Rodrigo De Paul of Atletico Madrid has truly established himself as a top-tier central midfielder in La Liga this 2023-2024 season. At 29, this Argentinian maestro has been integral to the balance and attacking dynamism of his team, proving himself as both diligent in defensive work and sublime in attack.
With a seemingly limitless capacity for progressive playmaking, De Paul exhibits excellence in both carrying the ball and delivering accurate, forward-thinking passes. He is one of the most creative threats in the league, designing chances and augmenting his team's goal efficiency like few others. His assist rates and expected assist (xA) rates are nothing short of remarkable, exemplifying his role as the fulcrum of Atletico's attacking plans.
De Paul's superb dribbling skills quit often get him into the thick of things, leading to a high win rate in both aerial and on-ground duels. Despite his strong attacking orientation and inclination to get forward, he often finds himself involved in ball recovery.
However, his defensive contributions are not as impressive. He often comes short in making interceptions and recovers the ball less than his counterparts in La Liga. This is likely a product of his attacking proclivity which, while boosting Atletico's offense, may leave them a tad vulnerable defensively. He also has a relatively high incidence of fouling and getting booked, indicating a potential lack of discipline when it comes to defensive duties. This is something he may want to indulge in some introspection for, or else run the risk of depleting Atletico's resources on the field.
On a concluding note, being found more often in the midfield and attacking third, De Paul is the prototypical modern day central midfielder whose progressive play, incredible chance creation and creative playmaking abilities more than counterbalance his defensive frailties.
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Rodrigo De Paul Career Trend
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Rodrigo De Paul Shot Summary
In the 2023-2024 season, Rodrigo De Paul took 30 shots, scoring 3 goals. This output came from an Expected Goals (xG) of 1.9, averaging 0.06 xG per shot.
Right Foot: 3 goals from 25 shots. A 12.0% conversion rate. 0.06 xG per shot.
Left Foot: 0 goals from 5 shots. A 0.0% conversion rate. 0.08 xG per shot.
Headers: 0 goals from 0 headed attempts. A 0% conversion rate. 0 xG per shot.
