Bayern Munich signed Dayot Upamecano from RB Leipzig in the summer of 2021. Ever since he has become one of their most important players in the backline. He has added balance and stability to their defensive line with his neat defence and good passing range. Upamecano was given a place in the French National Team for his performance in the Bundesliga for Bayern. Therefore, we look at his stats to understand Upamecano’s importance to Bayern Munich.
Season so far
Dayot Upamecano has made 15 appearances this season in the Bundesliga, including 15 starts. He has also played six matches in the Champions League.
The above visual shows Dayot Upamecano’s percentile rank compared to other right-centre backs in the Bundesliga. He has great stats for passing and defence and is one of the most impressive players in the Bundesliga. Upamecano is ranked in the top 92.6 percentile for accurate passes per 90 and the top 97 percentile for passes per game. Defensively, he is ranked in the top 95.5 percentile for defensive duels per game. He is ranked above average for aerial duels per game. In attack, Upamecano is ranked in the top 70.5 percentile for dribbles per game and the top 66.1 percentile for entries into the opposition’s penalty box.
Positioning
Dayot Upamecano plays as a right centre-back for Bayern Munich and is solid at the back for them. With his inclusion, Bayern Munich have conceded the fewest number of goals in the league and have been good defensively. He gets forward when they are attacking, as Bayern keeps a high defensive line.
Defence
The above visual shows Upamecano’s defensive territory. He stays at the centre of the defensive line and makes some crucial interceptions. With an average of 4.26 interceptions per game, Upamecano guards the Bayern defensive line. He contests an average of 8.84 defensive duels per game with a success rate of 74.8%. He also takes part in around 4.71 aerial duels per game, with a success rate of 52.7%. He is fast, strong, and calm under pressure. These qualities have helped Bayern maintain a neat defensive record.
Passing
With a passing accuracy of 92.4%, passing is one of his best qualities. He makes around 73 passes per game and has a high percentile rank for passing. The Frenchman plays around 10.56 passes into the final third with a success rate of 80.7%, which is brilliant for a defender. Moreover, he makes around 5.28 long passes per game, switching plays and flanks.
Last season
The above visual shows Dayot Upamecano’s defensive territory from last season. Last season, he made around 8.9 defensive duels per game with around 69.5% success and 4.28 aerial duels per game with 58.9% success. He has maintained his stats in defensive duels this year as well, while the number of aerial duels per game has dipped a bit. The average number of interceptions per game has increased this season from 4.01 interceptions last season to 4.26.
The above visual compares the radars of Dayot Upamecano and Matthijs De Ligt. They both form a strong backline for Bayern Munich, which has helped Bayern concede very few goals this season. Upamecano has better stats in defensive duels, passes, dribbles, and positioning, while De Ligt has better stats in passing accuracy, aerial duels, shots, and goal contributions per game.
Betting Analysis
Dayot Upamecano is one of the best defenders in the Bundesliga at the moment and has played a crucial role for the Bavarians. Therefore, with his presence, the odds for Bayern Munich in the 1×2 market are likely to go up. In addition, since he has been good at covering them, the over/under lines are also expected to come down.
Of all their recent signings, Dayot Upamecano is proving to be one of the best and has become a hugely important figure for them. His pace, anticipation of passes, calmness, and ability to win duels have made him one of the best defenders in the Bundesliga.
Visuals via TFA data viz engine
