Best Alternatives to Nuno Santos

Playing Style Analysis

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. The three closest DNA matches to Nuno Santos:

• Leonardo Lelo(89% match) — A Active Full-Back. Statistically, he stands out as naturally left-footed, an elite creator (1.9 key passes/90), a reliable supplier (0.20 assists/90), central to possession (78 touches/90) and active off the ball (2.2 press score/90), contributing to defensive transitions.
• Sidny Cabral(86% 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).
• Zaidu Sanusi(86% match) — A Active Full-Back. Statistically, he stands out as naturally left-footed, an elite creator (1.6 key passes/90), meticulous in distribution (86% pass accuracy), wins the physical battle (59% duel success) and active off the ball (2.5 press score/90), contributing to defensive transitions.

Similarity uses per-90 performance across playing-style dimensions. How Player DNA matching works →