This summer, he joined Inter Milan with a fixed transfer fee of 40 million euros + a floating transfer fee of 5 million. Ashraf played 15 starts and 7 substitutes in Serie A and the Champions League for a total of 1417 minutes, and sent 6 goals and 4 assists for the team + Brilliant stats for 24 key passes. Despite being placed at the wing back, Ashraf, who has an attacking heart, is the team's third scoring point after Lukaku and Lautaro. Watching him play so amazingly, will Real Madrid regret it? (This article was first published on the live broadcast)
was born to be an athlete: rushing forward is a lifelong belief
Although they are all Moroccans, because the motherland and Spain are only separated by the Strait of Gibraltar, Ashraf’s parents came to Spain early to live , he was also born in Madrid.
When he was very young, Ashraf's mother signed up for him to participate in many sports such as swimming, track and field, and laid a solid foundation for sports. Because of his love for football, Ashraf set foot on the green field and entered the Getafe youth training. In just one year, Real Madrid scouts spotted him, and Ashraf, who was less than 9 years old, started his career in white clothes.
With his excellent speed and explosiveness, Ashraf has been mainly cultivated in the position of forward . On the way from the Real Madrid youth C team to the A team, Ashraf began to try many roles such as winger and fullback. Because of being appreciated by Guti and Solari, Ashraf has received a lot of help and attention.
In the 2018-19 season, Ashraf, who had just finished the World Cup as the main force and was amazing, was asked to rent by Dortmund for 2 years. It is a paradise for young people, a paradise for offense. In the environment of Dortmund's wanton sprint, Ashraf grew rapidly.In his last season with Dortmund, Ashraf scored 9 goals, 10 assists and 46 key passes in the Bundesliga and the Champions League.
You must know that in addition to this data, Ashraf has a lot of surprising contributions: Dortmund has the most touches (2922), except Sancho , five major league assists 10 times + second youngest Players, and 70 dribbles in the Bundesliga, second only to Sancho.
is not a side-hugging type: he has the heart of a striker and a micro-manipulation technique that is stronger than that of a winger. However, Ashraf's sprint speed and foot skills still have a greater advantage in Serie A . In addition, the threat of Inter Milan's double forwards is great, which also helps him become the third attack point to reach the core area.
As can be seen from the Inter Milan formation position map, they are also the team's wingbacks, and the average touch points of Ashraf and Ashley Young are very different. It's not that Young doesn't do anything offensively, but it's an indisputable fact that Ashraf, as a wing-back, is closer to the box than the average winger.
As you can see from the position this time, Vidal went to the left, Ashraf opened the flank space on the right, and the Inter Milan double center was in place in the middle, setting up a strong offensive formation.
Ashraf's speed is very fast, especially when switching offense and defense, he even has stronger flank blasting ability than most wingers. This time, he made a back pass and assisted Lukaku to score a goal, which once gave Inter Milan hope of advancing to the Champions League knockout.
Ashraf is not only characterized by fast speed, but also has a strong ability to break the game. This time, he responded to a cross from his teammates, and instantly accelerated into the penalty area and scored a burst shot, which was impressive.
It is worth mentioning that Ashraf's maximum lethality on the flank is in the transition from offense to defense. If entering a positional battle, Conte just wants to let Ashraf widen the width on the outside, then the effect is more general. Although Inter Milan's double center has a good ability to grab points, Ashraf only makes a pass from the outside, which is not the best choice.
It can be seen from the statistics that after coming to Serie A, Ashraf's statistics in assists, key passes and dribbles per game have all declined. The only thing that has improved is the number of goals. This has something to do with Conte's tactical arrangement, but even with a slight decline, Ashraf's various offensive data are required by wingbacks, which are still very bright.
At Inter Milan, Shiraf got more chances to shoot directly into the penalty area than during Dortmund's time. Dortmund will let him hit the ribs more in the penalty area and then send a cross. Inter Milan asked him to lean more towards the wing to receive the ball, and at the same time lacked a contact point in the ribs, so Ashraf would cut more inside and shoot by himself. The goal against Roma this time is very exciting.
Under Inter's double center tactics, the opponent's attention will be more focused on the front point. Ashraf, as a flank without the ball, often gets surprises. He has a strong sense of striker, and this time he scored a goal after receiving a header from Brozovic, which also proved this.
Relatively speaking, Inter Milan's current problem is the lack of instigation and organization of the ribs. Sanchez is doing relatively well, but he and Eriksen don't have many chances to start. Ashraf likes this kind of rib hitting the wall and then hitting the flank of the penalty area and then making a cross to assist his teammates, but such scenes are rare in Inter Milan.
Real Madrid can comfort themselves not to regret: the defense has weaknesses, it is difficult to integrate into the four-back system
Even though Ashraf's data in Dortmund and Inter Milan are very good, the performance can be described as quite wonderful.However, Real Madrid, who received a fixed transfer fee of 40 million euros and a potential floating of 5 million euros, can settle down and do not need to regret it. The reason is that Ashraf's technical characteristics make him unable to be a full-back in a four-back system. The combination of three central defenders and wing-backs is more suitable for this Moroccan boy.
The comparison of the data scores after the end of last season can be seen, compared to Milan left back Theo, Ashraf's defense can be described as appalling (Theo's score is 67, Ashraf's is 20). However, Ashraf is better than AC Milan's left-back Theo in terms of passing, key passing, organizational advancement and offensive contribution.
It can also be seen from this offensive and defensive transition that the mistake really came from Vidal. His random pass allowed Mendy to successfully steal the ball. However, Ashraf then turned around slowly and watched Mendy enter the penalty area to complete the pass. If Mendy resolutely shot at the time, maybe Inter Milan would have conceded another goal.
In the two rounds of the Champions League match between Ashraf and Real Madrid, he sent an own goal in the first game and an own goal in the second game. This time he had a problem when he dropped from the defense. He should have protected the back of the penalty area, but he left Rodrigo completely open.
Waited until Ashraf realized something was wrong, and his speed of chasing back was good. But in a hurry, he wanted to block the shot, but sent the ball into the bottom of his own net.
According to statistics, Ashraf averaged only 1.9 steals + interceptions + clearances per game. Such a statistic may not be bad for a winger, but it is not a good statistic for Inter Milan, which requires five defenders in defense.
Closing remarks:
The 22-year-old Ashraf has a bright future, and if he gets more support from his teammates, he can play even more dazzling offensive stats.However, his relatively thin physique and flaws on the defensive end will also limit his position and development on the court. Leaving Real Madrid with a relatively high transfer amount can be described as a win-win result. Inter Milan is satisfied, Real Madrid has no regrets, and Ashraf himself enjoys the joy of scoring and assisting.
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