Marcos Antônio 2022/23: Lazio’s new regista who will replace club legend Lucas Leiva – scout report

After a relatively successful first year at Lazio, Maurizio Sarri now looks to continue developing his work with the Biancocelesti. On the pitch, Sarri has certainly implemented his vision of football over this first year. The quest now lies in further developing and enhancing these tactics in order to reach the elite of Italian football alongside the likes of Internazionale and AC Milan. Consequently, their recruitment in this transfer window now becomes essential in order to make this next step. With the aim of improving the team’s performances, the board now looks for players that will elevate the squad’s quality while still adhering to Sarri’s tactics.

Marcos Antônio is the first step in this journey, with the 22-year-old officially signing a five-year deal with Lazio this summer. For a fee of €8 million (plus €2 million in add-ons), the Brazilian midfielder joins Sarri’s side after three years with Shakhtar Donetsk. As a long-term replacement for club legend Lucas Leiva, Marcos Antônio rejuvenates this Lazio side, who had the third-oldest average age in the 2021/22 Serie A. Nonetheless, the Brazilian still brings plenty of quality and UEFA Champions League experience to Le Aquile’s midfield.

In this scout report, Marcos Antônio’s characteristics, playing style, and strengths will be examined through statistical and tactical analysis. Furthermore, Lazio’s tactics will be considered in order to determine how and where exactly the 22-year-old fits into Sarri’s side.

Overview

With over three years of European experience, Marcos Antônio has significantly developed and refined his style. After joining Estoril Praia from Athletico Paranaense’s youth academy in late 2018, Antônio joined Shakhtar Donetsk only five months later. It was in Ukraine where the Brazilian blossomed into an intelligent and technical midfielder with tremendous potential. As a result of his small stature (166 cm), Marcos had to rely on characteristics such as awareness, mobility, and technique. Consequently, these are now cornerstones of the young midfielder’s game, traits that make him such a desirable and unique talent.

Marcos Antônio is predominantly right-footed, and with a low centre of gravity, he is able to quickly get in and out of tight spaces with incredible ease. While his intelligence guides him off the ball, as we will see in this analysis, his technique on the ball also makes him a pleasure to watch. Essentially, he is the key to a fluid, effective, and intelligent midfield.

While a significant part of his heatmap is in the opposition half, Marcos is a rather versatile midfielder. For Shakhtar, he often played as a defensive midfielder in a double pivot. Obviously, with his stature, he does not bring that physical defensive presence to protect the backline. Nonetheless, he is still able to effectively compose a defensive system without hindering it. In possession, though, is where he shines the most as we will see in this analysis. In the right circumstances, Marcos Antônio is able to perform anywhere in the midfield.

Passing

Perhaps the most significant aspect of the 22-year-old’s game is his passing ability. Despite the incredible accuracy and range, it is the volume of his passing that stands out the most. In 2021/22, he averaged 85.54 passes per 90 at an outstanding 93.7% success rate. This is very much in line with Sarri’s Lazio, a side who averaged the most passes (517.21 per 90) in the 2021/22 Serie A. This high volume of passes is a representation of his relentless movement, a characteristic we will examine in detail later.

Marcos Antônio is constantly offering support and retaining possession, especially in more advanced areas. One of his pass maps below further highlights this, illustrating the location, range, and volume of his passes. The majority of them are in the opposition half as he is frequently responsible for breaking defensive lines and disrupting defensive organisations through quick short passes.