Incognito Scout - Champions League Semi-Finals Preview

England and Spain are the only two nations represented in the 2021/22 Champions League semi-finals, with Manchester City taking on Real Madrid and Liverpool facing Villarreal.

City sailed through their group before blasting aside Sporting CP and edging out Atlético Madrid. Question marks linger, though, given that they’ve looked good in this competition on a number of occasions under Pep Guardiola before ultimately running out of steam.

By contrast, Los Blancos have got the job done in the Champions League more times than any other club.

Their current squad isn’t as packed with world-class talent as others have been in years gone by. However, there's still plenty of quality at Carlo Ancelotti's disposal and his players have shown remarkable resilience to reach this stage, having trailed in both their Round of 16 tie against PSG and their quarter-final clash with Chelsea.

Jürgen Klopp’s Liverpool have momentum on their side after an FA Cup semi-final triumph over the Citizens and excellent recent Premier League form. But the Reds aren’t flawless, with Benfica exposing some defensive vulnerability in the quarters.

Their opponents, Villarreal, have upset the odds to reach the final four for just the second time in their history. However, at this point, surely no one can be surprised when an Unai Emery team shines in UEFA competition.

So, who are the key men?

Here are the three top performers from each team this season* according to our unique Incognito Score? player ranking system.?

Semi-Final 1: Manchester City vs Real Madrid?

Man City?

3. Riyad Mahrez (RAM) – Incognito Score?: 86.7

Mahrez recently turned 31 but the Algeria captain is showing no sign of slowing down.

He has the second-best Attack Quality rating of any RAM in the Premier League (87.6), and his strongest attributes are Shot (82.6), Cross (83.5) and Set Piece (88.5).??

2. Phil Foden (CF) – Incognito Score?: 87.8

Foden has been deployed in a number of positions by Guardiola this season but his best performances have come in the CF role.

His Incognito Score there is only bettered in the Premier League by Harry Kane (90.3) and he ranks first for Attacking Intelligence (87.1).

1. Kevin De Bruyne (CM) – Incognito Score?: 88.1?

KDB has been one of the top midfielders in the world for many years now and his Incognito numbers back that up.

City’s star man has a huge Attack Quality score of 94.6 and ranks first among Premier League CMs for Shot (96.9), Cross (96.2) and Attacking Intelligence (90.6).

Real Madrid have overcome a lot of obstacles in their run to the final four but keeping the Belgian maestro quiet may be their biggest challenge yet.?

Real Madrid?

3. Casemiro (CDM) – Incognito Score?: 85.0?

A four-time winner of this competition with Los Blancos, Casemiro is one of the best CDMs of the modern era.?

He doesn’t have the same passing range or panache as his midfield buddies Luka Modric and Toni Kroos, but he ranks second out of 76 eligible La Liga midfielders for Aerial (92.2), Off Ball Intelligence (90.8) and Challenges (85.2).?

2. Vinicius Junior (LAM) – Incognito Score?: 85.3

Vinicius came into the 2021/22 campaign under pressure after flattering to deceive during his first few seasons at the Bernabeu.?

He’s answered his critics emphatically, though, scoring 14 goals so far in the league alone.?

The lightning quick 21-year-old currently ranks first among La Liga LAMs for Dribble (89.1), Pass (86.7) and Attacking Intelligence (85.8).

1. Karim Benzema (CF) – Incognito Score?: 89.5

Benzema spent the early part of his Real Madrid career in Cristiano Ronaldo’s shadow, but he’s now very much the main man.?

He netted four times against Chelsea over two legs in the quarter-final and his 25 La Liga goals have fired his club to the brink of the title.?

The Frenchman ranks second in La Liga among CFs for Attacking Intelligence (93.6) and Pass (90.9), and his consistency across all attributes is remarkable.?

He must fire against City if the Spanish giants are to add to their astonishing 13 European crowns.

Semi-Final 2: Liverpool vs Villarreal

Liverpool

3. Jordan Henderson (CM) – Incognito Score?: 84.4?

Jordan Henderson may not be the most gifted player in Liverpool’s ranks but much like Casemiro at Real Madrid, he’s indispensable in midfield.?

The Reds captain is best when deployed as a CM rather than a CDM, boasting excellent Attack Quality and Defence Quality scores of 84.9 and 83.9 respectively.?

2. Andrew Robertson (LB) – Incognito Score?: 84.5

Scotland skipper Robertson is another senior player at Anfield who offers quality at both ends of the pitch.?

The 28-year-old ranks second among eligible Premier League left-backs for Attacking Intelligence (89.5) and Pass (85.6), while he's third for Defensive Off Ball Intelligence (85.9) and also scores well for Pressure (80.1).

1. Mohamed Salah (RAM) – Incognito Score?: 88.8?

Salah has developed into a world-class performer at Liverpool and it’s no surprise to see him top their rankings.

He’s already hit the 30-goal mark for the season across all competitions and his attacking numbers on Incognito are sensational.?

Salah ranks first among RAMs in the English top-flight for Attacking Intelligence (91.3), Shot (89.0) and Physical (83.1), while he’s also third for Dribble (82.1) and Pass (80.1).

Villarreal's defence kept the likes of Robert Lewandowski and D?san Vlahovi? relatively quiet in previous rounds but silencing Salah could be even tougher.?

Villarreal

3. Raul Albiol (CB) – Incognito Score?: 83.0

When Albiol joined Villarreal from Napoli in 2019, it looked like he had returned to his native Spain to wind down his career.?

However, the veteran has been ultra-consistent in the heart of defence this season and is clearly still highly motivated.

His Defence Quality rating of 83.9 - aided by an Off Ball Intelligence score of 84.9 – is the eleventh best in La Liga out of 79 eligible CBs.

2. Alfonso Pedraza (LB) – Incognito Score?: 84.0

After four loan spells elsewhere between 2016 and 2020, Pedraza has finally established himself as a regular at Villarreal.?

He isn’t a full-back who regularly chips in with goals – scoring just once this season – nor is he a standout in one particular defensive attribute.

However, he is ranked first in La Liga among LBs for Cross (92.5) and fifth for Attacking Intelligence (85.0).

1. Gerard Moreno (CF) – Incognito Score?: 89.5?

Gerard Moreno’s 2021/22 season has been blighted by injury and a fresh hamstring problem could see him miss out against Liverpool.?

If he can make a rapid recovery for the second leg, though, he’ll ask the Reds defence plenty of questions.

Moreno is ranked first among La Liga CFs for Attacking Intelligence (94.7) and Pass (92.9), and fourth for Dribble, helping him to a league-leading Attack Quality rating of 91.7.?

*Incognito Scores and data based on domestic league performances only. Incognito Scores and data based on performances in matches up to but not beyond 15/04/2022. Attribute scores adjusted for position, quality of team and quality of league.

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