Andrea Stašková has recently joined Milan Women from Atlético Madrid Women in a deal that can greatly benefit the Rossonere from an attacking perspective.
Who is Stašková? The Czech international started her footballing journey at Sparta Prague in 2016 before moving to Serie As Juventus in 2019, winning three Serie A titles, one Coppa Italia and three Supercoppa Italiana.
Failing to qualify with her nation for the upcoming FIFA Womens World Cup is undoubtedly disappointing for Stašková. However, this can be seen as a positive for Milan as it could allow Stašková more time to integrate into her new team, gelearnhe teams tactics, and adapt to her new roles. Now, she can focus entirely on preparing for a competitive season in Italy.
This tactical analysis and scout report will therefore study Staškovás abilities and look at how Maurizio Ganz can use the Czech striker in attack in an effective way while keeping a balanced formation and lineup. The analysis will also compare Stašková and her rivals for the striker role in order to have a complete idea of the best options and the most suitable solution for Milans attack.
Staškovás impact on Milans attack and tactics
Staškovás arrival can change a lot of things in Milans attacking plans and even in their formations since Ganz is already a head coach who changes his formations a lot and has been alternating Milans shape regularly during the last period. Staškovás presence within the team will oblige Ganz to find a suitable plan that fits not only Staškovás abilities but also Kosovare Asllani, Martina Piemonte, Chanté Dompig and Lindsey Thomas.
At the moment, Ganzs Milan have been using the 4-1-4-1 formation while opting for the 4-3-3 formation and the 4-2-3-1 at other times. Now, with the arrival of a true striker who plays well inside the box like Stašková along with Piemonte, it will be somewhat more helpful to opt for a formation that includes two strikers and make use of both Stašková and Piemonte at the same time with Asllani playing as an advanced playmaker just behind them in a 4-3-1-2 formation, guaranteeing an excellent attacking trio with dangerous abilities for any opponent.
Another option would be to use Asllani and Thomas as wingers and opt for one of Stašková or Piemonte as a striker. But in all cases, Stašková has the advantage of having a regular spot in this Milan side, knowing that only Piemonte can rival her for the striker spot since she is a very talented and valuable forward.
At the same time, Asllani can play with Stašková in the same lineup since Ganz has already been using the Swedish international as a winger or an advanced playmaker most of the time and not as a striker. Plus, the Czech international has more experience and talent than Chanté Dompig at the moment — therefore, she is more likely to have the advantage over the Dutch player.
Despite this advantage, Stašková still has to prove her worth at Milan and regain her excellent Juventus form now that shes back in Italy. Indeed, her experience at Atlético Madrid would surely help her in the coming years in terms of experience. Yet, she will have to work hard in order to re-adapt to Serie As playing style and mentality as soon as possible and make an impact needed from her as quickly as possible to help Milan score more goals and improve their standing.
Goalscoring skills
Stašková is a rare player who still aims at a goal from a distance and often shoots while retaining a high success rate. She uses this ability whenever she notices that goalkeepers arent 100% focused or when afforded the space necessary for attempting such powerful shots.
This excellent shooting technique allows Stašková to always pose a threat on the ball even when retreating to receive from a deeper teammate in midfield like in the following example. Her shot power is a unique feature that differentiates Stašková from the rest of the strikers, even the ones who are more skilful than her.
Scoring such difficult goals puts Stašková in an excellent position compared to her rivals. And the fact that she also uses her physical strength to get past opponents and shoot with extreme power helps her become even more useful to any team. Stašková has an average of 49,4% shots on target per game, and this rate can be improved even further if she continues working on this area of her game and if she is used appropriately at Milan.
This example below highlights Staškovás ability to get past opponents using her body while st
