There is plenty to be said about Xabi Alonso’s Bayer Leverkusen this season in the Bundesliga. The only team across the top five European leagues that are still unbeaten, the team’s collective success has been fueled by excellent players across each department.
With so much individual brilliance in the side, one player whose contributions may have been overshadowed by others is Argentina international, Exequiel Palacios. What makes him essential for Alonso’s Die Werkself?
By Ninad Barbadikar
Now entering his fifth season at the BayArena, 24-year-old Palacios is finally getting a consistent run in the side under Alonso, after previously being in and out of the side due to injuries.
He has started 14 of the 15 games in the Bundesliga this season and has formed a formidable partnership with Granit Xhaka at the heart of Leverkusen’s midfield.
The most impressive thing about Palacios is his willingness to receive the ball and even demand it in tight situations. His traits radar reflects as much, placing him in the 99th percentile for touches amongst his positional peers in the European leagues.
Whilst Xhaka is the more expansive out of the two in Leverkusen’s double pivot, Palacios is an intense presser out of possession and uncompromising in his defensive duties. The Argentinian comfortably completes a high volume of defensive actions, making him the perfect complement to someone like Xhaka.
There is an almost telepathic understanding between the two of when to push and when to hold and which spaces to occupy depending on where they are on the pitch.
Palacios explained as much, speaking to Bundesliga.com, and said, “If he steps out of position, I know I need to move in. If I go, he comes. Or we pass between ourselves. And the coach is saying all week that we need to be together, need to combine passes, that the ball and the play needs to go through us a lot.”
“Without even talking much to Granit, I think it just needs a look and we know each other well. Playing alongside a player with such a big career, it always makes you better.”
Palacios is just as reliable as Xhaka in possession of the ball and keeps Alonso-ball ticking against opposition pressure. The Argentine is particularly adept at breaking opposition lines of pressure with his passes from the middle third, finding the likes of flair player Florian Wirtz and striker Victor Boniface in space, for them to turn and hurt defences on the break.
Palacios features in the top three for accurate passes per 90, Bundesliga-wide, with only his partner, Xhaka, and Bayern’s Kim Min-Jae having averaged more than the Argentine this season. He is in the 80th percentile or above across a number of passing metrics and has even contributed three assists for his Leverkusen team-mates, all the more notable when you consider his role in Alonso’s system.
We spoke about the volume of his defensive work earlier, but Palacios has averaged a healthy 3.34 tackles plus interceptions per 90 this term. The former River Plate man has an eye for anticipating danger and putting out fires before they spread, making him an invaluable asset deeper in Leverkusen’s own half but also higher up the pitch.
Die Werkself have averaged a league-high 7.1 possessions won in the final third per 90, and a big part of that counter-pressing effort is the work-rate of the likes of Palacios, who himself has averaged 0.96 possessions won in the final third. He is always on the move.
One underrated aspect of Palacios’ play is his ability to navigate the ball through tight spaces with his dribbling. Clearly he isn’t a high volume dribbler as such, averaging 0.89 successful dribbles per 90, with a success rate of 85.7%.
What Palacios does do well with his dribbling prowess is draw fouls from opposition attackers to buy Alonso’s side time on the ball to reset and go again. An average of 2.75 fouls won per 90 places him in the 97th percentile, a figure you would expect to see from a dribbler who forces their marker to commit each time they attempt a take-on.
With Palacios, he uses his body really well to shield the ball and in doing so, draws fouls from his opponents. In fact, with 37 fouls drawn so far this season, Palacios has drawn more fouls than any other player in the Bundesliga.
For now, it looks like Palacios will be difficult to take away from Xabi Alonso’s Leverkusen side. The 25-year-old is having his best season to date and is benefitting from remaining injury-free and therefore getting consistent minutes to show what he’s all about.
Expect Europe’s elite to come knocking on the doors of the BayArena sooner rather than later.
(Images from IMAGO)
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