Moussa Niakhaté is a 24-year-old footballer who currently plays as a defender for Bundesliga side FSV Mainz 05. He joined FSV Mainz 05 in the summer of 2018 and, during the 2019/20 season, he has started 33 out of the 34 league games the team has been involved in. Niakhaté is a key figure in the FSV Mainz 05 backline, having played as a central defender in 31 games this campaign. When FSV Mainz 05 played with a back three, Niakhaté would find himself playing on the left side of the three.
Niakhaté has captained the side in 12 games during the 2019/20 season, which has seen him been a leader and role model on the pitch. His impressive performances this season have caught the eye of some big clubs across Europe, with AS Roma looking to land the Frenchman, as well as interest from Ligue 1 side Stade Rennais, who are looking to bolster their defence in preparation for the UEFA Champions League next season.
This scout report will examine Niakhaté’s performance this season and analyse the main strengths of his role as a defensive player. In the form of a tactical analysis, we will highlight Niakhaté’s technical ability in possession, as well as his role out of possession. The analysis will conclude by analysing his defensive duties and how he prevents the opposition from being successful.
Niakhaté’s average position this season
Before this analysis digs deeper into Niakhaté’s traits as a player this season, it is important to understand and set the scene as to where specifically on the pitch Niakhaté plays and how this might affect how he plays. As a left-footed player, he has found himself carrying out his duties on the left side, whether that is playing as a left central defender in a back four, left central defender in a back three, or sometimes playing as an out and out left-back.
As we can see from the above graphic, Niakhaté has heavily dominated the left side of the pitch and hasn’t found himself playing in the oppositions half as much as in his own half. It could be argued that it is a result of the overall teams’ tactics that prevent their defensive players from playing in the oppositions half, which is why Niakhaté’s average position this season is mostly in his defensive third. With this being said, his performances in these defensive areas have been vital in preventing FSV Mainz 05 from being relegated from the German top flight.
Technical passing ability in possession
One of the many reasons why Niakhaté is on the radar of many top clubs across Europe is due to his technical ability when in possession of the ball. During this season, Niakhaté has attempted 1450 passes, of which, 1177 have been successful, gaining an 81.2% pass completion rate. He has attempted more medium passes than short or long this campaign and has an 88.6% medium pass completion rate. In Niakhaté’s left-sided defensive position, being able to accurately produce medium/long term passes could prove vital in advancing his team through the thirds, as well as placing his team in key areas when in the attacking transition.
