Deniz Undav Scout Report At Royale Union Saint-Gilloise 2021/2022 – The German Marksman Leading RUSG To Belgian Glory

When you think of high-quality German strikers, most names that come to mind are Kevin Volland at AS Monaco, Thomas Müller at FC Bayern München, and Timo Werner at Chelsea. However, one German striker that not many football fans have heard of is Deniz Undav, the German marksman for Royale Union Saint-Gilloise.

Arguably Germany’s most in-form attacker at the moment, with 16 goals and 9 assists through 21 games this season, Undav’s path to the top is a great success story. Making a name for himself at SV Meppen in Germany’s 3. Liga; Undav left the club in the summer of 2020, joining Union Saint-Gilloise in Belgium’s second tier.

After leading the Brussels-based side to promotion with 17 goals and 5 assists through 26 games, he has picked up where he left off, helping his side to a 7-point lead over back-to-back champions Club Brugge at the top of the Belgian Pro League.

This tactical analysis and scout report will examine Undavs strengths and weaknesses, as well as illustrate how well he and Dante Vanzeir operate together.

Deniz Undav Position

As shown by the heat map above, Undav is much more than just a central striker. He will move to wherever the ball is, always trying to be involved in the build-up. As also shown, moving wide left is commonplace for Undav. Felice Mazzù tends to split the strikers to push the midfielders forward centrally. This results in Undav being forced left, and Vanzeir being forced right. In Felice Mazzu’s consistent 3-5-2 formation, Undav is an ever-present up top alongside Dante Vanzeir. Undav has started every game this season for Union Saint-Gilloise in the Belgian Pro League, and he fits perfectly with the system and tactics that Felice Mazzu wants to play.

Dropping deep to link-up/hold-up play

Deniz Undav is not a striker who likes to stay forward on the shoulder of the last defender. He instead prefers to drop into pockets of space between the lines to help the midfielders link-up play. Undav’s 9 assists so far this season show how effective this strategy is. Undav opting to be more of a deeper-lying playmaker allows Dante Vanzeir to keep the opposition defensive line pinned back with his runs in behind the defence. Also, with a pass accuracy of 72% this season across close to 600 passes attempted, Undav is selective in his passing and often avoids dangerous passes that could leave his side open to counter-attacking opportunities.