PSG will be without their highly-rated right-back Achraf Hakimi in January and maybe in early February. The Moroccon international will leave the French side to join the national team for the upcoming AFCON 2023. Luis Enrique will be short on full-back options and is unlikely to sign a back-up in the winter.
To deal with this, the Spanish manager has reshuffled his tactics in the last two games played by the French champions. His side is playing in a three-at-the-back formation, with their young French midfielder taking the right-back and right-wing-back role. Warren Zaire-Emery, the 17-year-old talented midfielder has been chosen as a back-up for Hakimi. Enrique experimented in the last two games and Zaire-Emery has shown some positive signs. Here is a look at his performances in the last two games, showing how Hakimi’s absence won’t hurt the French champions in the coming days.
Warren Zaire-Emery started the last two games as a right-back and wing-back. He also slotted in his favoured centre-midfield role. The above touch map shows his presence on the field for PSG in the last two matches. Zaire-Emery has taken most of the touches inside the opposition half. He drifts a bit towards the centre, allowing the forward player to take wider positions on the field. This means that the centre-back playing on the right of the back three gives Emery a backup, and the midfielder can use his intelligence in the middle of the park.
The defensive territory of the player also shows the same. Warren Zaire-Emery covers plenty of areas and likes to get involved in the attacks. The youngster is still growing and is yet to unleash his full strength. However, he is strong in winning the ground-level duels. Most of his defensive duels were contested inside the opposition half.
Involvement in the attack
Warren Zaire-Emery likes to run with the ball down the middle of the park whenever he plays in his favoured centre-midfield role. In the last two games, this 17-year-old midfielder has made nine progressive runs. His progressive runs chart shows that the player likes to make runs down the middle, rather than going down the flank.
In addition, his ability to move the ball makes him an asset for the future. In the last two games, the player has an accuracy rate of around 93%. These include 14 passes to the final third and all these passes were accurately delivered. Zaire-Emery usually finds a wide-runner in the final third.
The 17-year-old youngster has already made a name for himself. Now, he has a new role in the team and needs to fit perfectly in that role in the coming days. The manager will hope that his tactics work and that PSG continue their good run.
Visuals via TFA data viz engine
