Noa Lang is a Dutch international player who has recently joined Napoli from PSV Eindhoven to potentially become the successor of the Georgian, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia.
This move can be considered very valuable for the Serie A title holders to reinforce their squad with a key attacking player.
Antonio Conte had been alternating between using Leonardo Spinazzola and Giacomo Raspadori to fill that left-winger position at times, even though neither player is a natural winger.
Despite achieving the necessary results throughout the second part of the season when Kvaratskhelia was not replaced, the management and head coach of Napoli both believe it is essential to replace the Georgian international with someone who can master that role and be as dangerous as the current PSG player.
Therefore, this tactical analysis and scout report will shed light on Lang’s characteristics and abilities as a left-winger while comparing him to Kvaratskhelia to determine whether Lang can produce the same level of performance with Gli Azzurri and whether this can be considered a promising signing.
The analysis will also explore Noa Lang strengths and weaknesses, as well as which aspects of his performance can be more beneficial for Conte’s playing system.
Who Is Noa Lang?
Lang is a 26-year-old winger who can play on either the left or right wing, and also serves as a second striker when needed.
That said, his natural position remains the left wing.
During his youth career, Lang was developed in various clubs, including Feyenoord, Beşiktaş, and Ajax, reaching the senior level with Ajax’s second team before progressing to the first team.
He was then loaned to Twente and Club Brugge for two seasons before being transferred to PSV in 2023.
It is worth noting that during his first season with Club Brugge, he was involved in 28 goal contributions, scoring 17 goals and providing 11 assists, which was a very promising start for Lang.
In his second season with Club Brugge, he improved his number of assists to reach 15 throughout the season, while scoring nine goals.
During his third and final season with the Belgian team, Lang provided eight assists and scored 12 goals in 40 games, which is still a respectable goal contribution record on average.
Following his move to PSV, Lang was unable to finish the season due to a hamstring injury that prevented him from playing in 19 games and forced him to be absent for the remainder of the season, during which he scored five goals and provided two assists.
During last season, Lang was more consistent.
He played in 44 matches, scoring 14 goals and providing 12 assists, contributing 26 goals in 44 games.
These numbers mean that when Lang is not injured, he can usually be very crucial and impactful with the teams he played at, securing a good enough minimum average of goal contributions per season.
It also means that Lang has what is needed to repeat such numbers with Napoli, knowing that playing under Conte’s management would even increase his goal contribution numbers, as he is known for pushing his players to perform at their best.
Noa Lang Radar Chart
According to the pizza chart shown below, we can only confirm that Lang was extremely crucial in terms of goal contribution last season, with an unbelievable rate that helped PSV lift the Eredivisie title.
Lang’s impressive goal contribution numbers are due to his outstanding dribbling abilities, which allow him to put himself in suitable passing or shooting situations.
Dribbling is one of Lang’s most powerful strengths.
He utilises his quick dribbling techniques to evade any defender in any league.
In fact, what makes Lang’s dribbling efficiency even more remarkable is his ability to dribble while running and execute his dribbles with extreme speed, making it complicated for defenders to react or predict his next move.
His efficient ball progression, combined with accurate dribbling, enables Lang to reach the box and have the time to serve one of his teammates inside the box or opt for a shot if the situation is inviting.
Creating many similar situations per game is essentially what makes Lang achieve a high number of goal contributions per season, which proves once again that Lang can be a very dangerous player for Napoli, as he can be quicker and more explosive than Kvaratskhelia.
Furthermore, what makes Lang even more dangerous is his ability to shoot with power and accuracy even when using his left foot.
He is capable of dribbling to the right or the left without fearing to be put in a difficult shooting situation with his “weaker foot.”
In fact, Lang was able to score numerous goals using his left foot after dribbling unexpectedly to the left side, rather than cutting inside to the right.
This adds to the unpredictability of his attacking actions and makes it very complicated to defend against him in duels, especially considering that he is usually very quick in accelerations, dribbling, passing, and shooting.
And in order to succeed in doing so with accuracy, quick and efficient decision-making is another trait that Lang has, knowing that having such fast and crucial decision-making means that Lang is also very intelligent and thinks continuously about his next move.
Noa Lang Vs Khvicha Kvaratskhelia
The following radar graphic compares the two players and confirms that Lang’s goal contributions were slightly higher than those of Kvaratskhelia last season.
At the same time, Kvaratskhelia has a very slight advantage in terms of the number of shots per match.
Although Kvaratskhelia is clearly better in terms of accurate and dangerous passing, Lang touches the ball more inside the box and dribbles more per match, which confirms that Lang can become very dangerous in terms of dribbling and penetrations in Serie A.
Although Kvaratskhelia is better in terms of accurate passing, we should not overlook the progressive passing numbers.
Providing way more progressive passes per match means that Lang has a more direct approach than Kvaratskhelia.
He usually likes to confront defenders, whether by running at them and beating them in one-on-one duels thanks to his dribbling or by providing vertical passes more often to break defensive lines, which also makes him very dangerous.
The comparison between the two players cannot be 100% fair, as both wingers play in different leagues, and also because Kvaratskhelia participated in 51 games this past season, while Lang played 44 matches.
That said, we can observe that the level of the two players is very similar, and Lang has the potential to perform better than Kvaratskhelia with Napoli.
Lang can be more dangerous and crucial if he succeeds in adapting quickly to Napoli’s playing style and in imposing his skills within the system of Conte.
What is evident for now is that Kvaratskhelia is more mature and experienced as a winger, which helps him make the right decisions and is usually decisive.
Therefore, Kvaratskhelia is obviously more complete than Lang for now.
And that’s why Lang has to work hard to reach Kvaratskhelia’s maturity and impact at a top team in order to judge who has been more useful in terms of numbers.
However, in terms of talent, Lang’s potential is not inferior to Kvaratskhelia’s actual form and performances.
The statistics and footage also suggest that Lang can become more productive than Kvaratskhelia, especially in terms of successful dribbles per match.
This would help him eventually achieve a high number of goal contributions per season if he knows how to deal with the situations he creates.
Noa Lang Vs Khvicha Kvaratskhelia Stats
Noa Lang Passing, Assist-Making, & Finishing Skills
In terms of passing, Lang provides an average of 78.7% accurate passes per match and usually attempts to provide key passes as well.
But since he always plays on the wing and tries to penetrate before passing, the chances of him providing key passes between the lines are not always high.
Yet, he is a player who usually attempts progressive passes, whether when running on the wing or after cutting inside.
It is also true that most of his assists and key passes are attempted from the left wing, either as a short pass or a cross towards the box.
Noa Lang Key Pass Assist
In the following assist example, Lang created his own path by cutting inside and dribbling past Juventus’ players before finding a suitable passing option. He then provided a key pass to his teammate and created the goal-scoring chance.
This action highlights his ability to create goal-scoring situations for his teammates out of nothing, proving his creativity and dangerous penetrations.
Providing such key passes between the lines and behind Juventus’ defensive line is not given to anyone, as some wingers prefer to continue their solo effort instead of passing and do not recognise such possibilities.
Moreover, such examples highlight Lang’s vision, quick reactions to passing decisions, and high accuracy of such passes.
Furthermore, Lang has proven on numerous occasions that he can be very dangerous from the middle, not just on the left wing.
He likes to be confronted by several defenders and have to choose between opting for solo dribbling penetrations, pretending to shoot to attract defenders, then providing a key pass, or actually shooting from a distance.
Lang has successfully utilised all of these plans previously and has proven himself to be very dangerous when approaching the box from the middle.
This opens the door to an idea that Conte can sometimes exploit, especially if he plans to use the 3-5-2 formation in the near future or on certain occasions.
The idea is to use Lang as a second striker alongside Romelu Lukaku and evaluate whether he can be as dangerous as when he plays on the wing.
Players with these characteristics have a high chance of succeeding in such second striker roles.
One of the most remarkable examples of a player who succeeded in becoming the second/main striker for Napoli after being a winger is Dries Mertens.
Noa Lang Danger From The Middle
In this action, Lang used his pace to quickly confront the opposing defenders and feint a shot before passing to his teammate on the right side.
This kind of quick decision-making and ability to attract defenders before making an unpredictable choice makes the difference in favour of Lang.
If he succeeds in making such dangerous penetrations with Napoli as well, he would become very useful to the team in terms of problem-solving in the attacking phase.
Noa Lang Finishing Traits
With 0.34 goals scored per match on average and 2.41 shots attempted per game, Lang is considered one of the very dangerous wingers in the footballing scene at the moment, and he can become even more crucial in this regard if he succeeds in terms of goalscoring with a top-class team like Napoli.
Even though he has the potential to become more clinical in front of goal, Lang is already good enough in terms of shooting as he is able to shoot well from different situations.
His agility and excellent dribbling skills make it difficult for goalkeepers to predict his shooting movements or trajectories, thereby increasing his chances of scoring.
This goal action against PSG in the UEFA Champions League further highlights his ability to confuse goalkeepers with powerful shots after running with explosiveness towards the box.
Following his agile run, Gianluigi Donnarumma was unsure what to expect from Lang and was surprised by a quick shooting decision and execution at his right angle.
Conclusion
Overall, Lang can be considered a top signing for Napoli, as he possesses similar qualities to those of Kvaratskhelia and has the potential to make a similar, if not a greater, impact with the Parthenopeans under Conte’s management.
To achieve that, avoiding injuries, continuing to improve his goal contribution numbers, and ensuring that he adapts well to Serie A’s playing style will be fundamental to his success at Napoli.
