In this scout report, young Portuguese defensive midfielder Tiago Dantas' style of play is under scrutiny. Plying his trade at AZ Alkmaar in the Eredivisie, this 23-year-old's potential shimmers with every game. His prowess lies in his attacking throughput rather than his conventionally defensive role. Displaying an attacking impetus, Dantas boasts a compelling goal threat factor, ascending into the top fifth of his contemporaries in the league. His progressive passing ability, too, falls within the exceptional top tenth.
However, Dantas seems to be struggling with elements consistent with his position on the field. Alarmingly low percentiles for ball recovery and retention, coupled with a mere dribbles success rate, significantly contrasts his otherwise strong playmaking statistics. One could even say there's a conspicuous dichotomy between his defensive and offensive contributions.
In terms of being an asset in possession, Dantas does well with high touches percentile, indicating his involvement and control in the game. However, his middling chance creation and goal efficiency suggest room for improvement in converting these instances into clear-cut attacking chances.
Rather curiously, Dantas seems to encounter the ball frequently in the midfield third, pointing to a pronounced playmaker role rather than a defensive linchpin. His low foul count might raise eyebrows about his intensity in challenges, but conversely, it infers discipline and calculated aggression.
In essence, Tiago Dantas, while shaping up to be a promising player statistically, appears to be caught between two roles - an incisive playmaker and a defensive midfielder. His development will certainly hinge on refining either his defensive prowess or dovetailing his playmaking abilities with better finishing.
Tiago Dantas Key stats
Tiago Dantas Career Trend
Tiago Dantas Shot Maps
Tiago Dantas Shot Summary
In the 2023-2024 season, Tiago Dantas took 12 shots, scoring 1 goals. This output came from an Expected Goals (xG) of 1.46, averaging 0.12 xG per shot.
Right Foot: 1 goals from 10 shots. A 10.0% conversion rate. 0.12 xG per shot.
Left Foot: 0 goals from 2 shots. A 0.0% conversion rate. 0.11 xG per shot.
Headers: 0 goals from 0 headed attempts. A 0% conversion rate. 0 xG per shot.
