Among the top performers in Serie A 2022-23 is Teun Koopmeiners, who currently plays for Atalanta. The Netherlands international signed for the Serie A side in 2021 and has developed into an essential asset for the team. Since joining Atalanta, Koopmeiners has been a consistent performer for his team. This season, he has played a key role in keeping the Italian side in contention for a UEFA Champions League berth. Atalanta is currently sixth in Serie A 2022-23 three points adrift of a top-four spot, and the Dutchman’s goal contributions have helped the team secure some important results and retain a favourable position in the league. Teun Koopmeiners also represented his country in the 2022 FIFA World Cup, appearing in all five matches and providing one assist as the Netherlands made it to the quarter-finals. Below are some stats from the current season in order to access his contributions towards his team.
2022-23 season vs 2021-22 season in Serie A
Teun Koopmeiners has cemented a regular place in Atalanta’s starting eleven. He plays as a centre midfielder for the Italian side and has made 22 appearances for them this season. The 24-year-old has found the back of the net six times and has three assists to his name. The above viz shows the percentile rank of the player in comparison to other central midfielders in Serie A. It can be observed that Koopmeiners contributed brilliantly to the attack, and his ability to retain and pass the ball has been excellent. The defensive stats show that Koopmeiners is dominant in the air and has won a few aerial duels this season.
Last season was his first at Atalanta and his performances nailed him a spot on the first team. The 24-year-old made 30 appearances for his side and managed to score four goals along with one assist. The above pizza chart shows that Koopmeiners had better stats in the possession department but wasn’t as effective going forward. The player had very similar defensive contributions last season, but this season his overall gameplay has seen improvements in many sectors.
Consistency in the last two seasons
The 24-year-old Dutchman has played mostly on the left side of central midfield for Atalanta this season. He has shown commitment in going forward from that side and has made some important goal contributions. Koopmeiners averages 47 passes per 90 minutes this season and has an 80.7% accuracy rate. These include 8.04 passes to the final third with a 65% accuracy rate and 3.65 passes to the opposition’s penalty box with a 50% accuracy rate. The progressive passes in the above viz. show that most of them have been attempted from the left side.
Last season, he was commanding the ball more and averaging 52.52 passes per 90 minutes with an 84.7% accuracy rate. These included 9.03 passes to the final third (74.6% accuracy) and three passes to the penalty box (59.2% accuracy). This season he has contributed more to the attack, which is why the stats have shown a slight decline. His position last season was a right-centre midfielder. His progressive passes in the last season were attempted from central areas as well as from wide positions on either side.
The Dutchman’s ability to pass the ball has contributed well to his four assists in an Atalanta shirt. The above viz shows the shot assists delivered by the midfielder combined in the 2021/22 and 2022/23 seasons. It can be observed that most of the passes are directed into the penalty box, while the others have been a few cutbacks that the player has made when he is in the final third. Koopmeiners has also been assigned to corner duty and does well to deliver them accurately. Last season he averaged 1.34 shot assists per 90, and this season the average currently stands at 1.17.
Contributions to attack
Another area where the midfielder shines is in his ability to score goals. For Atalanta, the 24-year-old has found the back of the net ten times. This season he has scored six goals, and last season he had four goals to his name. The player averages 1.78 shots per 90 minutes in the 2022–23 season and has an accuracy rate of 46.3%. Last season, the average number of shots per 90 minutes was 1.11, and the accuracy rate was 32.1%. The xG map above shows that Koopmeiners has taken more shots from outside the penalty box, highlighting his ability to shoot accurately from long range. Meanwhile, the few shots from inside the box have been very accurate in comparison to efforts from a distance.
Another way in which Teun Koopmeiners can contribute is by recovering the ball in the attacking half. The 24-year-old has an average of 7.78 recoveries per 90 minutes in the 2022–23 season, of which 47.5% are in the attacking half. There is a slight improvement from last season, as he averaged 6.79 recoveries per 90 minutes and 55.2% were made in the attacking half. Looking at the two visuals above, it can be observed that he is pressing more effectively in the final third, which is enabling him to make more dangerous recoveries inside the penalty box and in its vicinity.
Teun Koopmeinersl has emerged as an important player for Atalanta over the last few seasons. He makes important contributions while moving forward in the attacking phase and also helps his team out of possession with a strong set of defensive attributes. Atalanta will look for the same consistency from their Dutch midfielder for the rest of the campaign as they look to secure a European berth for next season.
Visuals via TFA data viz engine
