Rodez AF are enjoying a stellar campaign in Ligue 2 this season. Les Sangs et Or find themselves in fourth place, on course to qualify for the promotion play-offs. Auxerre, St. Etienne and Angers are some way ahead of Rodez in the points tally and two of these will seal automatic promotion in the coming weeks. Nevertheless, this is a Ligue 2 that contains the likes of Bordeaux, Caen, Ajaccio and Troyes so Rodez’s achievements should not be overlooked.
Leading the charge to the play-offs is Rodez’s strike partnership of Andréas Hountondji, a 21-year-old Benin international on loan from Caen and Killian Corredor, the 23-year-old homegrown gem who is shining thanks to Didier Santini’s faith in him.
This scout report will analyse Corredor’s game and highlight what he brings to Rodez’s style of play. Without further ado, let’s dive in.
Biography & Data Analysis
- Name: Killian Corredor
- Age: 23 (04/11/2000)
- Club: Rodez AF
- Nationality: French
- Primary Position: Centre Forward
- Secondary Position: Left/Right Winger
- Height: 182 cm
- Preferred Foot: Right
The pizza chart above allows us to develop an overall picture of Corredor’s impact this season compared to his fellow Ligue 2 forwards.
Santini typically sends his team out in a 3–5–2 system with Corredor as one of the two strikers. He mostly plays as the left-sided forward and is occasionally deployed as a left winger should Rodez switch to a 3–4–3.
The 23-year-old has netted 15 goals in all competitions so far this season, 12 in the league and three in the Coupe de France. As we can see, this places him just above average in terms of his goal output and virtually on par with his expected goals.
Interestingly, Corredor averages 2.56 shots per 90 but only 40.4% of them hit the target which sees him perform below average compared to his peers. This could be a consequence of several factors, wasteful shooting on his part is one of them. Additionally, Corredor could be attempting to shoot from difficult angles or perhaps there is a significant overperformance from one of his peers which is skewing the data slightly.
The Rodez forward’s creating stats look very solid with him performing above average in all the selected metrics. He has racked up 6 assists from an xA of 3.02 so far this campaign which shows he can be a creative force for Rodez and create goalscoring opportunities for his teammates.
Furthermore, Corredor’s possession stats are also fairly solid across the board. He is a competent ball carrier who can progress the team forward with the ball at his feet in addition to being willing to take on his opponent frequently.
Physical Profile
Corredor stands at 182 cm tall with an athletic frame which allows him to cover the ground rather effectively for his team. He is reasonably agile and possesses a surprising burst of acceleration which he often utilises to lose his opponent when making runs into the box.
He is reasonably strong although does lose out in some shoulder-to-shoulder duels we would expect him to win. Moreover, aerially the 23-year-old does struggle and this is an area that he could really do with improving.
Attacking Phase
Rodez will often sit in a mid-low block defensively and look to the break quickly by executing rapid transitions into the attacking phase. The movement of Corredor and Hountondji is usually vital to this.
Corredor typically likes to drift out to the left as we can see here. He then looks to make well-timed arching runs into the central area, looking to get into the space between the two central defenders.
Initially, by venturing to the flanks, the Rodez forward draws the attention of opposing defenders, necessitating their movement to maintain defensive integrity. His movement inherently creates space in the central regions of the pitch, allowing for midfielders or other attacking players to potentially exploit the central voids.
Additionally, the mere act of pulling defenders out wide can lead to an overload on the wings, as Rodez’s wing-backs or supporting midfielders can capitalise on the gaps and link up with Corredor.
The forward’s lateral movement also is a way to unsettle the opposing defence, forcing defenders to make crucial decisions regarding their positioning. As defenders track Corredor’s movement-wide, they risk leaving central areas exposed.
Furthermore, when he executes inverted runs back towards central positions, it can catch defenders off guard and exploit the spaces vacated by those committed to wide coverage.
In this instance, we can see how Corredor’s off-the-ball movement leads to a goalscoring opportunity.
Rodez are building up through the thirds and the 23-year-old forward makes an inverted run from the left half-space, he uses his acceleration to get ahead of his opponent and Waniss Taïbi obliges by picking him out with a wonderfully weighted lofted pass.
Here, we can see how Corredor uses his off-the-ball movement to create space for his teammate when Rodez are executing a counterattack. He makes an intelligent run out to the left, dragging the opposition defender with him which creates plenty of space for the ball-carrier to utilise.
By drawing defenders out of position with his movements, Corredor opens up channels and pockets of space in the defensive line. This allows midfielders to advance into these areas, receive the ball in advantageous positions, and orchestrate attacking moves.
His ability to manipulate the opposition’s defensive shape through their movement provides the team with opportunities to penetrate the defence and generate scoring chances.
This not only allows for smoother build-up play but also enables the team to maintain possession and dictate the tempo of the game.
With regards to link-up play, this is something that Corredor does very well as he is the forward who will typically drop back into deeper areas to offer an additional passing outlet whilst his striker partner will make a run to force the defensive line backwards.
He is confident working in tight spaces, as depicted in this example and links up well with his teammate who lays the ball off to Corredor who then obliges by playing a ball back into the path of said teammate.
He is a player who is confident when playing with his back to goal as knows how to position himself well to turn away from the opponent whilst retaining possession. As he is right-footed, his natural instinct is to cut inside which of course invites the left wing-back to push on into an advanced position.
Corredor is a player who likes to run at his opponent when he gets the opportunity, averaging 4.44 dribbles per 90 and 2.1 progressive runs per 90. He is reasonably agile, (although he could benefit from a little more improvement in this area) which means he can turn away from his opponent while carrying the ball.
On this occasion, he receives the ball, turns and carries it forward whilst weaving in and out of a couple of tackles from the opponents. Andréas Hountondji’s run drags away a defender which creates space for Corredor who drives forward and hits a low drive from outside the area.
One of the reasons why the Rodez forward’s shots-on-target percentage is lower than expected is most likely because he loves a long shot. This is perhaps where his decision-making could benefit from some refining. There are occasions where he opts to shoot from distance when he would be better retaining possession and playing a simple pass to a teammate to ensure Rodez remain in control.
It’s rare to see Corredor acting as the highest point of attack but he does have it in his locker to play off the shoulder of the last defender and to make runs in behind the defensive line as we see here.
He makes an astute run in between the two centre-backs as the opposition are holding a high line. Consequently, Corredor can put the after-burners on and accelerate straight through on goal where he hits a powerful shot beyond the goalkeeper.
The Rodez number 12 is also adept at playing these passes himself, as we can see here. Les Sangs et Or look to use long balls to catch their opposition off guard and on this occasion, Corredor is on the receiving end of the long pass upfield.
He brings the ball under control and sees the run of his strike partner and duly obliges by playing a nicely weighted pass for him to run onto and go 1v1 with the ‘keeper.
The forward keeps it simple with his passing, he plays short passes and rarely looks to go long or play a progressive pass, preferring the safe option when possible.
His work in the attacking phase is very much defined by his work without the ball and his ability to link up play. Of course, Corredor gets into goal-scoring positions, usually via a run from the left half-space as we saw previously. On the whole, he brings a multifaceted style to Rodez’s attacking play.
Defensive Phase
In the defensive phase, Rodez will look to sit in a mid-low block and allow their opponents to pass the ball around the defensive third relatively unchallenged.
We can see here, Rodez are in their defensive shape and are looking to remain compact. When the opposition tries to play through the lines into midfield, this is when Corredor and his teammates begin to engage.
The midfielders look to close off passing lanes while the Corredor goes to engage the ball carrier. The forward uses his body orientation to limit the opponent’s passing options to just one, as we can see here. Corredor does this as he knows his teammate is well-placed to make the interception and recover possession for Rodez.
By actively positioning his body to close off passing lanes, Corredor disrupts the opposition’s build-up play and prevents them from advancing the ball into dangerous areas. This proactive defensive stance not only limits the options available to the opposing team but also puts pressure on their decision-making, potentially forcing them into making errors or turnovers.
Additionally, by reading the game and anticipating the trajectory of passes, he can also position himself strategically to intercept the ball and regain possession for his team.
Corredor’s 1v1 defensive skills are also very good. He tracks back consistently during games and does not shy away from a battle with his opponent.
We can see here that he tracks his opponent back into the Rodez half. Corredor sticks to him tightly and his acceleration means that the opponent cannot turn away from him.
Corredor hustles his opponent off the ball by intelligently manoeuvring his positioning to get his body between the player and the ball. Consequently, the opponent goes to ground, looking for a free kick while Corredor and Rodez can turn away and launch a counterattack.
Transitions
In the attacking transition, Corredor will often be the outlet up the pitch when they hit a long ball forward as we saw earlier in this scout report. However, there are instances where Corredor is able to stretch his legs and use his speed to propel the team forward.
In this instance, Rodez regained possession and played a couple of passes before playing into Corredor’s path. We can see that he carries the team up the pitch and within four seconds they have a goal-scoring opportunity as he plays a pass into his teammate making the run in behind the back-tracking defensive line.
In the defensive transition, there are some instances where Corredor will look to press the opponent high up the pitch, especially when Rodez have just turned over possession themselves. However, mostly he looks to drop back into the defensive structure and carry out the team instructions.
Conclusion
Killian Corredor is a hard-working individual who puts in maximum effort every time he steps onto the pitch.
I wouldn’t classify him as a natural box player, he is someone who likes to drop further back and be involved in the link-up play. Corredor works well in a front two as he has someone to feed off in terms of one-twos and knockdowns. However, he can also play anywhere across the attacking line in a front three due to his acceleration and willingness to do the defensive work.
Ligue 2 is a good level for him and I don’t think he has the potential to be a top Ligue 1 striker, perhaps he would be a good squad player for a mid-lower-half team. Additionally, I can also see him being a player who would do well in the MLS in the future.
Originally published at https://bethlimb.substack.com.
