Raphinha vs Allan Saint-Maximin 2021/22 scout report: Both are wanted but which is better?

This season, Raphinha and Saint-Maximin have been outstanding once more. Leeds United are indebted to the Brazilian winger as he is their top goalscorer in the Premier League with nine goals. Likewise, Saint-Maximin is their second top goalscorer with five goals, only one behind Callum Wilson. Both players had transfer links to other clubs. Raphinha is linked to Barcelona, with Deco seemingly the orchestrator. Similarly, Liverpool and Chelsea were interested in Saint-Maximin. But, who is better? Is Saint-Maximin just a fancy dribbler? Is Raphinha just a pressing machine? This tactical analysis will look at match events and data to determine which player is better.

Raphinha  pressing master

Leeds United are a high pressing side. This Premier League season, Leeds have the third-highest PPDA (Pressures per Defensive Action), only behind Liverpool and Manchester City. Even going back to the 2020/21 league season, Leeds United had the second-highest PPDA. Plus, three out of the top five players for defensive duels came from Leeds; Luke Ayling, Stuart Dallas and Kalvin Phillips.

But is Raphinha a crucial part of the intense pressing system? Looking at the raw data, we see Raphinhas part of Leeds system may be underrated.

Raphinhas 564 duels are fantastic. However, he only wins 41.8% of these duels, leaving him with 236 successful duels. Raphinhas successful duels are lower than Dallas 327. But, the Northern-Irish man has played over 1,000 minutes more than Raphinha. On a per 90 basis, Raphinha is involved in 20.2 duels which are 8.6% more than Dallas. Raphinha also completes 2.8 recoveries in the opposition half with a 59.7% success rate per 90 minutes.

A great example of Raphinha fitting into Leeds intense system was when The Whites played Norwich. First, Raphinha recognises Adam Forshaw is triggering the press. Then, Stuart Dallas follows suit. Raphinha closes down the Norwich player effectively. The successful press can be attributed to three movements. The first movement was Adam Forshaws. Forshaw closes down Pierre Lees-Melou, which stops him from passing to his right-winger. Next, Dallas movement creates a moment of panic for Kenny McLean, which causes McLean to spend more time on the ball than he should. Finally, Raphinhas fast spring to help close down Mclean seals the deal.

Not only does Raphinha win the ball back, but he also passes the ball perfectly for Patrick Bamford. Bamford should have done the better with the subsequent shot. Nevertheless, Raphinha is a great presser and fits nicely into Leeds system.

Saint-Maximin  defensive powerhouse?

Saint-Maximin has applied his trade for Newcastle United for the past three seasons. Which time he has spent most of his time playing under Steve Bruce, and Newcastle United did not press intensely under Bruce. The data helps show this as Newcastle were the lowest in terms of PPDA during the 2019/20 and 2020/21 Premier League seasons and the second-lowest this season.

However, Saint-Maximin has been an effective presser this season. The French winger has accumulated 697 defensive duels, which is 27.86 per 90 minutes, and these numbers are significantly more than Raphinhas.

But Newcastle United do not require a high amount of possession. This season