Having just conceded 29 goals from 29 Bundesliga games, VFL Wolfsburg possess the second best defensive record in the league at the time of writing, level with RB Leipzig (23) and have conceded 9 less than giants Bayern Munich.
Oliver Glasner’s men have been incredibly solid if not spectacular in their defending this season and coupled with such a reliable defence, they are also getting the impressive results. dragging themselves back amongst the Bundesliga’s elite side after a number of years in the wilderness.
They currently sit third in the league and may be far off a title tilt, 14 points off Bayern Munich but they are well on course to finish in the Champions League places, appearing in Europe’s flagship competition for the first time since 2015 where they knocked out a Manchester United side managed by Louis Van Gaal in the group stages.
They are eight points ahead of Dortmund in 5th. At this stage last year, Wolfsburg conceded 30 goals. So what has changed in Glasner’s team? Why have they suddenly established themselves as one of the best defensive outfits in the division?
Well, its very hard to look past the the rock and heartbeat of Wolfsburg’s tremendously built back-line, French youngster Maxence Lacroix.
The 20-year-old has formed into the bedrock of Wolfsburg’s defence, becoming not just a huge defensive presence but a steady and assured leader at such a tender age. He only moved to The Volkswagen Arena last summer in a €5 million deal. Paying such a fee for a player with just one campaign of Ligue 2 football to his name will of course raise a few eyebrows, even for financially stable clubs like Wolfsburg.
However, Sochaux did concede only 22 goals in 19 games with Lacroix in the starting line-up – not bad for a team that finished in 14th place last term as the division was brought to a premature end due to the coronavirus pandemic.
A little over a year on, Lacroix has propelled himself to become one of Europe’s most sought-after young defenders with a whole host of top European clubs reportedly preparing to secure his signature this summer.
So how has Maxence Lacroix built himself to this position? How has he developed so much in the German Bundesliga and what does the future hold for a player reportedly already ready to take on much bigger challenges?
Who is Maxence Lacroix?
Having left home at the age of 13 to pursue his dream of becoming a professional footballer, it is perhaps no surprise that Maxence Lacroix is already showing a maturity beyond his 20 years at the heart of a sturdy Wolfsburg defence.
Standing at a towering 6’3” (190cm) and weighing 88kg (194 pounds), Lacroix certainly has the physique to handle the toughest of challenges football can throw at him, but his path to the top has been by no means a straightforward one.
Born in Villeneuve-Saint-Georges on the outskirts of Paris, he began playing at the age of four, and by the time he was 13 he was deemed good enough to join the youth academy at Trellisac, over 300 miles away to the south-west.
Two years later, Lacroix was on the move once again, this time over 400 miles to the east to the youth set-up at French second-tier side Sochaux. There, “it all went very quickly,” as the centre-back recalled, and he signed professional terms at the age of 17, making his first-team debut for the club at the age of 18 in the Coupe de France at the end of 2018.
A further 27 appearances for the side followed over the next season and a half as he established himself as a regular in the team, before Wolfsburg came calling in summer 2020.
The right-footer has continued to progress rapidly in the Bundesliga. He wasted little time in establishing himself as first-choice partner to John Brooks in the heart of the Wolves’ defence, starting 22 of the team’s first 24 league outings.
Lacroix has impressed at so many extraordinary levels. he has already clocked the 17th-fastest speed of any player in Germany in 2020/21 at 21.70 mph (34.93 km/h), with RB Leipzig’s Dayot Upamecano the only centre-back quicker on his feet, while as of Matchday 21 he is 11th in the overall tackle-winning stakes with 226, and 15th in aerial duels (62).
No wonder Wolfsburg have one of the most solid and well-organised defences in the Bundesliga this term, and that’s predominantly down to his superb defensive partnership with American international John Brooks.
What is Lacroix’s style of play?
Maxence Lacroix has already drawn many comparisons to Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand simply because of his build, power, composure and abilities on the ball, and if you analyse his game in detail, you’d be amazed at how similar he is to one of the greatest defenders ever to grace the game.
The 20-year-old possess several strong and unique attributes, including his intelligence of knowing when to step out of the defensive line or not, putting pressure onto attackers and forcing them to face away from goal, and his calmness in possession. Standing at a well built 6’3”, Lacroix possesses a good leap which is supplemented by his strong positioning.
Still only 20 years old, in this stage of his career, it is so vital in pointing out which features of his game are strong, and which of the areas he needs to work on in order to discover how he will aid his side in winning matches and what sort of player he’ll mature into in the future.
So, what is Lacroix’s strengths and what is indeed, his playing style? He is an incredibly strong player, owing to his incredibly athletic and imposing build and its why he’s so good at ushering forwards away from dangerous areas in order to hurt his team.
Once he steps out of his back-line to halt onrushing attackers, they are immediately alerted to his imposing presence which of course causes hesitation in the opposition and swiftly the attack loses its sting. While this element has become one of the hallmark of Lacroix’s game, its his passing and build up play that deserves the praise first and foremost.
The French under-20 star possesses such unique technique and acumen when he’s on the ball. His first touch is pleasing and prefers to mainly pass with his strong right foot, from which he displays a great range of passing, though his decision making in this regard has room to improve. However, his passing stats this season reflect their importance to Wolfsburg’s build-up play.
Like Ferdinand, Lacroix displays great understanding in the kind of passing he needs to make and how to execute to his more forward teammate’s liking, whether in to space or to their feet.
He averages over 60 passes per game with a success rate of 82.9%. Certainly, this figure may not seem high considering the amount of short passes Lacroix is tasked in performing but he isn’t a centre-back who passes to his fellow centre-back or defenders like most do, he always looks for the forward pass which is further highlighted in his 3.70 progressive passes per90, and 2.94 final third passes.
Lacroix is so well versed in the art of forming goal-scoring opportunities from defence just like Rio Ferdinand so often did for Manchester United. He also attempts a high volume of long passes in order to bypass the oppositions press or to catch opposing defenders off guard. The 20-year-old averages 4.5 long balls per game with a success rate of 70% which is decent considering where he is in his development, yet still there is much for the defender to pick up and learn for the future.
Lacroix is a right-footed centre-back who played as part of a four-at-the-back system at Wolfsburg, capable of playing in a deep defensive block and a high line. His speed, athleticism and quickness on the ground owes Wolfsburg the opportunity to play risky high-lines, he’s more than capable of eating up ground to recover and stop even the quickest of forwards.
He has spent much of his playing time in the right half-space, but his clever defensive positioning means he is adept at defending wide spaces too. When he picks up the ball in these areas, he is all about finding a forward with an attempted long ball. He has found a good balance and understanding with John Brooks, his defensive partner, who typically stays back to cover Lacroix stepping out of the defensive line.
In terms of Lacroix’s ability in the air, he has laid down the foundations to be really strong in this regard. He is 6’3” and possesses a great leap, if unspectacular compared to some of his fellow defenders in the league. He wins 2.2 aerial duels per game reflecting his sound ability in the air, but on average this season he’s won just over 50% of those per 90 minutes and can be susceptible in this area of his game. For a player of his build and stature, he needs to find the consistently if he is of course to challenge the best of defenders in Europe if Wolfsburg are to secure Champions League football for next season. Though, like all footballers his age, its important to remember that Lacroix is still only 20 years of age which is staggering considering all he’s achieved so far in his first season at top level football.
Lacroix groundwork defensively though, is remarkably impressive. He is a defending freight-train, a man mountain and that’s further highlighted his ground duels. He averages 2.37 blocks, 1.14 tackles won, 2.13 interceptions as well as 5.64 clearances. For a player who’s still gradually developing, these are very good numbers, and its one of the telling reasons why Wolfsburg currently have, not only one of the best defensive records in the German Bundesliga, but in Europe’s top five leagues too.
What does the future hold for Maxence Lacroix?
Lacroix’s performances for Wolfsburg so far this season have already attracted attention from more established outfits. Fellow German giants Borussia Dortmund are reportedly keeping an eye on the talented defender, however Wolfsburg currently stand in third place six points off Borussia Dortmund in sixth, and the way Oliver Glasner’s team are performing so far this season, there is cause to believe that his team could pip Dortmund to a Champions League place so why would Lacroix leave a club in such a promising position for their future?
There’s still a couple months left in the season so who knows + Marco Rose will be due in the hot seat next summer and working under such a renowned coach currently could sway Lacroix’s thinking. However, that shouldn’t be his focus right now.
He’s developing nicely at Wolfsburg, so why bring a stop to that now? Lacroix has built himself a steady reputation as one of Europe’s most highly coveted young defenders at this moment and he must keep his head in check. It is so easy for defenders his age to fall off the wayside.
The next step for him is of course a taste of Champions League football which will do his rapid development the world of good and possibly a call-up to the France squad. There is plenty of outstanding talent for Didier Deschamps to choose from at the back – Raphaël Varane, for example, is a four-time Champions League winner, while Upamecano is expected to be Europe’s next great defender after signing off on a move to Bayern. However, if Lacroix continues to perform as he has done until now, he will become a hard man to ignore.
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