Winger or midfielder? What the experts say about Sudakov’s role at Benfica | OneFootball

The positioning of Sudakov has been at the center of debate in recent weeks, especially after the match against Rio Ave, where he played as an attacking midfielder. Until then, the Ukrainian international had mostly been used on the left wing, with more defensive duties and 'less' impact in the final third of the pitch.

Despite the change in alignment, José Mourinho - who received some news - recently argued that the number 10’s role remained practically the same. However, according to data and graphics from 'Goalpoint', on the field, the differences became visible. Even while still tending to drift to the left side, Sudakov now has greater freedom to occupy central areas and participate more in the offensive build-up.

This change resulted in greater involvement in the game. Against Rio Ave, the midfielder appeared in different areas of the attack, linked up various sectors, and managed to get closer to the opponent’s box. It was one of the matches where he had the greatest offensive influence in the league, confirming that, through the middle, he can better exploit his technical quality.

In the following match, against Juventus, this evolution was once again evident. Sudakov was more present in finishing areas and appeared several times in the penalty box, something that rarely happened when he played as a left winger. Being closer to goal allowed him to be more dangerous and to participate more frequently in decisive actions.

Without the ball, important changes can also be seen. By playing as an attacking midfielder, Sudakov is no longer required to drop back long distances to defend, which allows him to be fresher for offensive moments. In summary, Mourinho is right to point out similarities in the player’s behavior, but according to the data in question, the new position makes Sudakov more influential, closer to goal, and more useful to Benfica as a whole.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇵🇹 here.