Some Southampton fans can’t get over a piece of skill that Sofiane Boufal came up with in the club’s recent Premier League win over Watford.
The winger featured in the Saints’ win against the Hornets, who got rid of their second manager before Christmas in Quique Sanchez Flores after the defeat to the South Coast club at the weekend.
The 26-year-old Boufal played 33 minutes of the game, coming on from the bench. He completed as many as five dribbles in the game, also completing one key pass towards the end.
Some Southampton fans are raving about one of his dribbles and are hailing him for it.
#SaintsFC‘s Moroccan magician!
Feast your eyes on some @sosoboufal19 magic: pic.twitter.com/kLUfEYU8Lv
— Southampton FC (@SouthamptonFC) December 1, 2019
Football genius ! I love to watch this guy. On his day there are very few who can match him in the world. Got to be in the team to create and entertain ! Ole, ole ole ole Boufal ! Boufal !
— Kev (@footy_mad) December 1, 2019
Boufal destroyed Watford I want this boufal all the time
— Jamie Goddard (@JamieGo95552299) December 2, 2019
I couldn’t believe he did this filth on the day but it’s even better watching it back. I hope he keeps showing his skills when playing at home. We need a bit more of this joy when watching at St Mary’s.
— Tim Moran (@timmoran2000) December 1, 2019
Boufal turned the game around. Needs to start on Weds.
— Sarah Wyatt (@seahorsegrl) December 1, 2019
This should be a crime.
— Kevin Young (@KevinYoung161) December 2, 2019
Astonishing skills … he should play more often
— Simohamed Semlali (@SemlaliSimed) December 1, 2019
The Saints had signed Boufal from French side Lille in the summer of 2016 after having broken their transfer record back then. They shelled out a fee of £16million on the Morrocan star.
Can Southampton make do without Boufal?
Yes, he's got no final pass
No, he is a game-changer
Since joining, he has played only 72 times in all competitions for the Saints. During this time, he has scored four times and has racked up a tally of five assists on the way.
Last season though, he was on a loan spell at Spanish side Celtia Vigo. In the La Liga, he had appeared 35 times in the league for the club, scoring three times and bagging a tally of four assists.
This season, the former Lille man has played 11 times in the Premier League and has a tally of two assists too.
What do we think?
Boufal can be a real talent on his day and that has always been doubted, his numbers show that he isn’t productive enough in the final third for the club. His highest goal contribution came in his last season at Lille, where he was involved in 15 goals, playing 2.5 key passes and completing 4.4 dribbles per game.
Since then, his key-passes per game stat has come down, even though he does dribble a lot (as per WhoScored). He needs to improve his output and that will improve him as a player.