The numbers that show what a talent Aleksandar Pavlović is

As you would expect, there is a lot of hype and excitement surrounding 20-year-old FC Bayern Munich midfielder Aleksandar Pavlović – and rightly so.

The midfielder made his breakthrough into the first team at FC Bayern Munich under Thomas Tuchel last season at the age of 19 and joined the team in the autumn. A truly impressive performance in the win against VfB Stuttgart at the end of December was the game that put its stamp on the first team and made it clear to many people how much talent Bayern had on their hands.

You don’t need statistics to know how good Pavlović is. You can tell by watching him. But boy, do the stats match what the eye test shows?

The numbers provided by the always excellent DataMB show just how good the 20-year-old has been for Bayern Munich so far this season. They also showed how good Michael Olise was if you want to take a look.

According to DataMB’s figures, Pavlović ranks in the Bundesliga in the; 97th percentile for progressive passes, 92nd percentile for forward passes and forward pass accuracy, and 90th percentile for tackle percentage.

So what’s not so good from Pavlović’s side? He ranks in the 54th percentile for key passes, 44th percentile for progressive carries, and 53rd percentile for defensive actions.

The reality is that these aren’t all that important. His job in the team is not to create chances. Although it would be optimal if its progressive wear properties improved a little, this is not a priority. There are other players in the team who can do that and that should improve over time as he continues to assert his authority in midfield.

As defensive moves go, they are perhaps even less worrisome than key passes. Bayern are so dominant that there aren’t many defensive moves. Tackle rate is a better barometer, and as mentioned above, he’s in the 90th percentile for that (although a smaller sample size helps).

Rightly or wrongly, there have been several calls for João Palhinha to be in the starting lineup this season, given the financial expense for Bayern. Pavlović is one of the main reasons why one of the most respected defensive midfielders in the game cannot come off the bench at Bayern. A great legacy for him when he was only 20 years old.