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Lautaro Martínez [A Thread]
![Lautaro Martínez [A Thread]](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EYuiTEVU0AI5vrG.jpg "Lautaro Martínez [A Thread]")
This thread is a slightly less cohesive version of an article that I've written for @BTLvid If you would like to see a more detailed analysis, click this link. Likes, RTs and follows are appreciated to keep the threads coming.
Start of thread
From Liniers to Racing Club and finally Milan, there has always been one part that has remained consistent with Lautaro Martinez, goals. With Barcelona eyeing off the 22yo, I am going to provide insight into the boy from Bahía Blanca, known as El Toro.
From Liniers to Racing Club and finally Milan, there has always been one part that has remained consistent with Lautaro Martinez, goals. With Barcelona eyeing off the 22yo, I am going to provide insight into the boy from Bahía Blanca, known as El Toro.
Martinez is a clinical finisher netting 52 goals in his career. His main attributes are his shooting technique, versatility, ambidextrous nature, concentration and his natural striker instincts.
El Toro's shooting technique is excellent, he maintains close control and outstanding balance, which enables him to hit through the ball. Martinez doesn't like to linger with the ball and is efficient in the box looking to take limited touches before his shot.
One unique aspect of his shooting technique is the tendency to lean back. He has a large backswing but still remains coordinated, so he doesn't lose control of his shot. His lower legs and ankles are powerful, allowing them to act as an anchor. This gives him increased power.
Martínez keeps the ball low with 53% of his shots hitting bottom third of the goal. He tends to use the more traditional shooting technique striking the ball with his laces alas to the side of his foot. However, he has undoubtedly mastered the other methods with use often uses.
This versatility extends to his ambidexterity. Martinez is accomplished with both of his feet, taking 33% of his shots with his 'weaker left foot.' Another aspect of his finishing is his advanced cognitive ability, particularly his concertation.
Martinez has abnormally high levels of concentration, keeping his focus throughout the 90 minutes. At Racing Club, they ran some tests; most players ranked in between 50-70, he scored 98. This depicts the intense levels and longevity of his concentration.
This results in him noticing every little aspect of the game which he can use to his advantage while other strikers may have missed them due to them being switched off. Martinez is an excellent finisher and will no doubt be a consistent member of Europe's scoring charts.
Martinez isn't just a finisher; he has fantastic playmaking abilities which have seen him become a more complete striker. He has excellent vision and a sense of creativity that is rare in number 9s. During his linkup, he looks to progressive the ball forward.
Part of this is due to Conte's tactical setup conveying his tactical flexibility, but it is also part of his direct play style. 1 in every 4 passes are considered forward passes, and he progresses the ball 41.2m per90. He tends to keep the ball moving by playing one-touch passes.
One weakness of his linkup play is his inability to move the ball left. This restricts his options and managers can instruct defenders to cut down his favoured right side. I would encourage Martinez to work on his left-sided pass to make his passing options less restrictive.
Martinez's playmaking skills aren't limited to his linkup play and with him often moving the ball from deep with both his passing and dribbling ability. The time he spent in his early years playing football in the barrios is evident through his dribbling style.
El Toro combines technical quality with his South American flair to remain unpredictable. He is also a skilled and creative passer averaging 1.07 smart passes per 90, 58% of these going into the box. His overall playmaking skills are excellent and make him more a complete CF.
The last aspect of his Martinez is his fantastic off the ball movement and space manipulation. The best feature of his movement game comes in the 2nd buildup stage where he runs the channels and uses his tactical awareness to make carefully constructed runs stretching the defence
A feature of his space creating manoeuvres is the genuine threat that they offer creating a predicament for defenders between tracking him and conceding space in other areas or staying put and risk him receiving the ball in a threatening position.
Martinez is also astute in the defensive game; he has a good aerobic capacity conveyed by his 9km covered per90. He is a good presser and positions himself intelligently cutting off the passing lanes while simultaneously closing down his target.
His pressing ensures that he doesn't let defenders rest with the ball and rushes them into what is often a poor decision. With Sieten's Barca pressing 13% more compared to Conte's Milan, his skills will become even more deadly.
His final skill is his in the box movement, he prefers to slightly delay his run, hitting the ball at the last moment. A slight weakness is his spatial identification and destination of his runs. He doesn't consistently get into the best positions depicted by his xG/shot of 0.12.
He locates himself in between the FB and CB presenting him with a range of options, either dropping back deeper or making a darting run towards the more central area. The latter is his preferred option taking 42.5% of his shots in the golden zone (Central area of the field.)
This creates ambiguity between the two defenders as to who is responsible for marking him. When he cuts across, he usually hits the ball with his right foot with a relatively straight line only hitting the left-hand side of goal 20% of the time.
Martinez excels in all three aspects of the movement department and combines his physical capabilities, and strategic thinking to craft runs to create space, put himself in threatening positions or win the ball back.
Lautaro Martinez is an exceptional centre forward. He has a combination of creativity, technical ability and intelligence which enables him to thrive at Europe’s top clubs. However, all of this is underlined by the most fundamental part of his game, scoring goals.
Whether he switches to the blue and yellow of Barcelona, one of the other top European clubs who have expressed their interest or simply stays put at the Nerazzurri, there is little doubt that he will be one of the most deadly strikers in Europe.
Thanks for reading, pls share
TF
Thanks for reading, pls share
TF
