Lyon are slowly and steadily moving up in the league table. A poor start to the campaign left them in the relegation zone. The fans were unhappy with the performances of the players. Some youngsters left the club in the summer and others were handling the pressure of wearing a Lyon shirt.
In the recent winter transfer, the French club decided on steadying their midfield and added a bit of experience. Nemanja Matic was signed and along with him came another signing from the English club, Nottingham Forest. Belgian international Orel Mangala was signed on a loan deal and that will keep him at the club until 2026. The 25-year-old spent his early career in the Bundesliga, before moving to England last summer. As Mangala has already joined the French giants, we take a look at what he can add to the team.
Shielding the defence
Orel Mangala plays in the heart of the midfield and acts as a defensive shield. His team was on the back foot in most English Premier League matches this season. However, Mangala showed a lot of positive signs. He won 63.5% of his defensive duels, 52.2% of his aerial duels and 36% of his loose ball duels. There were around four interceptions made per 90 minutes. Other than this, the Belgian covered a lot of areas on the field for Forest.
One of the biggest abilities in Mangala’s game is ball recovery. The midfielder averages nearly eight recoveries per 90 minutes and 37% of these came in the offensive half. 28 recoveries were made in the final third and some turned into dangerous ones.
Creative side
This visual indicates a player’s capability to play forward passes and carry the ball upfield. Those proficient in both are instrumental in moving the ball from defensive to attacking zones, breaking lines and driving the team forward. Orel Mangala knows how to pass the ball in dangerous areas. Due to Nottingham Forest’s struggling and deep defensive line, the Belgian was unable to make a lot of carries.
The Belgian international is very confident on the ball. He knows how to retain the ball and was involved in 33.11 passes per 90 minutes this season. His accuracy rate was also on the higher side a 89.7%. The above pass map shows that Mangala likes to find runners on the flanks. Orel averaged 2.5 passes to the final third per 90 minutes and delivered 88% of his passes were delivered.
This visual compares a player’s dribbling skills (Dribble) with their involvement in moves leading to goals (smgpi). Top right quadrant players can both beat defenders and contribute significantly to goal-scoring moves. Orel Mangala’s ability to accurately deliver passes into the final third and other dangerous areas makes him a dangerous man from the middle of the park.
Orel Mangala will look to add that stability to Lyon’s midfield and take them back to the top half of the table.
Visuals via TFA data viz engine