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Football means different things to different people. For some it may represent life, while for others it explains the quest of hard work. But in my case, I associate it with literature and comic books.
Name any classic or a modern character, one will surely find a man playing it. Juventus possess their three Musketeers marching the heart of midfield – Pirlo, Marchisio, Vidal; while Barca have their Dexter in the form of Xavi with his scientist-like brain, executing his desires with ease. On the other hand, Liverpool‘s Robin Hood – Luis Suarez – always steals the points from his rival to keep his crew going.
But today, we will talk about two young stars surging for glory in the same position and the same objective – to make their opponents pay for their mistakes.
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So I introduce to you- the menacing Marco Reus and the stylish Stevan Jovetic.
Marco Reus is one of Germany’s hottest prospects. Playing for Borussia Dortmund, this homegrown hero returned to his home club after a delightful season at Monchengladbach. The belligerent Borussian scored about 21 goals in the Bundesliga for ‘Gladbach, securing a Champions League position for them. He is gifted with sublime pace, silken touches and outstanding awareness, which obviously gives him a chance to lead the attack or be the creative force of his club and country.
This year, the 23-year-old is even hungrier for goals, already having scored 16 goals in all competitions and providing 9 assists. He is certainly destined for greatness as he is equally decisive when he plays for his country. His performance has already dazzled a number of managers who feel that he could be the missing piece of their team.
Reus would be a very good fit for any team and for any formation, as he can play at five different attacking positions. He can operate as winger on either side or as centre-forward or even a striker. He is competent with free kicks and deadly when it comes to finishing. He has pace and exhilarating dribbling skills. He possesses the ability to control the ball with both feet and has brilliant close control. Ever-hungry for goals, Reus is an mouth-watering blend of skills and versatility and the young German continues to rise to prominence.
23-year-old Stevan Jovetic has already become a talismanic figure for Fiorentina. Bagging 15 goals last season and 11 this season already, he has been linked with many bigger clubs like Manchester City, Juventus, Arsenal and many more. After denying a summer move to Turin and Manchester, this young Montenegrin has proved his value and class time and again. With an ample number of good performances blended with consistency, he is playing a pivotal role for his team.
From captaining Partizan at 17 to being subject to fevered speculation regarding his next destination, JoJo has seen and been through plenty in the game to feel that his moment has arrived. There was the brace that tore Liverpool apart in the Champions League in his second season in the Renaissance city. Apart from his club, he has justified himself as responsible Montenegrin as well, scoring 10 times in 23 matches for Montenegro.
The elegant Montenegrin is a beautiful footballer capable of creating and scoring at will. The young forward is capable of producing something out of nothing, breezing past defenders and finding the target. The confidence he has in his ability has been unwavering. Jovetic is capable of playing behind the striker and adding an extra burst from midfield. His passing skills are sublime and his goal-scoring instinct is extraordinary. He can easily link the midfield and ensure abundant supply of chances for forwards and is more than capable of creating opportunities single-handedly.
Lets take look on how they have fared till this season.
| Marco Reus | Stefan Jovetic | |
| 24(3) | Apps | 25 |
| 11 | Goals | 12 |
| 9 | Assists | 4 |
| 2.9 | Shots per Goal | 3.8 |
| 1 | Aerials won | 2.1 |
| 1.9 | Key passes | 2.1 |
| 1.3 | Dribbles | 2.2 |
Taking the above figures into consideration, it is interesting to note that in spite of playing at the same position, their stats primarily rely on their roles and the way they like to play on field.
Marco Reus, Mario Gotze and Robert Lewandowski are the three chambers of Dortmund’s heart. While Lewandowski haunts the opposition goalkeeper, Reus and Gotze have the task to act like a bridge between the midfield and the final third. Hence, it is clear that the German is comfortable with the trequartista role; the number of assists he has provided this season (9) are over double the number of those provided by Jovetic (4).
Meanwhile, Stevan’s role in the Italian outfit is that of a complete forward – getting at the end of the moves, contributing in moves, creating spaces and leading the attack. Fiorentina is well aware of Jovetic’s acceleration and the slow-paced Serie A matches. So the strategy is simple – get the ball to Stevan and let him steal the show.
From the dribbles per game stat, it is clear that Jovetic likes to take his man on with 2.2 dribbles per game, as compared to Reus’ 1.3 dribbles per game.
Stevan and his goal-scoring streak has proved to be pivotal for his national and club side on many occasions. He adds dynamism to the side and the number of shots on goal makes life difficult for any opposition goalkeeper (3.8 s.p.g). JoJo has been outstanding with 12 goals already in his bag this season.
But Marco Reus came out even better despit not being the number 9 of BVB. He has notched 11 goals so far for the highflying Dortmund in Bundesliga – just one short of Jovetic. He is precise, lethal and extremely effective when it comes to taking or making chances. Reus never fails to make his presence count; with the ball at his feet, he hypnotizes the defenders and jinks past them with ease. He is equally good when it comes to receiving a cross or long pass in the final third.
Reus has completed 51 key passes with an average of 1.9 per game. However, Jovetic squeezes past Reus with 52 key passes with an average of 2.1 per game. It could not have been closer than that!
It would take a brave man to bet on who the better player is. Please let me know who you think comes out on top between these two fantastic players.
