Yunis Abdelhamid is an experienced Moroccan defender who has been a key part of Reims‘ backline in their Ligue 1 quest. He has been with the club since 2017 and has been a consistent presence in the defence. The player has spent most of his footballing career playing in France, representing Dijon in the 2016/17 French top flight.
Abdelhamid is a strong and experienced defender who is excellent in one–on–one situations. He is also a great tackler and has a good understanding of the game. He is also good in the air, providing a great aerial presence for Reims. He is also known for his ability to read the game, making him a very reliable defender. Abdelhamid is also a leader on the pitch, and he is often seen barking out instructions to his teammates. He is a vocal presence in the backline and has been instrumental in helping Reims stay organised and disciplined. Below are some of his stats for Reims from the current season.
Yunis usually plays as a left centre-back, but on rare occasions, he can also slot in as the left-back. The viz above shows the percentile rank of the player’s stats compared to other centre-backs in Ligue 1 in 2022/23. He has played 21 matches and ranks in the top 93.5 percentile for defensive duels won per 90 minutes and in the top 94.8 percentile for defensive duels contested. Other areas where the player does well include shots and dribbles per 90. He can improve in terms of passing and possession stats and add more to his overall ability.
The Moroccan in defence
As a centre-back, the Moroccan’s defensive gameplay is excellent. From the viz above, we can see that his average position along the defensive line is well within his own half. The player makes 13.7 recoveries and 5.42 interceptions per match. Furthermore, he contests 8.69 defensive duels with a win rate of 76.5%. As for aerial duels, the centre-back contests 3.6 per match with a 56.6% win rate.
He has a shot block xG of 1.2 and has blocked 15 shots. Most of his blocks have come from inside the box, but some are also outside the box. He averages 2.38 clearances per 90 minutes and 0.8 shot blocks per 90 minutes. The centre-back makes maximum tackles in the defensive third, in and around the box.
High pressing tendencies
The above viz represents the overall high regains made by Yunis in Ligue 1 in 2022/23. It can be seen that the player makes movements up the pitch in order to put pressure on the opposition. As a centre-back, he has made a total of 33 counter-pressing recoveries in the middle and final third of the pitch. Additionally, he has made three high regains and eight dangerous recoveries for Reims this season. He has made most of his recoveries down the left flank and has made a high number of recoveries in the opponent’s half for a central defender.
Passing efficiency
The above viz is a representation of the passes made by the player. It can be seen that most of his work rate is again on the left side of the defence and in the middle third of the pitch. The player makes 42.01 passes per 90 with 84.6% accuracy. Additionally, he makes 5.94 passes into the final third on average. Yunis makes 21.43 forward passes with 75.4% accuracy per 90 minutes. He provides a trustworthy option in defence as a man with plenty of experience in the back and often tends to show maturity on the pitch by leading the backline. He makes progressive passes as well and makes contributions by making central and through passes to the midfielders. Most of his forward pass action can be seen on the left flank, where he makes passes into the box, averaging 0.37 passes into the penalty area per 90 minutes.
High pressing tendency from last season
Yunis’ ability to put pressure high up the pitch in the opponent’s half and the final third has come in handy for his team. His ability to put pressure on the opposition helped Reims finish 12th in the Ligue 1 2021/22 season. He contributed to a total of 39 counter-pressing recoveries and ten high regains next to fourteen dangerous recoveries, averaging 9.92 recoveries per 90.
Overall, Yunis Abdelhamid has been a great addition to Reims‘ backline and has been a key part of their success in Ligue 1. He is an experienced defender with a great understanding of the game and a strong presence on the pitch. He has been a great leader and a very reliable defender for Reims, and his contributions to the team have been invaluable. His ability to win defensive duels makes him an expert on the pitch, and he has a knack for going forward and putting pressure on opponents.
Visuals via TFA data viz engine
