Having finished third in their 2018/19 Bundesliga campaign, RB Leipzig will play Champions League football this season for the second time in their 10 year history. With promising coach Julian Nagelsmann arriving from Hoffenheim, they will also hope to close the gap on rivals Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund in the title race.
Much like his new coach, centre-back Dayot Upamecano continues to defy his age. Despite being just 20-years-old, the French youth international has already racked up 4439 minutes in Germanys top-flight. This scout report will outline his strengths, supported by statistics.
Ball-playing defender
As we will see later in this tactical analysis, Upamecano consistently demonstrates a high level of positional awareness and decision-making in defensive phases. However, his ability on the ball is what makes him stand out as one of the most exciting young talents in Europe.
Much like his teammate Ibrahima Konaté, he is a multi-dimensional asset to his side in possession. The former RB Salzburg youngster has the ability to break down opponents lines with passes and dribbles.
His passing range allows him to vary between exploiting the space in behind, finding attackers between the lines, and switching the play. In the example below, Upamecano spots the run of Marcel Sabitzer, before playing a perfectly weighted pass over the top of Hoffenheims defence.
As mentioned, he can also find teammates between the lines. He has an impressive ability to weight passes appropriately so that the receiver can control the ball in tight spaces. His pass accuracy is also crucial in this regard, averaging 86.2% over the course of last season.
The following example illustrates this talent, with the Frenchman playing a lofted ball towards the withdrawn striker Timo Werner. The pass overcomes two Napoli midfielders, while the pressure from his direct opponent isnt enough to cause the defender any panic.
As shown by the following sequence, Upamecanos press resistance is exceptional for a central defender. During his career so far, he has gained some experience at the base of midfield. His future almost certainly lies in defence, but his spell in the pivot role emphasised his ball-playing gifts.
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