Physical Profile
The player stands at 5'10 with reports varying on his weight stating it is between 70-73 kg. He has an endomorph build with shorter and wider limbs. He can be described as a 'twitchy player'. His movement is suited to fast and explosive actions making his acceleration speed and acceleration a strong factor of his game. His strides are short and quick which gives him the benefit in short spaces.
To make a physical comparison, Bakayoko is within the mould of Jérémy Doku and Allan Saint-Maximin.
Johan Bakayoko v Jeremy Doku v Allan Saint-Maximin
However, it must be stated his upper body is slightly broader than the names mentioned. He has incredibly strong straight line sprint speed which consists of powerful small steps. His wider limbs makes Bakayoko comfortable with contact whether that's receiving contact whenever he's in possession of the ball or initiating contact to win the ball back he uses the advantages of his frame very well.
Technical Analysis
Ball Reception & First Touch
The explosive Belgian is often positioned to receive the ball close to the touchline on the wide right of the pitch (zones 12 & 15). In settled possession, PSV often have a 3-1-6 shape which aims to progress the ball wide for the wingers to have qualitative advantageous situations through 1 vs 1 against the opposition fullback. Bakayoko is consistently receiving with his hips open in order to use his strong foot to cut diagonally towards the opposition goal.
Dribbling & 1v1 Ability
Game states in which access to central areas is consistently available allows Bakayokos impact to be prominent. His ability to use his outer foot to push off with and explode into his dribble is strong as it allows him to beat his man inside.
When the opposing fullback has a body orientation showing Bakayoko outside or he is doubled teamed out wide he can seem lost. This is due to his reluctance to go on the outside of his man and use his weaker foot to dribble. However it should be stated Bakyoko will go outside of his man on occasion to either cross or cut back onto his more prominent left foot.
His angle bias suggests the PSV star would be more effective in systems where he is given access to carry into central zones via overlapping fullbacks or midfielders or to receive the ball in these areas. He uses both the inside and outside of his foot when dribbling, showing the coordination he has on his strongest foot to manipulate a defender's body orientation and attack weak points.
Passing & Decision-Making
Bakayoko will use his right foot when receiving a pass as his first contact with the ball In order to burst with a heavier touch in front of him then continue to use his strongest foot when driving with the ball and also squaring an opposing defender up. In more settled attacking phases the electric winger will use step-overs then burst off his outside foot to cut in where as in more transitional situations he can recognise the effectiveness of more simplistic quicker touches to gain access into the box or crossing situations quicker. His desire to use his strongest foot as much as possible can lead him to making timely errors especially in transition scenarios as he often cuts back into crowded areas rather then using his right foot to deliver into the space.
With the environment Bakayoko plays within the highly congested central spaces leads him to complete passes that are fairly associative in nature, the distances are often smaller and the pace that he passes with is quick. It showcases his ability to operate well in tighter spaces and play a more associative form of football.
He can play one touch passes and aims to be progressive when possible but if he does make the decision to pass rather than carry the intention is one of safety; he aims to use his effectiveness while carrying the ball.
It must be stated that the data may not outline Bakayoko's true intentions when passing, he often receives progressive passes in the last line which gives him the options to take on his opposing fullback, pass sideways infield or often backwards to retain possession, runs beyond him within the current system he plays within aren't prominent. He is mature in his decision making in this regard of when to attempt beating his man or being more decisive in choosing his moments if he feels the situation wouldn't benefit from this action.
He is a rather reactive passer, he likes to play to what is in front of him or in his peripheral area that seems necessary. It is to be seen if Bakayoko could become more diverse in his passing behaviour with the test of different environments and game structures.
Shooting & Goal Threat
The action of striking the ball with his hips open is Bakyoko's bread and butter. This is why he can become very prominent in central areas via floated crosses towards the back post or shooting towards the far post.
Johan Bakayoko 24/25 Eredivisie Shotmap
This ability to strike well with his hips open due to factors of foot placement and ability to shift his weight through his striking foot effectively has led to a strong xG over-performance by almost 3 goals. It is to be seen how practical Bakayoko ball striking is across his body as he hasn't been played in positions and structures that would force him to execute these actions consistently.
Tactical Analysis
Movement in Possession
Due to the structure and game model Bakayoko currently plays within his position is fixated on being available for wide progression. Therefore in settled phases of position his movement can be very minimal at times. Occasionally he comes short to receive the ball from his centre backs.
In more close associative play, Bakayoko can make third man runs and due to his physical prowess he can enter space quickly and efficiently if it seems visibly available for him. His desire to gain access to available space is very impressive, he is always willing to sprint full speed if he feels a run will make an advantageous situation for himself or his teammates.
Bakayoko has the instinct to run beyond the last line whenever a teammate has space and time on the ball centrally, he rarely slows down to come shorter to the ball he looks to capitalise on the space in behind via through balls if played.
His instinctual movement fits the profile of an inside forward who enjoys making runs in between spaces of the opponents defensive lines. A transition heavy team may be optimal for his skillset due to his tendency to have effective off ball movement in more chaotic game states.
Defensive Work Rate & Pressing
Bakayoko is intense out of possession when engaging within duels, he demonstrates a lot of commitment in winning individual battles. He uses his frame well, in situations where the opposition takes a lose touch he focuses on making contact with the opposition player to make them unbalanced and inhibit their ability to execute technical actions efficiently.
He doesn't aim to win the ball cleanly by biding his time, he attempts to win the ball in all situations if the player is within close proximity to him. This can be a downfall of his especially if the player is fairly press resistant who will use his momentum against him.
Off the ball he seems to continue his level of intensity that he uses in all other phases of play. Within transition scenarios if a player Bakayoko is marking is sprinting into space he will always run with them. It seems almost a prideful battle in sprinting situations, as he seems very committed to not allowing individuals to not get ahead of him.
Like many attackers, in settled defensive phases Bakayoko can become sidetracked by the ball not scanning to notice players who he was marking tightly to have moved away from him or the shuffle of a teammate in his local proximity creating greater distances between him and his teammate which creates space in his team's block. As mentioned before he is more 'reactive' rather than 'proactive' as a footballer. He acts consistently off of his instincts.