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Group E- Alexander Kolarov
Over the last year, Pep Guardiola has not made many mistakes. His Manchester City romped to the title, setting several Premier League records along the way. Yet, the Spaniard may have been mistaken when he sold Alexander Kolarov to Roma. The Serbian has been brilliant for the Giallorossi, finishing with the 4th highest player rating (highest for 3rd placed Roma) in Serie A. He was also impressive in the Champions League, finishing 40th in player rating in the UEFA Champions League where Roma advanced to the semi-finals.
While playing as a left-back, Kolarov’s most impressive attribute is his attacking play, which was evident throughout the Serie A season. He made the 5th most key passes per game at 2.3 and made 1.9 crosses per game, good enough for 3rd in the Serie A. These crosses were quite successful, as he had 8 assists- a spectacular number for a defender. His dribbling was also excellent as he made 1.6 successful dribbles per game, tied for 22nd in the league. Moreover, Kolarov’s ball distribution was also vital for Roma, as he ranked 5th in long balls per game in the Serie A and 26th in passes per game. This attacking play will be vital for Serbia as Kolarov will try to feed Alexander Mitrovic and Dusan Tadic in Group E against Brazil, Switzerland, and Costa Rica.
Kolarov’s defensive play will also be important for Serbia as he will be responsible for trying to contain the likes of Philippe Coutinho, Xherdan Shaqiri, and Bryan Ruiz. While Kolarov’s defensive stats are not as impressive as his attacking play, but there are some positive signs. For instance, Kolarov finished 48th in interceptions per game in Serie A. He will have step up on that end if Serbia are going to advance to the knockout stages.
