The Statistics Behind David de Gea’s Progression at Fiorentina

This Thursday evening, Real Betis will make their way to the Stadio Artemio Franchi as they aim for a spot in the Europa Conference League final by defeating the home side, Fiorentina.

Currently trailing 2-1 from the first leg of their semi-final against Betis, La Viola will lean on their extensive experience in this competition—having reached the final in the previous two seasons—as they seek to turn the tie around.

Real Betis Blocks Fiorentina’s Path to a Third Straight Conference League Final

With disappointments from losses to West Ham United two seasons ago and to Olympiacos last year still fresh, Fiorentina are searching for redemption. Will it be third time lucky for them?

With Chelsea virtually guaranteed to face the winner of this semi-final in the upcoming finale, whoever emerges victorious will face a formidable challenge.

As for current form, the Spanish side has enjoyed a run of four wins and a draw in their last five matches, while Fiorentina is looking to bounce back from two losses in a row—one to Betis and another in Serie A against Roma, alongside two wins and a draw in the interim.

Antony, a loaner from Manchester United, has revitalised his performance at Betis, and coach Raffaele Palladino will need to ensure that his defenders keep a close eye on the Brazilian to limit his influence over the match.

On the opposing end, another former United star, David de Gea, will aim to thwart Antony and his fellow teammates from making headline news, making it pertinent to assess how effectively the 34-year-old has adapted to life in Italy.

His time spent without a club was considerable, with rumours suggesting that salary expectations kept clubs from taking a chance on him.

De Gea Proving His Worth for the No.1 Jersey

Regardless of the validity of that narrative, Fiorentina deserves credit for acquiring such a seasoned goalkeeper when others hesitated.

Since joining the club, De Gea has been the first-choice keeper, featuring in all 36 matches to date and completing the full 90 minutes every time.

Concerns around his distribution abilities, particularly when factored against his 69.8% pass completion this season, might seem troubling at first glance. Yet, De Gea has executed 911 passes this campaign, outperforming all but one season from his time in the Premier League.

This season, De Gea has recorded 1,083 passes, though his accuracy (68.3%) is lower than some prior seasons—he achieved a 74.8% accuracy in United’s 22/23 Europa League run, but only made 314 passes in that competition.

Improvements Across the Board

Further scrutiny of his long ball distribution reveals he’s made headway in this area as well; while 39.7% doesn’t look impressive at first, it surpasses his previous best skill of just 29.7% during his tenure at United.

Moreover, he has been more actively involved, notching 1,178 touches—more than in any other competition over recent seasons, with only the 22/23 Premier League surpassing that record (1,371).

In one-on-one situations, the keeper has been faultless, winning all nine duels faced, maintaining a 100% success rate that mirrors his previous seasons. His 207 ball recoveries surpass his performance from the last three seasons.

In addition, De Gea’s ability to command his area has been commendable, with him triumphing in all six aerial challenges contested this season, just shy of his perfect record of eight from eight in the 2021/22 campaign.

With only 32 goals conceded in Serie A, compared to 43 and 57 during his final two seasons at Old Trafford, his 30 clearances mark a notable improvement over those two periods.

While this uptick may suggest he has seen more action, it also underscores the calibre of his goalkeeping abilities.

De Gea Proving He Still Has What It Takes

Analysis of his stats confirms that De Gea is far from finished as a goalkeeper and still possesses years at the pinnacle of the sport.

If Erik ten Hag desired to replace him with Andre Onana, who some may consider error-prone, there was a far more respectful way to communicate that to De Gea regarding the future of his services.

If De Gea can keep Real Betis at bay this Thursday and help secure a place in another Conference League final for Fiorentina, he will be well on his way to having the last laugh against his former club, who seem to be juggling crises at every turn.