Spanish football is a hub for some of the top young talents in football. Since their World Cup and back-to-back Euro triumphs, Spain has seen some top talents emerging from LaLiga clubs’ academies. Some of these players even got to represent their nation at a young age. Villareal’s Alex Baena is one such player who is now making a name for himself and even got a chance to represent his nation.
The player graduated from Villareal’s academy and took time to settle into the team. A loan spell at Girona was enough to earn him a place in The Yellow Submarine squad and now he is a regular in the team. Baena has been a creative force for his side and has the most assists to his name. Let’s take a look at how this 22-year-old is playing this season and can he earn a Spanish call for the upcoming UEFA Euro 2024?
Making runs through the centre
Villareal plays with two strikers and four players in the midfield. Alex Baena has occupied the left side. But if we look at the ball progression, we can observe that Baena likes to drift towards the centre and is quite effective in doing so. These runs were made combined in the 2022-23 and 2023-24 seasons. Last season, Baena also played in the centre of the midfield and that led to more central runs. His dribble success rate is above 50%.
Goal-scoring threat
The 22-year-old can chip in with a goal or two. He found the back-of-the-net six times in the 2022-23 season and scored his only goal of the season against Barcelona in August. Baena likes to take shots from outside the penalty box and has a decent accuracy rate of around 40%. In the current season, Baena has played on the right side and targeted the near post of the goalkeeper. When we look at the combined shot maps, it can be observed that most of the shots have been blocked by the opposition players. He will definitely look to improve his accuracy and find more space inside the opposition penalty box.
One of the reasons why Baena got a Spanish call is because of his creativity on the field this season. He provided one assist last season and already has five to his name in the current one. There is a huge difference in the shot assist that he provided last season and this season. In the current season, more shots have been directed towards the penalty spot. These have led to four assists.
Alex Baena is showing everyone why he is going to become one of the biggest names in Spanish football. He can score and create goals. Villareal started the season poorly but have regained some form. Baena will look to take his side to the top and earn a spot in the Euro 2024 squad.
Visuals via TFA data viz engine
