Jules Koundé is now officially an F.C. Barcelona. With the arrival of the Frenchman, Barça acquired one of the most promising central defenders in the world and, most important of all, the level of the defensive line increased exponentially, something Xavi Hernández wanted. Here's my tactical analysis of what it can bring:
Koundé is a center back who goes well beyond this position. His fetish location is right-handed center back. He is where he has played the most and where he feels most comfortable but, due to physical characteristics and offensive ease, he has also played as a right back. In fact, the Frenchman was Sevilla's usual right-back during Jesús Navas' long-term absence from Sevilla last year or from the French team in more than one game. Likewise, we have also seen him placed as a right center in a defense of three.
A super complete defense that not only solves a position but completely solves an entire sector. Good proof of this can be seen by looking at their Positional Map for the 2021/2022 season (@sofascore).
It is very fast and powerful to manage spaces. And precisely for that reason he feels safe defending very high. In addition, he always positions himself slightly in front of the defensive line to encourage his teammates to go up the pitch when the team does not have the ball. Of those defenders that keep the team tall and compact, a very important aspect.
He takes the ball very well from behind. He was the Sevilla player who made the most passes last year (65.5 per game), certifying 88.9% reliability. He knows how to eliminate rival high pressure and has clairvoyance to find the first pass. In case of individual pairing of the opponent, he does not hesitate to use any feint or dribble maneuver to avoid it.
In situations of doubt whether to jump to the steal or not to jump, he always chooses to defend forward. In fact, he is one of the best anticipators in Europe. He pulls a lot from this maneuver. He is always near mark for it. He wins most defensive duels. Specifically 70% according to the @AlebiaAnalytics platform.
One of the things in which the French defender has improved the most in recent seasons. He has gone from being a footballer who was carried away by the magnetism of the ball to outlining himself very well to always have control of the ball and the mark closest to him. Julen Lopetegui's role has been decisive in this because, in general, Sevilla is a team that has defended the area excellently in recent years. He has been the central defender of the team with the least goals scored in the 2021/2022 season and the third least scored in the 2020/2021. To which we must add that in the 76 league games that the Sevilla team has played in the last two years, he has only conceded 48 goals from inside the area. And he has great responsibility in it.
He is not very tall but he has a spectacular aerial game. His ability to propel himself up is enormous and he paces the moment of the jump very well. Last season he averaged 2.4 aerial duels won per game. Along with Diego Carlos, the most of the Sevilla squad.
In the 2021/2022 League he was expelled twice (against Barça and Espanyol) and both times for unnecessarily turning around in disputes with rivals. Appearance that he needs to change quickly and essential.
Few buts can be put to a 23-year-old defender who has already shown everything he has done to date. To put something that I would have to pay attention to is to evolve in all those small defensive details that help to be more efficient. Orienting the opponent well, quickly observing their technical maneuvers or their falling sides, looking at how the team is organized before jumping, polishing the margin distance over par... all those intangibles that make players even better. His physical performance is so powerful that until now he has not needed it, but he may reach a point in his career, when they are pure gold to continue performing at the highest level.
