In the last few years, a lot of Portuguese players have joined English Premier League side Wolverhampton Wanderers. There have been a few big name arrivals, including the signing of forward Goncalo Guedes from Valencia. Guedes came to the LaLiga in 2017 and made his move permanent in the following season. After more than 100 Spanish league appearances, the forward was sold to Wolves in 2022.
Goncalo Guedes struggled during his time in the Premier League and was unable to find a regular place in the starting 11. He was loaned out to his former club Benfica in January 2023 for a year-long loan spell. After his loan spell was over, Guedes was sent to Spanish club Villareal for the remainder of the season.
Guedes is a hard worker and knows how to break the opposition’s defence. He is looking to regain his confidence and the opportunity to represent his nation in the UEFA Euro 2024. As we head into the final phase of the season, here is a look at how Guedes has performed on his return to LaLiga.
Leading the attack
Goncalo Guedes is a versatile forward who is leading Villareal’s attack in recent matches. He can also play on either flank making him a versatile attacker. In the seven appearances made so far, Guedes has taken 19 touches inside the opposition penalty box. Most of his touches have been towards the left side.
The 27-year-old is not afraid to take on defenders. He performs most of his skills on the edge of the penalty box and starts most of his progressive runs from the edge of the box as well.
A top-quality striker has to stay at the top of his game to recover the ball. In the 392 minutes spent on the field, Guedes has made 15 recoveries. Most of these have turned out into counter-pressing ones. The forward has the ability to put pressure on the opposition players and win the ball back for his team.
End product
The forward netted his first goal on his return against Barcelona. In the seven appearances so far, Guedes has taken 12 attempts. Of these 12, five shots have been on target. Most of the shots have been attempted from the left side and he has targeted the near post of the opposition.
In addition to his two goals, he has two assists. The 27-year-old attempts 25.5 passes per 90 minutes and 75.7% of these passes have found a teammate. These include 4.36 passes to the opposition penalty box and 63% of the times he has found a teammate.
Goncalo Guedes is finding his touch in the LaLiga. He will now look to score more goals and create more to secure a place in the Portuguese squad for the upcoming Euros.
Visuals via TFA data viz engine
