Francesco Acerbi Scout Report
Our scout report presents Francesco Acerbi, Inter's coveted Center Back, as an archetype of seasoned solidity and valor. Despite being 36 years, Acerbi's performances in the 2023-2024 Serie A season were nothing short of impressive.
A clever balancer of utility and consistency, Acerbi masters aerial matchups with nearly peerless confidence, landing in the upper echelons for aerial duel win rates. The duel win percentage, breaching the 90th percentile, clearly marks him out as an immovable force in defense, making him a formidable adversary in physical battles.
Acerbi is effective in his ball recoveries and interceptions, and although these areas are not his most pronounced strengths, his positioning and reading of the game help him in these aspects. However, there's always more room for improvement, particularly in his relatively lower foul-commitment percentile, signaling a need for more discipline in challenges.
Beyond his defensive duties, Acerbi also displays commendable prowess in possession, with impressively high touches percentile. His progressive carrying ability tips past half, a decent score for a player at his position. Mirroring his league position percentile, his pass accuracy shows that he's comfortable on the ball and confident in his choices of distribution.
Perhaps most remarkably, Acerbi shows a striker's instinct, as evidenced by his sky-high goal efficiency percentages and a substantial goal threat percentile, quite a feat for a Centre Back! Alongside, he also boasts a high chance creation percentile, a testament to his broader contributions to the team's attacking play. Worth noting is his high assists per 90 and xA per 90 values. For a defender, these metrics exemplify Acerbi's value not just at the back but also in supporting forward plays.
However, his player activity and possession area statistics further elucidate his style of play. Predominantly active in the midfield and defensive third, Acerbi's involvement in the attacking third remains relatively lower. Acerbi is essentially an Italian stalwart – a defender with an aptitude for precision, unruffled calm in battles, and enhanced attacking contribution. Experts agree, Francesco Acerbi remains a valuable asset for Inter.