Portugal is a nation that has produced a plethora of technically gifted players down the years, and young midfielder Tiago Dantas is another exciting youngster who could represent the Portuguese senior team in future years. The 19-year-old enjoyed an excellent UEFA Youth League campaign with Benfica, who reached the final of the competition before losing out to Real Madrid. Dantas, who has represented Portugal’s youth teams in various age groups, has already managed to set up three goals in three games for Benfica B in the Portuguese second tier this season.
The teenager recently completed a season-long loan deal to Bayern Munich, where he is featuring for their B team in the third tier of German football.
This scout report will provide a tactical analysis of the exciting youngster’s game.
Overview
Dantas played a total of 2,030 minutes in The Segunda Divisão Portuguesa last term, spanning across 23 matches. The teenager chipped in with three goals in the league. He didn’t register an assist in the division, but his xA (expected assists) for the season was 2.52. This means that based on the quality of the chances he created, we would have expected Dantas to have registered two or three assists. The fact that he didn’t claim one suggests his teammates were wasteful with the chances he created.
The image above is Dantas’ heatmap from this season. He usually plays as an advanced eight on the left of a midfield three or on the left-wing. But he tends to get on the ball in similar areas of the pitch regardless of his position, in that inside-left channel where he can find pockets of space between the opposing right-winger and right-sided central midfielder. This fits in with the team’s tactics, who like to play patient, possession-based football through midfield.
Off the ball movement
When his teammates are on the ball, Dantas’ focus is constantly on finding space in areas where he can hurt the opposition. Many midfielders who possess similar technical attributes will often try and go towards the player on the ball to provide a short option. However, as you can see in the image below, Dantas prefers to hold his position so he can receive the ball in pockets of space on the half turn.
By staying away from the ball, he’s in a position to receive possession on the blindside of the two opposing midfielders. His teammate can then easily split those two players with a pass into Dantas’ feet, taking them out of the game. If he made a run towards the ball, he’d have been going into a crowded area, as the Ajax players looked to press the player in possession. His patience and discipline in holding a slightly wider position mean that he can get on the ball in space, where he can run at an exposed defence.
In that image and the next one, Dantas has asked for the ball in between the opponent’s midfield right-winger and right-sided central midfielder.
This is a perfect snapshot of the positions that the teenager likes to take up. He’s between the lines of the Ajax defence and midfield, and also between the opponent’s centre-back and full-back. This creates problems for the opposition because it’s hard to know which player should apply pressure on the man on the ball if they drift into these spaces. The ball is with Benfica’s central defender, but instead of coming short, he stays patient and remains in that pocket of space. He looks up, not to check where the ball is but to make sure he’s still in those pockets, and he’ll slightly adjust his position based on where the ball and opponents go.
Making Passing Look Easy
Last season, Dantas showed that he is a high-volume passer who is always looking to get on the ball. He averaged 45.27 passes per 90 minutes in the Portuguese second tier. He also averaged 0.53 key passes per 90: only six central midfielders can boast a higher figure than that. Dantas played an average of 3.28 passes into the penalty area as well.
This is a player who is very comfortable in possession, and he often makes the art of passing look easy. His brain seems to work half a second quicker than everyone else’s, meaning that he’s able to see passing options and execute them by taking just one or two touches. This helps his team keep the ball moving, and it means that Benfica are less likely to lose possession in a pressurised area of the pitch. When he does receive possession in the middle, he’s able to switch the ball into a less populated part of the pitch with consummate ease.
In the image below, he plays a perfectly weighted pass into the path of the winger.
Although he’s not under a huge amount of pressure in this situation, the speed that he gets the ball under control and passes it is impressive. Even when he isn’t able to scan his shoulder before receiving the ball to see the full picture, he still seems to know where the next pass is going as soon as he takes that full pitch. It’s like he doesn’t have to look, he just knows where his teammates are, and he knows which pass to make.
The next image in the analysis shows us his excellent receiving skills and first touch.
As you can see, he’s being pressured by an opposition player and he’s facing a crowded area of the pitch. Therefore, his best option is to turn out and switch the ball to the other side of the pitch, where his teammate could have the opportunity to run at a defender. As his body orientation is facing the touchline, if he receives the ball on his front foot he’d be taking the ball into the crowd of players around him. He’d then have to take another touch to turn out and he could have lost the ball by that point.
So, to turn and play the ball quickly, Dantas has the confidence to receive the ball on his back foot. Therefore, in just one touch, he’s able to turn away from the crowded right side of the pitch and switch the ball over to the left.
One slight criticism of his game is that he sometimes picks the safe option when he doesn’t need to. In the image below, Dantas has the ball in an attacking transition and his team have the opportunity to launch a quick counter-attack.
As you can see, he has two very simple forward passing options available. But instead of playing forward into one of those players, he turns back and plays a sideways pass to the left-back. This allows Ajax to get back into their defensive shape, and the chance to counter quickly has gone.
Final Third Creativity
Dantas is a creative player, who can often make the difference for his team by providing quality crosses and passes into the area. He averaged 0.11 xA per 90 minutes last season in the league, impressive for someone who is still so young. He’s also kicked off this campaign with a bang. Dantas has claimed three actual assists in as many games, despite only playing 74 minutes across those matches.
The youngster does sometimes play out wide due to his crossing ability. In the image below, he receives the ball in the half-space between the opposing full-back and ball near centre-back, an area of the pitch he loves to pick the ball up in.
Dantas then plays the ball out wide, before continuing his run into the channel.
His teammate can then either come inside and attack the space that Dantas has created by dragging the defenders out wide, or he can play the ball straight back to him down the line. He goes for the second option, and Dantas bursts down the wing and gets to the byline.
From there, he’s able to deliver a perfect low cross to the back post, and Benfica B’s striker taps it home.
Of course, the youngster is also very capable of providing moments of quality to split defences from more central areas. In the image below, Dantas receives possession in the right half-space. In one touch, he dinks a sensational ball over the top of the defence and into the head of the striker.
Unfortunately, his teammate heads the ball wide. But Dantas still demonstrated his ability to create a chance out of nothing by thinking outside the box and providing a moment of real quality.
Dantas also takes free-kicks and corners, and he often creates opportunities from these dead ball situations. In the image below, he floats a superb ball over the top of the Dinamo Zagreb defence and onto the head of one of his teammates. The 19-year-old has the knack of delivering quality dead balls into the ‘corridor of uncertainty’ – the area of space in behind the defensive line but far away enough from the goalkeeper so it doesn’t run straight into his arms.
Conclusion
Dantas is yet to make his bow for Benfica’s senior team, so he’s a fairly unknown quantity. He has been impressive in the second tier of Portuguese football for Benfica B, and he was a key part of their Under 19s team as they reached the final of the UEFA Youth League. So far, he’s made two appearances for Bayern’s B team. It seems like the German giants are seeing how he progresses before deciding whether to make a permanent move for him.
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