Numbers behind Matias Soule’s impressive season at Roma | OneFootball

Matias Soule proved crucial as Roma as they picked up a 2-0 win over Sassuolo today. The 22-year-old racked up a goal and assist, sparkling in the second half and ensuring a win for Gian Piero Gasperini’s side.

This season has been a real coming of age for the Argentine. Last season, there was a point when he was being linked with an exit. Around that point, Claudio Ranieri convinced him to stay and this token of trust saw Soule slowly take flight. He scored five times and assisted as many times, finishing the season with ten goal contributions in Serie A.

Most importantly, he finished the campaign by assisting in each of the last three games. Gasperini’s arrival was seen as a promise, with the Italian having a track record of bringing most out of attacking players. That is exactly what has happened.

So far in the campaign, Soule already has contributed to ten league goals while playing 20 games. In the Europa League, he has a goal and an assist.

He is playing more centrally than he was last season and that suits him, as he picks the ball up in the half spaces and drives towards goal.

As per FBRef, he is 87 percentile for shot-creation actions and that is quite impressive indeed. His ability to carry the ball has also come to the fore, ranking him at 88 percentile in that metric. More important than that is the fact that all of this is happening in and around the final third and centrally.

This is making him such a dynamic outlet for Roma, especially since Gasperini has constantly mentioned a lack of suitable attacking options. More than that, Paulo Dybala has also faced a fair share of injury worries.

Soule’s 1v1 ability has also been key, coming up clutch when Leon Bailey has constantly been injured. He ranks 77 percentile for successful take-ons, showcasing the skills he has been synonymous with since his youth days.

Things can yet get better for the Argentine, with half a season yet to be played.

Kaustubh Pandey I GIFN