In the European Championship semi-final between Spain and France, Rodri and N'Golo Kanté are two exceptional midfielders. blue Sport takes a closer look at the two.
No time? blue News summarizes for you
- Spain play spectacularly at the European Championship, France minimalistically. What the two teams have in common, however, is their outstanding playmakers.
- N'Golo Kanté pulls the strings in France's midfield, Rodri in Spain's.
- blue Sport has compared the statistics of the two players - Rodri has the edge over Kanté in many categories.
A really big affair awaits at the European Championship: Spain will face runners-up France in the semi-finals. The Spaniards are delighting the football world with their no-frills football, while the French are in the last four without any glitter.
Splendor or not. Spain and France have something in common on the pitch: they both have outstanding midfield directors. For the Spaniards, this is Rodri, for the Équipe Tricolore it is N'Golo Kanté.
Rodri is more pass-happy, Kanté quicker
Both Rodri and Kanté are tireless fighters. They work until the bitter end and can be found everywhere on the pitch. While Rodri covers an average of 12.7 kilometers per European Championship game, the French minimalism of the current tournament is evident in Kanté. The Al-Ittihad player runs an average of 11.2 kilometers per game.
In terms of passing accuracy, Rodri has the edge over Kanté. The club colleague of Manuel Akanji receives 94 percent of his passes, compared to 92.2 percent for Kanté.
Rodri is also much more pass-happy than his counterpart. With 349 passes played in four games (87 per game), Kanté is clearly inferior in this category with 287 passes in five games (57 per game).
In terms of speed, the 33-year-old Kanté dries up the tall Rodri. Kanté's top speed at the European Championship was 33.8 kilometers per hour, while Rodri's speedometer stopped at 33.
Rodri vs. Kanté
- Club: Manchester City / Al-Ittihad
- Age: 28 / 33
- Height: 1.91 meters / 1.68 meters
- Market value: 120 million euros / 9 million euros
- Games at Euro 2024: 4 / 5 Kanté
- Passing accuracy: 94 percent / 92.2 percent
- Passes played: 349 / 287
- Passes into the danger zone: 21 / 16
- Dribbles: 3 / 8
- Goals: 1 / 0
- Assists: 0 / 0
- Fouls: 5 / 6
- Yellow cards: 3 / 0
- Fouled: 7 / 1
- Distance: 50.74 kilometers / 56.03 kilometers
- Top speed: 33 km/h / 33.8 km/h
The number three also dominates the Spanish midfielder's card statistics. Rodri has received three yellow cards in four European Championship matches. He missed the last group game against Albania due to suspension. Kanté has yet to receive a card at this European Championship.
Neither Rodri nor Kanté are known for scoring goals. However, one of them has already scored at the European Championships: Rodri scored the 1:1 in the 4:1 victory over Georgia in the round of 16.
A duel of opposites
The statistics speak volumes: Rodri outperforms Kanté in most categories. The Manchester City man plays more accurate passes, covers more kilometers and is more dangerous in front of goal at the European Championships.
However, Kanté is a player who does not need statistics on his side to underline his importance. The quiet character was named Man of the Match twice. In the win against Austria and the draw against the Netherlands. Rodri received the award after the round of 16 match against Georgia.
The final reckoning will take place after the game. Spain versus France - a clash of opposites and two outstanding midfielders.
