Tomorrow night's clash between AC Milan and Juventus will be a battle within a battle, as the spotlight will be firmly on the two number 10s on both outfits, Rafael Leao and Kenan Yildiz.
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After winning his personal duel against Inter’s number 10, Lautaro Martinez, during the 4-4 draw on October 27, the young Turkish talent now aims to make his mark once and for all by overcoming Milan and Leao on their home turf at San Siro.
🌪️🇵🇹 Just Rafael Leão (25) things... 🥵 pic.twitter.com/nCogbKpR8N
— EuroFoot (@eurofootcom) November 20, 2024
This morning, Tuttosport conducted an analysis of the situation, comparing the two players and describing a contest that "is already much more balanced today," despite the six-year age difference. This is partly because Leao has not (yet) made the definitive leap in quality expected of him following his extraordinary Scudetto-winning season.
For many, however, Leao is the established star, while Yildiz is the rising talent, as confirmed by leading transfer market platforms that value the Milan winger at 80 million euros compared to the Juventus youngster's €40 million. This is why Milan must be wary of the Turkish player’s quality, as he aims to overturn predictions and evaluations tomorrow afternoon, hoping to leave his mark just as he did in the Derby d’Italia.
Rafael Leao - Kenan Yildiz - Who comes out on top?
In its analysis of the two number 10s from Milan and Juventus, the Italian Turin-based newspaper mentioned above presented a series of interesting statistics, accompanied by heatmaps. These illustrate that Yildiz drops back more often into the defensive third, while Leao moves centrally only in the area near the opposition’s goal. The Turkish player also shifts into midfield to participate in build-up play.
This greater involvement in the team’s overall play is reflected in the numbers: Yildiz averages nearly 23 passes per game compared to Leao’s 19—20% more—and boasts a significantly higher pass accuracy (88% vs. 79%). The same applies to defensive contributions, with the Juventus player making more than three times as many tackles per game (2.1 vs. 0.6) and recovering nearly double the balls (3.2 vs. 1.9).
How does Leao get the better hand compared to Yildiz?
The AC Milan Portuguese player, on the other hand, compensates for his lesser involvement with greater incisiveness in decisive moments. He averages 2.4 successful dribbles per game with a 67% success rate (+13% compared to Yildiz, who attempts 1.6 per match). This superiority is reflected in his one additional assist, one extra big chance created, and, most notably, 4.3 expected goals compared to Yildiz’s 1.3. However, when it comes to finishing, Yildiz still holds his own.
