Ratings
- A1 – Very good, could play higher
- A2 – Strong potential to play higher
- B1 – Good, strong player at level
- B2 – Potential to be strong player at level
- C – Average for the level, rewatch
- D – Below average in this match
Massimiliano Mangraviti
Player profile:
- Nationality: Italian
- Age: 22
- Date of birth: 24/01/1998
- Current club: Brescia Calcio
- Career: Brescia (Y), Racing Fondi (L) Pro Piacenza (L), Brescia, Gozzano (L), Brescia
- Position: Centre Back
- Secondary position: Defensive midfielder
- Preferred foot: Left
Mangraviti is a 21 year old central defender who can play as a defensive midfielder as well. In this game against Lecce he was very solid in defence with a certain confidence in his defensive actions. This could be seen in the way he conducted himself in tackling, how his spatial awareness was when a through ball or long ball came into the box and how well he handles his 1v1’s without getting drawn into a tackle too often.
He is a quick and agile defender which definitely helped Brescia in recovering the ball and getting it forward in a few passes. Magraviti’s passing range is good and he always attempts to pass the ball to the upcoming full-backs or dribbles to the midfield and tries to connect with the advanced midfield players.
What has not impressed me so far, is his lack of leadership capabilities. Although he is young, he needs to take charge of the defence and coach the other defending players in the defensive phase of the game. The lack of communication is worrying, as it creates confusion. He is very fit and wins most of his aerial duels, which is a huge plus for a defender in his position.
Rating: A2
He is definitely a very good defender at Serie B level and he has the potential to play for a top 10 Serie A side, but he has to improve on his communication and leadership skills. If he does that, he could be a player with a decent Serie A status.
Andrea Papetti
Player profile:
- Nationality: Italian
- Age: 18
- Date of birth: 02/07/2002
- Current club: Brescia Calcio
- Career: Brescia (Y)
- Position: Centre Back
- Preferred foot: Right
The 1,86 meters tall central defender forms a defensive partnership with Mangraviti and has shown his talent already during the Serie A in the 2019/2020 season. Although Brescia were relegated the young defender keeps on progressing one tier below in the Serie B. He is a very hard worker and very committed to every defensive action he makes. He is aggressive in the duels and wants to prevent any attacking threat by his opponent, which makes him a very passionate player.
He is a strong and confident player who doesn’t shy away from ground duels and 1v1’s. He forces his direct opponent to make a choice and he anticipates this quite well, leaving the opponents frustrated and caged.
As confident as he is in his defensive actions, he is very reserved in his passing. He normally plays his passes quite conservatively to his other central defender, back to the keeper or to the full-back next to him. He does recognise chances to pass into the midfield or a chance to chip the ball over the defence, but he remains conservative and opts for the safe ball.
Rating: A1
Being only 18 years old and playing in a team like Brescia, comes a lot of responsibilty. The youngster does very well in all the defensive actions, but he needs to improve on the ball progressing and acting on the attacking options that are given. If he does that, he could go on and play for a top team in the Serie A in the next few years.
Tom van de Looi
Player profile:
- Nationality: Dutch
- Age: 21
- Date of birth: 02/07/1999
- Current club: Brescia Calcio
- Career: FC Groningen, NEC Nijmegen (L), FC Groningen
- Position: Centre midfielder
- Secondary position: Defensive midfielder
- Preferred foot: Right
The Dutch central midfielder is a very positive player in this Brescia squad, as the midfielder has pace, strong tackling, is not afraid to shoot and works very hard. He is a central midfielder who loves to assist in the attack and will do so in any given chance he can do that, but is quick to react when the transition from attack to defence occurs and play his role defensively.
He is strong in aerial duels as he jumps above average and wins duels, but his physical appearance doesn’t match that. 1vs1’s are often lost and that caused the defence problems when Lecce had numbers in Brescia’s half. Van de Looi tries to correct that by positioning himself well and to cut off the passing lines, but not with satisfactory results.
What’s very strong, however, is his passing quality. He can progress the ball with his passing as well as his runs. He can spot a player running behind the defence and deliver a through ball or a square ball to the other side of the pitch, to construct a meaningful attack. His attacking contribution is a very important part of his game.
Rating: A2
I’m not sure where Van de Looi will play in the years to come, but if we consider his talent and how he can progress, he could be a very strong player at this level. He might even make the jump into the Serie A or another top tier division in Europe.