Borna Sosa is a Croatian professional footballer who plays as a left-back or left-wing back for the Bundesliga club Stuttgart and the Croatia national team. He has been a crucial part of Stuttgart‘s season so far and has been a standout performer, providing a constant attacking threat down the left flank. He scored his first goal in the German top division for Stuttgart from a free-kick in his side’s recent three-nil victory over FC Koln. Sosa’s pace and dynamism have been integral to Stuttgart’s survival this season, with the 25-year-old often driving forward with pace and providing a much-needed attacking outlet. His crossing ability has been outstanding this season, as evidenced by his six assists in the Bundesliga 2022/23 season so far. Below, are some of the stats for Sosa that show why he is an important player for his team.
Overall performance this season
Primarily a left-back, Sosa provides an attacking and aggressive tone down the left flank. He has made 15 appearances for Stuttgart in the current season. The above viz shows the percentile rank of Borna Sosa’s stats from the Bundesliga 2022/23 compared to other left-backs. It can be observed that the 25-year-old ranks highly in all of the attacking indicators, especially dribbles and expected goal contributions. The player lacks the ability to contribute defensively to the team, as seen by his low rank for defensive duels won and contested. Overall, he also possesses good stats in the passing department.
Attacking intent
The Croatian possesses some key qualities of a good winger, which include dribbling and crossing ability. He performs these attacking actions deep in the final third, as evidenced by the high number of attempted dribbles near either flank and inside the penalty area. He also sends in a high number of crosses into the box from the flanks. The player averages as many as 2.94 dribbles per match with a 47.4% success rate and delivers 6.1 crosses with a 39.2% success rate. He often links up well with his teammates, combining with them to create and score goals.
Sosa has been lethal going forward and has contributed to the team by creating scoring opportunities for others. He has provided six assists for Stuttgart thus far, for a total xA of 4.16. From the shot assist viz. above, it can be observed that most of the chances he created were through accurate layoffs and crosses delivered into the box or cutbacks near the edge of the box. One of his assists has come from a corner delivery. Overall, the player averages 0.46 assists per match and has created a few big chances.
Defensive contributions
Defensively, Sosa has been solid, helping to keep Stuttgart in shape and provide cover for his central defenders. He has been tasked with the role of both defender and attacker, and he has done that tirelessly so far. The above viz shows the defensive territory of the 25-year-old Croatian left-back. It indicates that Sosa is involved in a lot of defensive actions in the defensive and middle thirds. Being a fullback, he covers an entire flank of the field in terms of his defensive territory. Overall, he has a win percentage of 58.3% for defensive duels and 45.5% for aerial duels per 90 minutes. He also makes interceptions inside the box as well as in his defensive third. Borna makes 3.4 interceptions and makes 6.41 recoveries per match.
Ability to assist
In his last two seasons so far in the Bundesliga with Stuttgart, Borna Sosa has provided 17 assists. He has been more of a left-wing back who plays box-to-box and gives the team support in front of the goal and composure down the left flank. Overall, he has accumulated an xA of 13.9. From the shot assist viz. above, it can be observed that his assists have come through crosses delivered from wide positions and through corners.
Overall, Sosa is an excellent dribbler and is capable of beating defenders with his speed and skill. He often links up well with his teammates, combining with them to create and score goals. His energy and work rate have been outstanding, and he has been a tireless runner up and down the flank. In short, Sosa has been a revelation for Stuttgart in the Bundesliga, and his performances have been crucial to the team’s success and survival.
Visuals via TFA data viz engine
