“It was an important game for me. To be able to consecrate the game with a goal, it was very special for me. I think everyone already knows why.” These were Rúben Dias’ words as he scored the opening goal in what could be his last game for Benfica. He even captained the side last night despite the strong ongoing Manchester City transfer rumours.
It is a bit strange for City to sign another defender. The Premier League giants have already snapped up Nathan Ake in a big money move from relegated side Bournemouth. With Ake being a left-footed Centre-back in addition to Aymeric Laporte having a similar profile, there is no doubt Rúben Dias is being signed to improve their squad depth. It is interesting that a club which is known for it’s depth in every position actually lacks a bit of personnel in the defensive roles.
Dias will not be arriving to be a backup though. The Portuguese International is a serial winner, with a Liga NOS and UEFA Nations League title under his belt. Also, he may turn out be an even better signing than Laporte or Ake. The last time a central defender arrived from Benfica, David Luiz, he went on to win a Champions League and multiple Premier League titles with Chelsea
A Tactical Insight into Rúben Dias
Playing Style
Two of the key attributes that Rúben Dias excels in, are passing and ground duels. Of course, this is apart from all the defensive prowess he has as a centre-back.
The 23-year-old central defender is right footed and usually plays a bit higher on the pitch. This is because Benfica dominated most of the possession in the Liga NOS last year. This will go well with his role in the City squad, too, as the blue half of Manchester also adopt a style based on keeping the ball and controlling the game.
Moreover, talking about his passing abilities, the highly rated defender had the best figures in the Portuguese top flight when it comes to centre-backs’ passing success rate. Dias completed 89% of his passes last season in the Liga NOS. In his own half, he even had a greater passing success rate of 94%. Considering the fact that Pep Guardiola wants his defenders to be involved in the build-up play, this will be a great attribute to possess before joining City.
Rúben Dias also wins 62% of his ground duels. This is not a world-class figure but surely an above average one for sure. Competing with Laporte and Ake for the first team spot, the imminent new signing could actually improve upon his numbers next season.
The Weaknesses
There are no outstanding weaknesses in Dias’s portfolio of skills. Though one statistic might leave Guardiola baffled slightly.
Dias lost possession 8.5 times per game last season. This is a worrying figure. Especially because the Benfica man plays one of the most defensive roles in the team. This might be correlated to the fact that the right-footed defender plays a high-line. Most of his losses of possession have been closer to the halfway line.
With the Premier League boasting extremely pacey forwards, losing possession can directly cost points for any side. Most of Guardiola’s shortcomings last season were due to lousy mistakes leading to even promoted sides overpowering the former title winners. It will be interesting to see how Guardiola helps Dias improve upon his possession skills.
How will Rúben Dias improve Manchester City?
The biggest problem for Manchester City last season was probably the lack of squad depth in the central defensive role. This forced Fernandinho to drop back from midfield but this destabilized the team to a great extent.
One more concern, or rather unlucky fact for Guardiola, is City’s injury concerns. Aymeric Laporte and John Stones are highly injury prone. With Rúben Dias coming in, this problem will be solved totally. In fact, in a full squad free of fitness issues, Guardiola might even have a good squad selection headache.
Also, the Portuguese defender fits the bill perfectly with respect to Guardiola’s philosophy. He can start City’s attack right from the back. With other teams bringing in new talent to increase the firepower in their camp, City might just have filled the gaps which make them undisputed challengers for every title possible.
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