UNDERSTAND HOW DOMINGOS DUARTE PLAYS, CALLED THE "NEW PABLO MARÍ", TARGET OF FLAMENGO

Upon learning that Flamengo was negotiating with Getafe to sign Domingos Duarte, Pablo Marí's teammate at La Coruña in the 2018/19 season, the red and black fans soon created the expectation of seeing a new version of the Spaniard, Brazilian champion with the club in 2019. But it's not quite like that. The Portuguese defender has a different style, but could also find his place in Tite's team.

Duarte formed a pair with Marí in the Spanish second division five seasons ago. The defense, third least leaked in that edition, was one of the positive points of the team, which still failed to gain access. From there, the Spaniard transferred to Flamengo. The Portuguese went to Granada.

Precisely because they work together, it is natural that the two do not have the same profile. On the contrary. The success occurred because they complemented each other. Marí stands out for his long ball. At Flamengo, he became a reference in quality reversals and lengthening plays on the side. Playing on the left, he was one of those who best used Bruno Henrique.

Duarte plays more on the right, which is noticeable when analyzing his heat map of the current season. Furthermore, he does better with short balls, showing the profile of a builder defender - Tite's preferred style. However, it is not the vertical type. He works more when passing the ball and is not one of those who appears so much in front. Like Léo Ortiz, until then treated as Flamengo's plan A for the position but whose negotiations with Bragantino did not progress.

Defensively, Duarte knows how to position himself so as not to be easily defeated by the opponent's advances. Another virtue of the Portuguese is the good use of his height (1.91m). He has ease with the aerial ball, both defensively and offensively. In the season at La Coruña and the first for Granada, he scored seven goals.

In total, there were three seasons at Granada. In the last one, he lost space with the arrival of coach Robert Moreno and ended up being traded to Getafe. In total, he took to the field 97 times, 94 of which as a starter. He scored five goals and made one assist.

The transfer to Getafe, although it brought new air, was not the best for a defender with his profile. This is because the team traditionally plays with a deeper defense, which requires less constructive defenders. A starter in his first season, Duarte played a little more than half of the Spanish team's matches, which occupy just half the table in La Liga.