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Barcelona signed Ousmane Dembele from Borussia Dortmund last summer for a record fee of 115 million euros. It broke the Borussia Dortmund all-time transfer record. Barca brought him as a replacement for Neymar, who had just left Barcelona for Paris Saint-Germain.
His first season at Barca did not go as expected. In his first league match against Getafe, he tore his hamstring which effectively ruled him out for four long months. He was declared medically fit on 2nd of January 2018, but unfortunately two weeks later, he again got injured. This time he had to sit out for four weeks on the bench.
Dembele would have mentally prepared himself to perform in the upcoming season and show the world that he is worth the money spent on him. The upcoming season would be of prime importance to the 21-year-old player. This is the season where he is supposed to make the transition from a "young footballing sensation" to a settled first-team player.
Barcelona's decision to buy Malcom may have imerilled that. The Brazilian winger plays in the same position as Dembele, is quick and suits the Barcelona style of play. It will certainly have an effect on Dembele as now he has a tough competitor for the starting XI in the Barca squad. In this article, we statistically compare the two players.
Season to be examined
Dembele
It was his debut season at Dortmund which made him a footballing sensation and which prompted Barcelona to shell out money on him. He scored the winning goal against Bayern in the DFB-Pokal semi-final, and also scored the first goal in a 2–1 win as Dortmund clinched their first major title in five years by winning the 2017 DFB-Pokal final against Eintracht Frankfurt.
Dembélé was subsequently named Man of the Match. After the end of the season, Dembélé was named in the Bundesliga Team of the Season and awarded the Bundesliga Rookie of the Season award.
Malcom
Similarly, for Malcom, we have picked his last season with Bordeaux. The Brazilian winger made headlines all over the world with his splendid performances last season. It was his magnificent display in the 2017-18 season which prompted Barcelona to bring him to Camp Nou.
Round 1: Passing
The most simple truth about football is that "if you don't know how to pass the ball, then you don't know how to play football."
This quote may be an overstatement but you can not undermine the importance of passing skills in football.
The best player knows when to pass the ball, when to keep it and dribble forward and when to release it for the player in a better position.
We examined both players on seven different features in this round.
Dembele had poor pass success percentage despite the fact he made fewer passes per game than Malcom. He had twelve assists in the season, but such a high number can be attributed to the presence of clinical finishers like Aubameyang.
Malcom is the clear winner as he beats Dembele on five features.
Winner of Round 1: Malcom
Score: Dembele 0 - 1 Malcom
Round 2: Offense
In theory, football is a simple game. A team only needs to score more goals than the opposition team to win the match and that significant and crucial responsibility rests on the shoulder of the forwards.
If we compare Dembele and Malcom in this department, Dembele again loses out to the Brazilian winger. Dembele has more dribbles per game, but Malcom wins round 2, having more Goals and Shots per game.
Winner of Round 2: Malcom
Score: Dembele 0 - 2 Malcom
Round 3: Discipline
Discipline is a pivotal aspect for success in almost all walks of life, and football is no different. A player who is calm, reliable and cool-headed and focused on the pitch, primarily in tense situations, is beneficial to the team.
Round 3 ends in a draw as Dembele loses out to Malcom on yellow cards but earns a draw by having better control on the ball per game.
Winner of Round 3: Draw. Both players get 1 point each
Score: Dembele 1 - 3 Malcom
Round 4: Defense
A winger/forward who tracks back to help in defense and make tackles is an asset to the team as it gives them a numerical advantage. Barcelona plays a high defensive line, and if a winger/forward can track back in time during a counter attack, it gives the team an extra edge.
Dembele wins round 4, as statistically, he does his defensive duties well. He has more successful tackles, interceptions, fouls, and clearances per game with Malcom leading only in aerial presence.
Winner of Round 4: Dembele
Score: Dembele 2 - 4 Malcom
Conclusion
Malcom comfortably beats Dembele if we compare them on purely statistical grounds.
If Malcom continues to perform at the same level he did last season things are going to get more difficult for Dembele.
Dembele has already been at Barcelona for one year and would have adjusted by now, so it will be now or never for him. If he wants to cement his place in the starting eleven he needs to perform at the highest level. A few bad games and he may find himself on the other side of the spectrum.
In the end, it is a win-win situation for FC Barcelona.
