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What if I told you Oscar Mingueza is a better defender than Ronald Araujo? Well...
I recently rewatched all the games both of them have played for Barcelona and I noticed Mingueza seemed to be the more active of the both of them, so I proceeded to check their stats. And....
I recently rewatched all the games both of them have played for Barcelona and I noticed Mingueza seemed to be the more active of the both of them, so I proceeded to check their stats. And....
I wasn't surprised. Since both of their first team debuts, Araujo has played a total of 13 games for Barcelona, totaling 701 minutes of playtime. Mingueza on the other has 5 games and 402 minutes under his belt. Clearly, Araujo trumps him in games played and minutes accrued, but
when we consider their defensive contributions, which should be the ideal yardstick since they are both defenders, Mingueza has managed to outdo Araujo. In his 701 minutes with the first team, Araujo has only attempted 11 tackles and won 8 of it, Whereas, Mingueza in 5 games....
and 402 minutes has attempted 10 tackles (3 shy of Araujo's) and won 7 (1 shy of Araujo's). Mingueza is clearly coming in really close behind Araujo and, if he keeps at it, it will only be a matter of time before he leaves Araujo in the dust in this area. Let's move on to....
shots blocked, another key metric for evaluating a defender. Araujo has registered a total of 8 blocked shots while Mingueza boasts half the number, but then, considering Mingueza has lesser minutes under his belt, those are still encouraging numbers to have. Now let's check....
their total number of interceptions and, testament to my original argument, Mingueza is way ahead of Araujo with a total of 9 interceptions for Mingueza while Araujo boasts just 2 interceptions... in 701 minutes.
Now, this all started when I was trying gather clips for a...
Now, this all started when I was trying gather clips for a...
Ronald Araujo compilation likewise an Oscar Mingueza compilation. I started with Mingueza's and from the 5 games he's played, I managed to come up with a solid 4 minutes + compilation (to be uploaded next week, channel link in bio... Shameless plug) but then, as I moved to....
gathering clips for the Araujo compilation, I realized I was barely getting usable content after going through about 3 games where he featured prominently, which are this season vs Sevilla where he played 90 minutes, vs Celta Vigo, 45 minutes and Levante, another 90 minutes.
Now, the essence of this thread isn't to put Araujo down. I figured why Mingueza has managed to average more impressive defensive stats than Araujo even though he has played a little over half the minutes Araujo has played. It all lies in their differing playing styles.
For Araujo, his defensive approach is more of a composed and calculative one, Van Dijk-ish. Araujo isn't quick to jump into tackles unlike Mingueza who is more of a combative and physical defender, more Puyol/Mascherano-ish. This is evident from the number of...
fouls both players have committed. Though with lesser playing time, Mingueza has 10 fouls committed to his name while Araujo has only 7. The interesting thing however is that both players have never been yellow carded, while only Araujo has received a Red card of the two, but...
We have to agree that the red card he received on his debut vs Sevilla was a very debatable one, hence one that can easily be forgiving.
While Mingueza seems to have all the "On ground" stats in his favor, Araujo excels distinctively in the aerial department.
While Mingueza seems to have all the "On ground" stats in his favor, Araujo excels distinctively in the aerial department.
Araujo has won 14 aerial duels for the first team only losing 6, giving him a win % of 70, Mingueza on the other hand has lost more than he has won, with 4 wins and 5 losses leaving him at 44.4%, a number which isn't bad in itself but which doesn't hold up in this context.
With all that being said, I believe both players are talents that we are lucky to have on our team and, if things are rightly handled, they both could go on to become integral members of our squad in the future.
They both have huge careers ahead of them, with what I have seen so far, I would lean towards Mingueza if I had to pick a favorite - not the best, only a favorite.
What are your thoughts on Araujo & Mingueza? Do you have a clear favorite? If yes, pls let me know why #ViscaBarca
What are your thoughts on Araujo & Mingueza? Do you have a clear favorite? If yes, pls let me know why #ViscaBarca
