Statistical comparison for the 26th Serie A matchday: Nicolò Barella vs Matteo Pessina
Using the data provided by the statistics section of the figc.it website, we take a look at the numbers ahead of the faceoff between Inter and Atalanta’s two centre midfielders.Friday, March 5, 2021
Friday 5 March 2021
The delayed game for the 26th Serie A matchday is Inter vs. Atalanta, scheduled for 20:45 CET on Monday 8 March. There is a gap of ten points between the two teams in the league, with the Milanese Nerazzurri in first place with 59 points and the Bergamaschi in fourth with 49 points.
The statistical comparison for the 26th matchday, made possible by the freely accessible database on the dedicated section of the Figc.it website, puts Nicolò Barella against Matteo Pessina.
The Interista has so far played eight more times than his opponent (25 vs 17), with an average playing time per game of 78.8 minutes, to the Atalanta midfielder’s 66.5, who is taken off more often (nine vs eight).
Both are ‘end to end’ players, and the principle attribute that they both share is the ability to combine attacking flair with sturdiness in defence.
Let’s take a look at goals: Barella boasts more goals (three vs one), more assists (five to Pessina’s one) and more chances created (33 vs 15), but he falls short of Pessina when it comes to shot accuracy (the Atalanta midfielder has 63.6% of his shots on target, to Barella’s 36.4%.)
When it comes to defensive abilities, the Sardinian centre midfielder has won 26 challenges (22 more than his opponent) and has made more defensive clearances (7 vs 3). They are more evenly matched in interception: Barella is yet again ahead with 16, three more than Pessina’s 13.
Concerning build-up play the 23-year-old from Monza just about has the edge over his Interista opponent both in the percentage of successful passes (85.1% vs 83.6%) and in the percentage of successful passes made in the opposing team’s half (79.8% vs 78%), but he has completed 494 less (1031 vs 537).
Finally, regarding discipline, Barella is dirtier than Pessina (38 fouls to Pessina’s 18), but he is also fouled more often than his adversary having been fouled 33 times, compared to Pessina’s 20. So far, the 24-year-old native of Cagliari has received more yellow cards (four vs two). Neither of the two has been sent off.
