Marco Ilaimaharitra Scout Report
In our scout report of Marco Ilaimaharitra, the standout midfielder for Sporting Charleroi, we find a player who is a master of ball recovery, with a rank in the top 10% of the Pro League A in the 2023-2024 season. He exhibits a powerful presence in possession, indicated by his touches ranking, with nearly 90% more than others in his position. The robust statistic highlights his role as the fulcrum of Charleroi's play.
Ilaimaharitra has a specific style of contributing to his team's attack. His goal efficiency rating is strong — in the upper third of his peers. But his relatively lower goal threat and shot metrics hint at an orchestrated style of play rather than a direct goal-scoring approach. Instead, he uses his excellent progressive passing ability, with a ranking well into the top quartile, to move the ball forward and create opportunities.
Interestingly, while his chance creation is proficient, the actual assists and expected assists (xA) stats are at the median level. This juxtaposition may indicate that he's opening up play and creating opportunities, but these may not be being finished off by his teammates — a weakness of the team, rather than of Ilaimaharitra.
We see significant activity in the midfield third of the pitch, indicative of his playmaker role rather than as a deep-lying play breaker. Consequently, despite his age, his duels win percentage is commendable, defying the typical drop-off as players age.
Despite Ilaimaharitra's talents, the frequency of his card collection concerns, placing him in the top 20% of card-collectors. This may be due to his aggressive style of play or persistent offences. Regardless, he'll need to bring this down to avoid potentially critical suspensions.
In conclusion, Marco Ilaimaharitra proves to be a central figure in Charleroi's tactics, his strong command of the game and ability to move the play forward, reflecting his position as one of the League's leading midfielders.