Eduard Atuesta: What Palmeiras can expect from the Colombian midfielder – scout report

After back-to-back Libertadores titles, Palmeiras are looking to further strengthen their squad for the 2022 season. As of this week, they have already signed five new players. One of them being the Colombian midfielder, Eduard Atuesta. Atuesta was one of the best midfielders in the MLS and a key player for LAFC in 2021. The 24-year-old midfielder adds both quality and depth to the Palmeiras midfield. With equally impressive defensive and attacking statistics, Atuesta also brings versatility to Abel Ferreira’s adaptive tactics.

In this scout report, we will examine Atuesta’s profile through statistical and tactical analysis in order to determine how he will fit into Palmeiras’ tactics.

Positioning overview

Eduard Atuesta’s heat map shows how dominant he is in the midfield. Often deployed as a central midfielder in a 3-4-1-2 or the defensive mid in a 4-3-3, Atuesta plays a key role in all phases of the game. His positional awareness allows him to constantly balance and organise the midfield throughout the game. In possession, he can either sit deeper and orchestrate play behind the attack or occasionally attack spaces with or without the ball further up the pitch. Equally, on defence, he can either sit deep and cover players or press high up the pitch.