- Amadou Onana played 67 minutes at centre-back for Belgium in their World Cup warm-up
- He made 10 defensive contributions in the match, the most of any player
- It is a role he could be utilised in going forward for the Red Devils
Aston Villa’s Amadou Onana delivered a commanding performance for Belgium after making a surprise tactical shift to centre-back in a 2-0 friendly victory against Croatia.
Ordinarily, Onana acts as the midfield powerhouse for both his club and country. However, on Tuesday night, he was deployed in the heart of defence by national team coach Rudi Garcia. This experiment served as preparation ahead of the World Cup.
The physical powerhouse anchored a new-look backline flawlessly, ensuring a clean sheet alongside defensive partners Arthur Theate and Nathan Ngoy.
Onana’s natural composure, dominance in individual duels, and exceptional reading of the game shone through. This allowed Belgium to successfully depart from their traditional formation and comfortably neutralise a dangerous Croatian attack.
The 24-year-old completed 48/49 of his passes, won 4/5 of his ground duels, and made 10 total defensive contributions. Overall, it was a superb display.
Onana “felt good” at centre-back
Reflecting on his individual success in the unfamiliar role, the defensive midfielder expressed immense satisfaction with how the tactical experiment unfolded.
“I felt good in that position,” Onana told reporters in a post-match press conference. “The partnership with Arthur and Nathan went quite well. They carried out their roles very effectively too. For a first full dress rehearsal, this was certainly not bad at all.
“I’ve played there a few times before. The team comes first. I’m a midfielder, that’s my favourite position, but if they need me at the back, I’ll do it. Even if the coach needs me up front as a striker, I’ll play there.
“I feel most comfortable in midfield, and I believe that one day I can be one of the very best players in the world in that position. I have that ambition, but the World Cup is the priority right now, and if I have to play in defence, I’ll do it without complaining. I felt good there yesterday as well.”
What this means for Villa
This tactical breakthrough provides massive encouragement for Villa manager Unai Emery heading into next season. Onan’as validated positional versatility gives the Villans a vital tactical safety net, should issues arise at centre-back.
During demanding Premier League and European schedules, a player who can flawlessly transition from a midfield anchor into a ball-playing centre-back allows Emery to switch formations in possession seamlessly between a back-four and a back-three.
Additionally, Onana’s rare combination of physical height, rapid recovery pace, and press-resistant passing from deep positions offers the exact progressive profile needed to build play out from the backline against aggressive opposition.
ReadAstonVilla verdict
Onana’s defensive masterclass against Croatia proves that he is far more than just an elite midfield enforcer. While his primary objective remains asserting himself as one of the world’s most dominant defensive midfielders, his elite adaptability is a priceless asset for both club and country.
For Villa, owning a player with such immense tactical flexibility fundamentally upgrades their squad depth, giving Emery a powerful structural weapon to exploit next season should it be required.
