Ismaël Bennacer

In the current tactical landscape of European football, central midfielders that can retain possession under pressure and break opponents’ pressing schemes have become integral. Ismaël Bennacer does both. His outstanding attribute as a deep-lying midfielder is his high-level mobility under pressure and impressive dexterity in tight spaces.

At Empoli, Bennacer played as a single pivot at the base of a three-man midfield, and his principle responsibilities in build-up and transition phases maximised his ability to play under and through pressure. He consistently demonstarted that he is an accomplished receiver of possession in deep areas. 

Creating angles in build-up phases by sliding laterally and dropping deep, he provides a stable option for team-mates to pass to, and visibly wants to receive the ball regardless of the situation he is in, which is indicative of his significant self-belief. 

His adequate body positioning and good technical ability enables him to receive the ball on his front or back foot, then take positive first-touches to efficiently set-up his next action.

His steadfast disposition to receive possession regardless of situation or circumstance is a direct upshot of his excellent ability to operate under pressure. As opponents constrict his space when he receives the ball, Bennacer comes alive. 

He is exceptional at moving the ball to alleviate pressure: passing quickly to accessible team-mates, turning away from on-rushing opponents to burst upfield, dribbling out of tight spaces to extend build-up sequences – all of that creates significant time and space for team-mates to exploit. 

His athletic combination of agility and balance enables him to quickly shift his weight to escape pressure, and his acceleration and intelligent body positioning allows him to drive into space, create seperations from opponents, or win fouls if necessary.

Bennacer is a capable passer and is at his best when moving the ball with pace and purpose. His range of passing was restricted by Empoli’s approach to building attacks, but he displayed good awareness, operational speed and decent variety when recycling possession with lateral passes and sometimes squeezing the ball through lines. 

His passing is particularly effective in combination with his ability to break pressure, exploiting unbalanced defences. When Bennacer bursts through a challenge, he is quick to pick and play a progressive pass into an advanced team-mate occupying the space he helped create.

In defensive phases, Bennacer is good at defending compact spaces – he is dogged and tenacious ball-winner. His agility, quick feet and athletic burst are extremely useful at combating turnovers; he is great at pressuring opponents, shutting down angles and restricting their options. 

In bigger spaces, he can be overwhelmed by athleticism as he simply does not have the stride nor size to compete with bigger, faster opponents, but that can and should be mitigated by a competent collective system.