Unai López, the 28-year-old Spaniard defensive midfielder with Rayo Vallecano, is a player who really does his homework on the pitch. Positioned primarily as a defensive midfielder, he has the versatility to also play centrally or with a more attacking focus. In the 2023-2024 La Liga season, his commendable ability to recover the ball placed within the top quartile amongst his peers in the same position, further attesting to his physical tenacity and aggressive style of play. This tenacity is also reflected in his foul and yellow card count, which is noticeably higher compared to fellow midfielders.
Meanwhile his ability to retain the ball challenges his formidability as the backline of defence with a ranking positioned lower than average, emphasizing an area for potential improvement of his game. When it comes to chance creation and goal efficiency, López scores decently above average, yet falls short when it comes to delivering direct threats to the goal, indicating his role as more of a playmaker and supportive midfielder than a direct scorer.
López's activity on-pitch exhibits a clear command in the midfield, with the majority of his time spent playing the ball in the midfield third. Lesser time in the attacking third and the penalty areas demonstrates that his contributions primarily lay in controlling the game's tempo, and aiding in defensive cover rather than creating shooting opportunities in the attack zone. Despite a below-average dueling success rate, his higher frequency of successful dribbles shows his competence in evading opponents.
In a nutshell, López is a hard-hitting, versatile midfielder with remarkable ball recovery skills and a playstyle centered primarily on the midfield. His game could benefit from improved ball retention and increased success in duels. Unai López is a multifaceted player crafting his unique style in the heart of Rayo Vallecano's midfield.
Unai López Key stats
Unai López Career Trend
Unai López Shot Maps
Unai López Shot Summary
In the 2023-2024 season, Unai Lopez took 32 shots, scoring 1 goals. This output came from an Expected Goals (xG) of 1.15, averaging 0.04 xG per shot.
Right Foot: 1 goals from 31 shots. A 3.23% conversion rate. 0.03 xG per shot.
Left Foot: 0 goals from 0 shots. A 0% conversion rate. 0 xG per shot.
Headers: 0 goals from 1 headed attempts. A 0.0% conversion rate. 0.15 xG per shot.
