Thread by @CFCRole

Thread: Why Denis Zakaria is one of the most underrated players in the Bundesliga

Denis Zakaria has had a sensational season and I’m sure he’ll carry it on. He’s been vital to Marco Rose’s system and a big part why they are in a title challenge. Let’s analyse his incredible season.

In this thread I will talk about:
- Attributes Zakaria possesses and needs improving
- Zakaria compared to other players (graphs and stats)
- How Zakaria can become world class

Attributes Zakaria possesses and needs improving :
Let’s start with Zakaria’s defensive abilities. He manages 2.42 tackles and 1.74 interceptions P90. With a tackle success rate of 72.04%. This is very very solid. Especially as he is a box to box player.

Compare this to Ndidi’s 4.33 tackles and 2.9 interceptions P90. With a tackle success rate of 72.8% and you can see that obviously Ndidi dominates but Zakaria has a similar tackle rate. I don’t expect his numbers to be high because of his role but it shows he’s a great tackler.

This shows if Zakaria was deployed as a lone DM he wouldn’t struggle. His defensive actions would increase due to more opportunities to tackle. When he does tackle it is very well timed and he’s very strong in the tackle. Clearly an aggressive player (in a good way).

It’s hard to talk about Zakaria without mentioning his immense physique. He stands 6’2” with a great build on him which makes him so strong in the tackle and 50/50s. Not only this but he is rapid. Especially for a 6. Great example of a PnP player. Have a look at this...

He also is extremely good at using his body. When watching him you can see this as he constantly uses it during ball retention. This is probably why he has such a great tackle success rate. He is very reminiscent of Vieira.

One thing that separates an Ndidi from a Zakaria is most definitely his off the ball intelligence. He is more of a thinker. He is always looking to progress the team forward as soon in this picture. Especially in buildup play. He is exceptional at creating passing lanes.

This is especially key when playing out the back which we all know is crucial in the modern game. He is always aware of who’s around him and such a massive help for CBs looking to play out the back. This picture is a tiny example.

Once Zakaria gets the ball he’s fantastic in transition. Let’s look into his dribbles. He completes 1.81 dribbles P90 with a success rate of 78.13%. Compare that with Frankie De Jong’s 1.93 dribbles P90 and 78.57% and you see very similar stats.

Another example is Valverde’s 1.06 dribbles P90 and a success rate of 73.08%. I showed these two to give an perspective of how good he is. You really have to watch him drive through midfielders to know. His power and speed is unmatched with his dribbling ability. Have a look!

Let’s get on to the less positives now. Zakaria is quite a poor player in the air. He wins about 46% of his aerial duels. This is poor for a player who is 6’2. Compare this to a player 5cms shorter than him in Casemiro’s 61% and you can see that Zakaria has a clear weakness.

Another weakness of Zakaria is his lack of long ball and final 1/3 passes. You’d expect it to be higher has hes a box to box. He hits 1.99 long balls P90. Compare with Casemiro’s 5.81 P90 and Ndidi’s 2.9 P90 and you have another problem.

This is also understandable because of Marco Rose’s system and the way he likes to play out the back. Rose’s sides don’t hit too many long balls at all. His side only attempt 53.9 long balls P90 compared to Bayern’s 59.9 and Dortmund’s 54.1. We will let him off in this.

As for his final 3rd passes he manages 3.11 P90. This is less than Ndidi for example with 4.42 P90 and Zakaria is the more advanced player. Have a look at this as well for some perspectives.

Zakaria compared to other players (graphs and stats):

How Zakaria can become world class:
Zarkaria needs a big move soon. I would recommend he stays at Gladbach for the rest of next season as long as Marco Rose is there and then move to a club that play a double pivot that need a destroyer/ b2b.

I think he plays his best game as a left sided 6 in a pivot. Marco Rose has really excelled his development but also let some other abilities be hidden like his long balls for example. Zakaria is a player who can quite easily reach a top level.

He has shown his wide range of skill set a lot this season and now it’s soon time for him to do it at a higher level.

End of Thread!

Likes and RTs appreciated!