Josko Gvardiol joined RB Leipzig in 2020 and has been a starter since 2021 when he returned from his loan tenure at Dinamo Zagreb. The Croatian has strengthened Leipzig’s defence and managed to impress everyone. Gvardiol is a strong, tall presence at the centre of defence and also has good distribution skills as well. His assured presence has earned him his coach’s trust and a spot in the World Cup squad. Gvardiol has been in fine form this season, and this form has made many clubs interested in signing him.
We look at some stats to understand what makes him one of the best defenders in the Bundesliga.
Josko Gvardiol has played 13 games this season, starting eight and coming off the bench in five matches. He has scored a goal for them in the Champions League and has looked solid whenever he has played.
The above viz shows the percentile rank of Josko Gvardiol compared to other left-centre-backs in the Bundesliga. He is ranked in the top 96.4 percentile for passes per 90 minutes and the top 89.2 percentile for accurate passes. He has also been ranked in the top 71.6 percentile for shots per 90 minutes. Gvardiol is a good passer, and his stats speak for themselves. The 20-year-old is also ranked in the top 60.7 percentile for defensive duels as well.
Josko Gvardiol usually plays as a left centre-back for Leipzig and looks after the defensive territory. We can observe from the above viz that he mainly stays in the defensive half and makes some interceptions as well. He makes an average of 4.64 interceptions per game and wins around 2.31 loose balls too. Gvardiol takes part in an average of 4.53 defensive duels per game with 70.7% success and 3.1 aerial duels with 50% success. His strong, physical presence at the back is a defensive guarantee for Leipzig.
Josko Gvardiol is an attacking-minded centre-half and therefore goes forward a lot. As Leipzig is a team that deploys high pressing, he often comes up to the centre circle and recovers the ball from the opposition. He is also capable of carrying the ball with him and providing the right pass to the final third.
The above viz shows the touch map of Josko Gvardiol. We can observe how he likes to venture forward and get involved in the attack. The Croatian centre-half even enjoys some touches in the opposition penalty area and averages 1.77 dribbles per game as well. But, at the same time, he is a rock at the back, making recoveries and tackles to win back possession. He makes around 11.94 recoveries per game, with 17% of them in the attacking half.
Passing is one of Gvardiol’s strong suits, and he has a passing accuracy of 92.8%. The Croatian international player always finds the right pass and plays some dangerous passes. He is a clever customer and switches the play to other flanks through some pinpoint long passes. He averages 7.74 long passes per game and has a 58% accuracy rate. The 20-year-old also gets involved in an attack.
The above viz shows the passes played into the final third by centre-backs in the Bundesliga. Gvardiol has the fifth-best record in the league with 9.18 passes into the final third per game and 74.7% success. His presence in the attacking third helps a team like Leipzig, which plays direct football.
Josko Gvardiol has been a true find and has all the talents of a good centre-back. His performance for Leipzig has impressed some top managers across the world, as some of the biggest clubs are looking to sign him. Whether Josko Gvardiol will stay in the Bundesliga is not yet clear, but there is no doubt that he is one of the top talents in the league at the moment.
Visuals via TFA data viz engine
