In what turned out to be the most surprising move of the winter transfer window, Bayern Munich signed Manchester City full-back, Joao Cancelo. The Portuguese international, who has had limited playing time of late, wanted a new challenge and completed a move to the Bundesliga. The 28-year-old is among the best left-backs in the world at the moment and contributes so much in both attack and defence. He can also play as a right-back or as a midfielder and get into scoring positions, having played as an inverted wing-back under Pep Guardiola. Therefore, we look at his stats to understand how Joao Cancelo will improve Bayern’s chances of winning the UEFA Champions League.
Season so far
Joao Cancelo has made 17 appearances this season, starting 16 and coming off the bench once. He has scored two goals and assisted one further goal in the English Premier League.
The visual above shows Joao Cancelo’s percentile rank compared to other left-backs in the English Premier League. He has excellent stats for attacking and passing and has done a decent job in defence as well. Cancelo is ranked in the top 96.9 percentile for dribbles per game, the top 93.9 percentile for touches in the opponent’s penalty area, and the top 90.9 percentile for shots per game. He has great stats in passing and is ranked in the top 96.9 percentile for passes per game and passes received, and in the top 87.8 percentile for accuracy. Cancelo has also ranked very highly for aerial duels won but is ranked below average for defensive duels.
Positional flexibility
One of Joao Cancelo’s best qualities is the positional flexibility he provides. He can play as a left-back or right-back or even as a midfielder. Cancelo has played as an inverted wing-back for Manchester City and therefore has gotten involved in attacks more. He is an attacking full-back and will suit Bayern’s style of play well. His ability to play on either flank will be of great help to Bayern, especially considering Lucas Hernandez’s injury and Noussair Mazraoui’s absence.
Defence
The visual above shows Joao Cancelo’s defensive territory from the current season. He has taken part in an average of 4.52 defensive duels per game with a 59.4% efficiency rate. Cancelo has also participated in an average of 2.88 aerial duels per game, winning 65.9% of the time. He is ranked in the top 90.9 percentile for aerial duels won. Cancelo’s addition to the backline will make Bayern formidable at the back. They will need his contributions both in attack and defence, especially as they have a tough game against Paris Saint-Germain coming up.
Dribbling
The visual above Joao Cancelo’s penetrating carries from the current season of the English Premier League. With an average of 5.83 dribbles per game, he has made 101 penetrating carries this season. Cancelo has succeeded in completing 52.8% of the dribbles he has attempted. We can observe from the visual that he can make long dribbles from the halfway line. These will come in handy when Bayern launches attacks. Apart from these dribbles, he has also made around 4.32 progressive runs per game.
Last season
The visual above shows the penetrating carries made by Joao Cancelo in the previous edition of the English Premier League. With an average of 4.69 dribbles per game, he made 270 penetrating carries last season. This figure has improved this season to 5.83 dribbles per game, but the efficiency has dipped from 68% to 52.8%. But the average number of progressive runs per game has seen an improvement from last season’s 2.8 runs per game.
Will Cancelo replace Pavard at right-back?
The visual above compares the radars of Joao Cancelo and Bayern’s right-back Benjamin Pavard. Pavard is reportedly looking to part ways with the German club, and Cancelo could be the perfect replacement. He has better stats in almost all the metrics than the Frenchman. Pavard has better stats than Cancelo in defensive duels, positioning, and expected goal contributions per game, whereas Cancelo has done better in all other parameters.
Betting Analysis
Bayern Munich have had a complicated start to 2023, as they have not won a single game since the turn of the year. But the addition of Joao Cancelo could change everything with the Portuguese’s ability to change the game in their favour. Therefore, his inclusion will bring down Bayern Munich’s odds in the 1×2 market while the overlines are expected to flourish with his brilliant attacking contributions.
Joao Cancelo is easily one of the best full-backs in the world at the moment. The 28-year-old’s ability to influence a game is second to none, and he is in good form as well. His addition will be great for Bayern as it brings reinforcements to both their attack and defence. He will be hoping to get it underway as soon as possible.
Visuals via TFA data viz engine
