Achraf Hakimi is a Moroccan professional footballer who plays for Ligue 1 club Paris Saint-Germain and the Morocco national team. He mainly plays as a right-back. Known for his speed, runs, and goal-scoring ability, he is regarded as one of the best right-backs in world football.
Hakimi came through Real Madrid’s youth system before being loaned out to Bundesliga club Borussia Dortmund for two years. After a successful loan with Dortmund, Hakimi signed with Serie A side Inter Milan and scored seven goals and provided eight assists, with his performances helping the club win the league title, ending the club’s eleven-year league title drought. His performances sparked the interest of several European clubs, with PSG signing him in 2021.
He is currently in his second season with the French giants and has shown why he is among the best right-backs in the world. He has managed to stop world-class wingers attacking down the right on a number of occasions, as well as shown the opponent his ability to go all out. Below, we look at some of his stats and understand why Achraf Hakimi is an extremely valuable asset for the Parisians.
Hakimi for PSG in Ligue 1
The above pizza charts present his percentile rank versus other right-backs in Ligue 1 for 2022–23 and 2021–22, respectively. He appeared in 32 matches in the 2021/22 season for PSG in their domestic campaign and was menacing in terms of going forward, having scored four goals and provided six assists in the league. He has played 20 matches for PSG in the current season and has a lower rank in attacking departments than in his debut season. Hakimi has shown significant improvement in winning aerial duels and has also bettered himself in terms of making accurate passes. He has also increased his defensive duels win rate from 80.2 to 88.2 percentile. With the likes of Messi, Neymar, and Mbappe in top form this season, Hakimi’s improvement in defensive numbers is an advantage for PSG.
Goalscoring tendencies
Hakimi has found the back of the net in every team he has played for. His ability to score as a right-back is a gift for any team and manager. The above viz depicts the xG map of Hakimi for PSG in Ligue 1 2022/23. He has played 20 matches and managed to find the back of the net on four occasions. With an overall xG of 1.13, the Moroccan has taken 13 shots, with eight of them on target, for an accuracy rate of 61%. He averages 0.73 shots per 90 and has scored stunners from outside the box as well as from near the six-yard box.
A constant threat on the right flank
Achraf Hakimi is a menace down on the right. His connection with his teammates is too good to be true, as he has already racked up three assists so far and has linked up with the attack on numerous occasions. Based on the above viz for Hakimi’s winger actions in Ligue 1 2022/23, we can observe that he performs actions throughout the right flank. He is a successful dribbler and attempts 3.48 dribbles on average with a 64.5% completion rate. He averages 2.36 crosses per 90 minutes.
It can be seen in the second visual that he has made a total of 65 penetrating carries into the opponent’s penalty area so far and made darting runs into the final third. He makes 2.58 progressive runs per 90 minutes and averages 3.31 touches in the penalty area.
His qualities are rare, and many clubs have achieved glory based on their optimal use of a highly talented fullback. PSG are loaded with talent, and it remains to be seen how they make full use of such a powerhouse of players.
Assisting teammates in 2021/22
The above viz is a representation of shot assists for the player in 2021/22. With five assists, he has an xA of 3.97 for the matches played. Most of the actions have been taken inside the box, with some in the final third. He played 32 matches and provided five assists. Even though it seems like he performed much better in the attack last season. There is still a long way to go in Ligue 1, but his numbers are on track to improve on his performances from last season, already having three assists in 20 matches played.
He has the support of three of the greatest attacking players in his team and does not need to worry about how he performs in attack all the time. His coach is playing smart, understands the game better than most, and seems to be using the player to his fullest potential.
Fine defender
The above viz shows the defensive territory of the 24-year-old Moroccan right back. It indicates that Hakimi is involved in a lot of defensive actions in the defensive and middle thirds. Being a fullback, he covers an entire flank of the field in terms of his defensive territory. Overall, he has a win percentage of 66.9% for defensive duels and 46.7% for aerial duels per 90 minutes. He also makes interceptions inside the box as well as in his defensive third. Achraf makes 3.711 interceptions and 7.42 recoveries per match.
In conclusion, Hakimi‘s experience and maturity make him an ideal fit for a top European club like PSG. He has already played at the highest level, having appeared for Real Madrid, Inter Milan, and Borussia Dortmund. This means he already knows what it takes to succeed at the top level and will be able to handle the pressure of playing for a big club like PSG in the most elite stages of world football. Hakimi might play a pivotal role in helping PSG get their hands on the most prestigious trophy of all.
Visuals via TFA data viz engine
