Konstantinos Mavropanos scout report: The Arsenal loanee keeping Stuttgart’s Bundesliga survival hopes alive

Contrary to last season, Stuttgart are struggling in the Bundesliga this term, currently being in the relegation zone with only 17 points in 17 games. The team doesn’t show consistency both in defence and in attack and have difficulties in keeping their opponents away from the goal.

There are a few players, though, that still hold the hope for a better outcome at the end of the season and do their best in each game. One of them is the centre defender Konstantinos Mavropanos. The Arsenal loanee is the best performer for Stuttgart in the 2021/22 campaign so far, not only due to providing defensive stability but also contributing to the attacking actions.

Despite his position in the back three, he is currently the team’s top goalscorer with four goals, which shows his versatility but also underlines Stuttgart’s struggles in possession. Mavropanos’ decision making and confidence have helped the team in scoring on a few occasions, but it has also affected their vulnerable defensive performance positively as he is one of the most active players out of possession.

This scout report in the form of tactical analysis explains why the 24-year-old is that important in their tactics and how he keeps their hopes for survival in Bundesliga alive.

Stuttgart’s struggles

Die Roten have one of the worst-performing defences in the league, having conceded 31 goals so far and struggling in many aspects out of possession. One of the team’s biggest vulnerabilities is their reaction to counter-attacks. Or more accurately said, the lack of organisation and awareness in these situations. One of the reasons for their struggles is the back-three formation.

While it helps them in possession as they like to play with width, it leads to many defensive mistakes. Not only because of the late defensive movement of the wing-backs but also due to the highly positioned centre-backs. The manager Pellegrino Matarazzo opts for either 3-5-2 or 3-4-2-1 which often results in the team getting carried away in their attacking actions and leaving spaces behind.

They have conceded four goals from counters so far, which underlines their inability to both cover depth and defend as a unit as they fail to anticipate the oppositions’ movement and position well defensively. Despite their lack of awareness, they most frequently become victims of losing possession in key areas, which leads to their opponents’ counter-attacks.

Another team fragility is their positioning and reactions when defending set-pieces. The team are often unable to defend crosses which also affects their performance when defending corners. They have so far conceded seven times from set-plays, while many of the goals conceded from open play are a result of poor man-marking and positioning in the box, after corners.

Mavropanos out of possession

Mavropanos’ defensive performance has been very strong since the beginning of the season. The team’s poor defensive record would have been even worse if it wasn’t for his strong reading of the game and anticipation skills. He is the most solid player at the back as thanks to his decision-making most of his direct challenges are successful.

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