Intro & Percentile Rankings:

Mohamed Amoura is a right footed striker who typically plays on the left side of a front two in USG’s 3-5-2 system. He joined USG in July 2023 from Lugano for a fee of approximately €4 million and has scored 22 goals in 45 appearances for the Belgian side. Amoura has represented Algeria at the highest level on 20 occasions, scoring 6 goals.

Percentile rankings for the 2023/24 campaign can be seen below.

Attacking Phase In Possession

• Amoura’s first touch is generally very good. He uses his body orientation to bring the ball under close control but retain the ability to change direction quickly. He will often control the ball and shape to move left before quick changing direction and cutting inside onto his favoured right foot via a short, explosive movement and a drop of the shoulder.
• He will drop into midfield to receive a pass and look to link-up play with a one touch pass over the top, looking for his strike partner (Gustaf Nilsson) or a runner from midfield. These passes can sometimes be executed too quickly and therefore the opposition recover possession.
• Very confident when carrying the ball. Uses both feet to dribble and the outside of his right foot to facilitate quick changes of direction. Accelerates away from his opponent very quickly and is able to maintain his speed whilst travelling. When an opponent looks to close off the space ahead, Amour is able to knock the ball beyond him and utilise an extra burst of acceleration to reach it before the opponent. He is a very progressive player who receives the ball in deeper areas and makes driving runs forward.
• Amoura’s shot selection is excellent. He consistently varies the shots he takes throughout the game, never letting the opposition settle and keeping them second guessing. He is not wasteful with his shooting though, he ensures that he is in an optimal position before executing a shot. There are occasions where he does all the hard work and gets into an optimal position but the shot choice is wrong, i.e. opts for power rather than placement.
• He is also very good at improvising and adjusting his positioning and orientation to ensure he gets a shot off when possible. i.e. he can quickly adjust his position and execute an overhead kick rather than let the opposition clear the ball.
• In 1v1 situations with the goalkeeper, he is very calm, composed and decisive. He does not overthink and wait too long before releasing a shot and he is capable of scoring with both feet and his head.
• Capable of creating opportunities for others via a cross into the box (usually driven with pace on the ball) or a through pass to on running midfielders/wing-backs. Amoura is an unselfish player who is more than willing to play in a teammate who is in a better position. His short passing is pretty good, keeps it simple most of the time.
• Amoura is not one for holding the ball up as often as he could, instead he opts to play one touch passes back to midfielders or a forward pass before his teammates make the run which leads to turnovers, when he would be better off using his strength to hold up play and allow teammates to make supporting runs.

Attacking Phase Out of Possession

• Very mobile player, drifts out to the wide left area in addition to dropping deeper into midfield to provide a passing outlet during build up play.
• Uses his excellent acceleration to make runs in behind the opposition’s defensive line, looking for a through pass or a ball over the top. Amoura loves to play on the shoulder of the last defender to make these well-timed runs, mostly in the left half space where he can latch onto a long pass from a teammate.
• He is very eager to make sacrificial off the ball runs into the wide which creates space for runners in central areas.
• His strike partner is 6ft6 and so this allows Amoura to run onto flick ons should USG look to go long.
• Against low block defences, Amoura looks to make explosive, darting runs into space to move opponents from their positions in the defensive structure. These runs add another element of dynamism to USG’s attack due to the angles he creates. Moving defenders out of their position is an area where he really excels.
• Additionally, his movement can pin back defences and force them into a low block, providing USG with the opportunity to retain possession and play their way through. Plus, his runs from deep can really stretch the play which creates more space in the central areas for midfielders to operate as he forces the defenders back.

Defensive Phase On Ball

• He is a very aggressive player who does not shy away from a duel. He is able to compete in the aerial duels, even though he knows it’s unlikely he will win the duel, he does just enough to put his opponent under pressure with his jumping reach and physicality.
• In the ground duels, Amoura is very tenacious and often uses his lower centre of gravity to battle with his opponent. There are occasions where he is too eager and makes unnecessary contact, giving away needless fouls.
• In the shoulder to shoulder duels, he uses his lower centre of gravity to his advantage when possible. Plus his speed means he can often outrun his opponent which allows him to manoeuvre his body between the player and the ball. Amoura also knows how to manipulate his body orientation to attract the opponent to make contact therefore winning a foul and forcing a turnover.

Defensive Phase Off Ball

• When the opposition is initially looking to play out after recovering the ball, Amoura will engage in a counterpress. His speed means he is able to close players down and make it difficult for them to play passes this leads to him recovering possession quite often. However it is worth nothing that against stronger opponents his lack of strength does mean they can often manoeuvre away from him and retain possession.
• When in the USG defensive structure which is a mid-low block, Amoura works well with his strike partner to consistently move around, closing off opposition passing lanes in midfield.
• He is a very intelligent player with regard to his reading of the game. Amoura is always aware of what is going on around him. This allows him to position himself well to close off passing lanes and make interceptions when the opponent is building an attack.

Transitions

Offensive Transition:

• In the offensive transition he is comfortable carrying the ball forward himself. He uses his speed and close control to weave away from opponents whilst progressing the team forward.
• Alternatively he will make a run in behind the defensive line and look for a teammate to play him in. His speed makes him a wonderful player in transitions.

Defensive Transition:

• Upon losing possession, his first thought is to counterpress high up the pitch looking to recover possession. He is aggressive in all the right ways and uses his small frame and physicality well to put opponents under pressure.
• He shows an incredible willingness to track back in the defensive transition and make recovery runs. If USG are caught on the counter, he uses his speed to track a runner and potentially make a vital interception.

Physical Profile

• 1.70m in height (according to Wyscout) with quite a slim frame.
• Despite lacking in height, Amoura generates a good amount of power in his legs which provide him with a jumping reach that enables him to compete in the aerial duels.
• Possesses an excellent burst of acceleration and is capable of explosive movements.

Development Areas

• Hold up play: Amoura would hugely benefit from being able to hold the ball up more effectively. Rather than always looking play these quick one touch passes, if he held the ball up he would retain possession for his team and bring others into play. I suspect this is partly due to his lack of physicality against stronger and taller defenders.
• Passing accuracy: This is perhaps his biggest weakness compared to fellow forwards in the Belgian Pro League. This could be very important if he is to play as a lone striker in the future. Improvement in his passing accuracy would allow Amoura to link up play more effectively in addition to creating more shooting opportunities and aids with possession retention. This would also improve his combination interplay which not only helps in breaking down well-organised low-block defences but also creates dynamic attacking patterns that are difficult for opponents to predict and counter.
• Physical strength: this is something Amoura may need to improve if he is to play in a higher intensity league. He has plenty of speed but he could perhaps do with generating a bit more power and strength for the duels.