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Josko runs the show

By Ratul Ghosh
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Josko Gvardiol
Player in Focus - Josko Gvardiol

Croatia has truly been a boon for the footballing world. The 2018 World Cup finalists have been excellent in producing world-class players regularly. Luka Modric, Matteo Kovacic, Marcelo Brozovic, and Ivan Rakitic are some of the most heralded names of this generation.

The next crop of players is also making a steady name for themselves, including Lovro Majer and Luka Sucic. However, the brightest talent in this pool is of course Josko Gvardiol.

 

The centre-back for RB Leipzig is just 20-years-old but is already an established player for club and country. Gvardiol has been excellent ever since bursting onto the scene with Dinamo Zagreb in 2019.

He is set to become a star for the ages if he can continue his upward rise. There’s nothing that says he will stop. FootTheBall brings the Josko Gvardiol Scout Report.

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Josko Gvardiol scout report

A progressive defender

The Josko Gvardiol scout report cannot begin without highlighting how he is not a defender at all. Yes, Gvardiol is nowhere near a traditional centre-back. One look at his numbers makes it clear that this is a player who loves getting high up the pitch and advancing the ball.

Gvardiol makes 5.31 progressive passes per 90 along with receiving 0.67 progressive passes per 90.

 

That shows how much involved Gvardiol gets with attacking sequences. Moreover, Gvardiol also averages 5.62 progressive carries and 1.43 touches in the opponent’s penalty area. Domenico Tedesco has continued with the 3-4-2-1 with Gvardiol as the left-sided defender of the back three.

Therefore, it is easy to see why fans are so excited about Gvardiol. Still so young, the kind of promise he is showing makes it a guarantee that Gvardiol will remain a marauding presence for opponents.

Read also: How Lukas Klostermann became one of the premier attacking defenders in the Bundesliga

 

Behemoth at the back

Even though he is so adept offensively, Josko Gvardiol scout report is incomplete without mentioning his defensive work. He applies 11.75 pressures per 90, which allows him to close attackers quickly often. Moreover, Gvardiol has recorded 2.19 tackles and 2.03 blocks per 90.

 

Given how far up the pitch he likes to venture, the true standout of his defending comes in interceptions. He averages 3.22 interceptions per 90, putting him in the 98th percentile amongst defenders across Europe. This shows how well Gvardiol reads the game and gets in the positions from which attacks can be broken up.

Gvardiol is extremely quick on his feet, meaning he covers ground rapidly to diffuse any threatening situations. Therefore, it is no surprise why Gvardiol has been a supreme fit at Leipzig.

 

An all-round package

Having already mentioned his attacking and defensive ratings, it is now time to have a deeper look. The Josko Gvardiol scout report cannot be completed without discussing more than what meets the eye. He is an ex,cellent passer, averaging 90% completion over short and medium distances. Gvardiol has already been involved in 26 shot-creating actions and five goal-creating actions.

 

He hates people dribbling past, succeeding more than 50% of the time in putting in a fair tackle. The Bundesliga has been in awe of the defender ever since his arrival. The 2021-22 season is his debut campaign in a foreign league and Gvardiol is already making people take notice.

Gvardiol is in the top-10 of progressive passes, through balls, interceptions, pass targets and more. Leipzig’s incredible rejuvenation owes a large part to Gvardiol being a rock solid presence at the back.

 

Future national hero

The conclusion of the Josko Gvardiol scout report has to focus on his international career and his prospects in the future. Gvardiol made his debut at UEFA Euro 2020, becoming the youngest player to play for Croatia at a major tournament. He had solid outings and earned rave reviews. However, Gvardiol had a shaky performance against Spain which goes to show there is still much room for improvement.

 

Moreover, there are some areas that could definitely do with an uptick. Gvardiol has made only 2.76 clearances per 90 over the last year, putting him the lowest depths of the percentile chart. Furthermore, he only wins 2.46 aerials, again not a great sign for a defender. The game is evolving at such a rate nowadays that centre-backs have to develop an attacking mind effectively. Therefore, Gvardiol has done the same.

 

In short, the Josko Gvardiol scout report has been doing most things right. Croatia made headlines four years ago in reaching the final of the FIFA World Cup. Gvardiol will be looking to write his own piece of history this time around at Qatar 2022.

Ratul Ghosh
His name means Red and a fan of devilish food, which equals to his favourite team being Manchester United. Can be found sleeping or in front of the TV otherwise. Hates waking up early but loves staying up late for football.

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