When Bruno Lage was appointed manager of Wolverhampton Wanderers in the summer of 2021, many fans wondered what the Portuguese would bring to the team and how much Wolves would change from their previous years under Nuno Espírito Santo.
Those same people can now look at the current Wolves side and tell that not much has changed.
In fact, the team from the Midlands has only gotten better in the recent weeks.
Wolverhampton are currently eighth in the Premier League and are seriously fighting for a place in European competition next season.
The Portuguese duo of Rúben Neves and João Moutinho have been absolutely fundamental so far this season, in the centre of Wolves’ midfield.
The following visualisation shows the performance of these two midfielders this season, compared to the other central and defensive midfielders in the league.
João Moutinho & Rúben Neves Radar Maps
Wolves play a 3-4-3 formation quite frequently.
At the heart of the midfield, they have two players in Neves and Moutinho who complement each other very well.
Neves, in spite of being linked with a move away from Wolves for quite some time now, still continues to produce some of his best performances.
As seen in the radar map above, Rúben Neves ranks top tier for passing in the Premier League.
He is in the 96th percentile for progressive passes per 90 minutes and 98th percentile for passes into the final third per 90.
The 24-year-old also ranks average for defensive actions.
João Moutinho strengths are in the defensive side of the game.
The 35-year-old ranks in the 81st percentile for successful defensive actions per 90 minutes and 73rd percentile for defensive duels per 90 minutes.
In contrast to Neves, Moutinho does not attempt progressive passes quite as frequently.
When it comes to creating chances for teammates, Wolves are largely dependent on Neves and Moutinho to create their chances.
Neves ranks in the 65th percentile for key passes per 90 minutes and Moutinho ranks in the 75th percentile for xA per 90 minutes.
However, both of these midfielders are not frequent scorers.
Wolves have had a strong first half of the season and their defensive record is particularly eye-catching.
Only Manchester City conceded fewer goals than Bruno Lage’s team.
If they are to continue this form in the second half of the season, they will first of all need Rúben Neves to stay at the club until the summer and second of all need the Portuguese midfield duo to continue this form.
