Club profile: FC Midtjylland
FC Midtjylland are flying high at the Danish Superliga’s summit.
They are currently two points clear of second-placed Brøndby with 17 games played, boasting an impressive record of 11 wins and just three defeats.
As Thomas Thomasberg’s outfit look to extend their six-match winning streak, we’ve used Twenty3 Toolbox to profile the three-time Superliga champions and their key players this term.
Relentless off the ball
The foundation of Midtjylland’s magnificent domestic form is the effectiveness with which they regain possession after it has been lost.
Their relentless commitment to pressing opponents has seen them rack up 1,546 ball recoveries, which is the most in the Superliga.
In particular, they are superb at forcing high turnovers, from which they can often spring attacks – also leading the division for ball recoveries in the opposition half (602) and dangerous ball recoveries in the opposition half (88).
Central midfielder Kristoffer Olsson is especially skilled at the latter, and is responsible for 14 of those 88 dangerous recoveries.
As a result, Thomasberg’s side have restricted their opponents to an average possession duration of just 18.15 seconds, as well as an average possession height gained of only 27.38 metres – both Superliga-leading figures.
And Midtjylland’s ability to suffocate teams has led to increased protection of their goal. Excluding penalties, they have conceded just 139 shots and 49 on target – the lowest figures in the league.
Irresistible in attack
Midtjylland are by no means a negative side, though.
They are the division’s joint-top scorers – level with FC København – having netted 34 times in 17 outings.
Their league-leading xG of 33.39 reveals that their production is sustainable, too, given the quality of the chances they have been creating.
Top scorer and first-choice centre-forward Cho Gue-sung has led the charge admirably, netting eight times in the competition – though his division-high post-shot xG of 9.39 suggests he has been unfortunate not to add to that tally.
Picking the lock
The quality of Midtjylland’s supply line plays a significant part in the positive performances of Cho and the club’s other forwards.
They have connected with 71 of their 75 key passes – a high volume of shooting opportunities without which the club’s commendable goal tally would not be possible.
The standout member of the squad in this department is left-back Paulinho, who has completed 14 of his 15 key passes, recording four assists in the process.
The full-back is never shy to get forward and fire the ball into the centre of the box from out wide – a potent weapon in Midtjylland’s considerable attacking arsenal.
Aerial dominance
A noteworthy strength of Midtjylland’s – both in attack and defence – is their ability in the air.
No team in the Superliga has won more aerial duels than their 368, and they also rank joint-first for attempted aerial duels (738).
A significant proportion of these duels are contested in the opposition area, with centre-forward Cho a willing battler in the air – though they are equally capable at defending their own box from such threats, particularly through centre-back Juninho.
All visualisations in this article were produced with the Twenty3 Toolbox. For more information, please get in touch below.