Napoli’s 2022-23 Serie A triumph was one of the biggest achievements in the history of the club. The team won their first title after almost four decades. Manager Luciano Spalletti left the job and left the team on their own to defend the title. It was not the title defence that the supporters and the team wanted. Napoli are currently sitting outside European places and have a third manager leading them in the current season. They are now fighting for a place in Europe next season.
In the winter transfer window, the club from Naples decided to strengthen the team. They brought in Belgian forward Cyril Ngonge from Hellas Verona. The 23-year-old moved to Italy in the last winter transfer window from the Eredivisie. Ngonge has already made a few appearances for his new side and here are some of the stats that show why this youngster could be the next big thing in Napoli.
A creative force down the right flank
Before joining Napoli, the youngster had already made 19 appearances for Hellas Verona. He plays on the right flank and likes to make runs to trouble the opposition defenders. In the current season, Ngonge averaged 2.6 progressive runs per 90 minutes. Most of his runs started on the wide and ended up penetrating the opposition penalty box. The 23-year-old has enjoyed a dribble success rate of 53.8%. His speed and skills have won 25 fouls for the team. Some of these free-kicks were awarded in dangerous areas around the penalty box. These can easily lead to a goal-scoring opportunity.
Ball recovery is an important asset these days for any player. The forward players need to react quickly and if they do then these recoveries can lead to a goal-scoring chance. In the current season, Ngonge has made 17 counter-pressing and three dangerous recoveries.
End Product
The 23-year-old Belgian forward has seven goals to his name. Before joining Napoli, Ngonge scored six goals in 19 appearances. After joining the defending champions, he made four appearances and scored a goals in his fourth apparance against Genoa. The player has decent accuracy rate of 38.6%. Ngonge’s shot map shows that he tries to get central on occassions and then attempts his shots. The player averages around three touches inside the penalty box. For Napoli, Cyril has taken four shots with a 75% accuracy rate.
Another key element to his game is assists. The 23-year-old has created 18 shot assist chances, with most of these passes coming in a form of crosses delivered on the edge of the six-yard box. This is what Napoli will expect more from their wide creative player.
Cyril Ngonge was unfortunate to pick up a muscle injury. He missed the last game and is a doubt for a clash against Juventus. Napoli will hope to see him back in the first team soon and expect him to deliver the magic on the field.
Visuals via TFA data viz engine