ball so I see no real reasons why he wouldn’t be successful. There’s no denying he is still a raw talent, as at times his positioning and decision making let’s him down, but I believe under Arteta’s man management he will be able to rectify these aspects and turn him into an incredible centre-back.
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James Humphreys
Gunners Daily 