Moreira role question reignited during positive start vs. Italy – his numbers

It is no secret that Diego Moreira prefers to play on the right, but his best position may be in a different role from what was imagined at AC Milan.

So far, Moreira has played as a right wing-back and a left wing-back this season. However, his best moments have not come in the defensive third – or even the middle third, for that matter – instead, they’ve come in and around the box.

With three goals so far, the Belgian is standing out and who’d have thought it from a ‘defender’.

Moreira impresses vs. Italy

It’s no secret that Moreira has been deployed in a more advanced role before, both for the Belgian national team and at Strasbourg and under new Belgian head coach Mark van Bommel, the idea was tried again against Italy.

As MilanVibes states, he played a ‘fairly organised’ game and caused several issues for the Italian defence. Even if he didn’t get a reward for it, he was still dangerous: with 0.78 xG, a 90% pass accuracy and a missed chance, too.

Gazzetta dello Sport gave him a 6.5 for the performance, as the report relays, and whilst he was dangerous, he didn’t look as bright on the right as he has done on the left. What is clear, though, is that Van Bommel sees him as a pillar of Belgium’s future. The same could be seen with the Rossoneri, too.