Skuawka’s ‘Jake’ posted some interesting findings comparing the statistical performances of Joel Matip against Virgil van Dijk since 2018 on Reddit.
Interestingly, it would appear the Cameroonian international stacks up remarkably well to the man generally perceived to be the world’s leading centre-half at this moment in time.
Matip vs VVD in the PL since 22-01-2018
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Duel win rate: 68%-74%
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Aerial Duel win rate: 73%-75%
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True Tackle success rate: 66%-71%
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Dribble success rate: 80%-68%
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Tackles Made per 90: 1.7-0.75
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Clearances per 90: 3.6-4.4
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Interceptions per 90: 1.5-1.0
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Passes into final third per 90: 7.3-7.6
The former Schalke star’s performances have been so impressive since the start of the campaign that he’s managed to keep out the likes of Ibrahima Konate and the No.4’s former partner, Joe Gomez.
It’s quite something that our summer signing has dominated the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Zlatan Ibrahimovic (albeit, two ageing stars) amongst a host of powerful outings, yet can barely manage to get a game in the English top-flight.
Likewise, it has raised speculation over the future of the former Charlton Athletic Academy graduate, with opportunities for minutes a rarity.
Regardless, we shouldn’t be inclined to overlook Matip’s ability despite him being paired with a world-class talent in Van Dijk, with the metrics more than suggesting that the former doesn’t get half the credit his performances warrant.
#Ep42 of The Empire of the Kop Podcast: Is Jota underappreciated? FA failing fans… and more! 🎙️