Union Berlin made history by qualifying for the UEFA Champions League 2023–24 campaign. They decided to strengthen their team for a big season and brought in some experienced players. One of them was German left-back Robin Gosens from Inter Milan. The 29-year-old is the record signing for the club, and this is his first season in the Bundesliga. Despite representing his country 18 times, Gosens had never played in Germany before.
Robin Gosens made a name for himself in Italian football with Atalanta. This team was known for their attacking displays during that time, and Gosens provided the width in the attack from the left side. He made over 150 appearances for them before moving to Inter Milan in 2022. A two-time Coppa Italia winner and the Champions League 2022–23 season’s runner-up is now looking to show his talent in the German top flight. Let’s take a look at how things have started for this German international.
Robin Gosens straightaway got an entry into the first team. The 29-year-old can play as a full-back and as a wing-back. He is a threat going forward in the game.
This season, Gosens has been a standout for Union Berlin in the defence. The team has not started well, but Gosens has shown some positive signs. He has won 68.3% of his defensive duels, 61.1% of his aerial duels, and 41% of his loose ball duels. The player intercepts the ball around 4.5 times per 90 minutes.
Attacking threat
Robin Gosens has been an attacking full-back. He scored 28 times in 160 Serie A appearances, averaging a goal in almost every third game. The two visuals above show the progressive runs and the winger actions performed by the full-back.
The 29-year-old defender has made 11 progressive runs in the current season, with most of them starting in the defensive half and ending in the final third of the opposition. His skill set is decent, and the German has a 63.6% success rate for dribbles. One area where Gosens will look to improve is delivering his crosses. Averaging 3.3 crosses per 90 minutes, Gosens’ accuracy has been around 43%. The crosses have landed in decent scoring positions, but none have found the back of the net.
One of the reasons why Union Berlin broke their records was the goal-scoring ability of this player. Gosens already has four goals to his name in the current season. His shot map shows that the player found space around the six-yard box to convert three chances. He averages 1.67 touches inside the penalty box and has been a threat to the opposition.
Things have not started for Union Berlin in the way they wanted. They are currently in the bottom half of the table and have a tough group in the Champions League. Robin Gosens has a chance to impress and become a fan favourite at the club.
Visuals via TFA data viz engine