Sander Berge is a 21-year-old defensive midfielder from Norway currently plying his trade in the Belgian Pro League for Genk. At just 21 Berge has a host of first-team football under his belt having played 125 senior games for Genk and Vålerenga. Genk won the Belgian Pro League by seven points last season and Berge played 1,373 minutes from a possible 2,700. To add to this, Berge played 390 minutes for Genk in the Europa League. He made his Norway debut in 2017 and as 14 caps to his name today. With various outlets reporting in the last six months that Berge is wanted by the likes of Roma, Tottenham, Manchester City and Benfica the question is; is he ready for the step up? In this tactical analysis, we will look at the two sides to Berges game using statistics: his defensive capability and his offensive ability.
Berges defensive capability
It goes without saying that as a defensive midfielder it would be desirable if you can defend. As such, I will cast my eye over Berges performance and profile in this aspect of the game.
Berge is an aggressive defender and often finds himself pressing and harrying opposition players from behind trying to force a turnover. In the example above and below, Berge presses a ball-carrier as soon as he receives the ball, taking care not to foul him. He uses his physical strength to win the ball and then once in possession he calmly dribbles aware from the danger, securing possession for his team.
However, he is also
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