Best Alternatives to Rafa Soares

Top 3 Alternatives to Rafa Soares

1. 1.Sidny Cabral87% DNA match·Benfica€5.0M
2. 2.Nuno Santos87% DNA match·Sporting CP€5.0M
3. 3.Borna Sosa87% DNA match·Crystal Palace€4.0M

Ranked by AI DNA similarity — 768 dimensions across playing style, pressing intensity, and tactical fit.

Playing Style Analysis

A Active Full-Back. Statistically, he stands out as a capable chance creator (1.2 key passes/90), penetrates with forward passing (8.8 final-third passes/90) and uses long balls frequently (6.6/90). The three most similar players to Rafa Soares by playing style are:

• Sidny Cabral(87% match) — A Active Full-Back. Statistically, he stands out as comfortable with both feet, an elite creator (1.8 key passes/90), a regular goalscorer (0.34 goals/90) and a reliable supplier (0.20 assists/90).
• Nuno Santos(87% match) — Santos is the rare defender who creates more danger than most attackers in Liga Portugal—his 3.07 key passes per 90 and 2.05 shots per 90 both land in the top 5% of all defenders in the division, numbers that belong on a winger's profile, not a backline one. His 100% duel win rate sounds like a small-sample anomaly—and with only 352 minutes, it partly is—but his 90.9% pass accuracy suggests genuine technical quality rather than a player simply avoiding contact. Here's the counterintuitive read: his low press intensity isn't laziness, it's positioning intelligence; he intercepts above average precisely because he reads the game rather than chasing it.
• Borna Sosa(87% match) — A Active Full-Back. Statistically, he stands out as naturally left-footed, active in the tackle (1.9 tackles/90) and creates high-quality scoring opportunities (0.55 big chances/90). Note: this profile is based on 487 minutes of playing time this season.

Similarity is calculated using per-90 performance data across multiple playing style dimensions. How Player DNA matching works →