Scouting with Kognia: Víctor Muñoz, a fast, deep-lying winger

In this Kognia analysis, we examine how Víctor Muñoz, a second striker and winger who last season was playing in the third tier of Spanish football for Real Madrid Castilla, is now dazzling in La Liga for CA Osasuna. 

What we have learned from this analysis:

• Víctor Muñoz is a winger who uses his physical potential to make a difference in the opposition's half.

• Aside from taking advantage of his physical attributes and aggressiveness with the ball, Víctor Muñoz is a winger who successfully contributes to the development of the game.

  
  

Explosiveness and power in running over individual technical quality

Víctor Muñoz is a different kind of winger, a rare type in professional football. He is a winger who prioritises physical performance over technical quality, ranking above the 85th percentile for various physical metrics including distance covered at high intensity, sprinting and maximum speed. 

These physical attributes makes him one of the best wingers at attacking spaces and opposing defensive lines. What's more, not only does he repeatedly make runs behind the defensive line (99th percentile), but he also frequently receives the ball after moving behind the defensive line (98th percentile). He is a winger who breaks at high speed to receive the ball in advantageous positions, and dribbles to finish (97th percentile). He is a winger who has the opponent's goal in his sights and does not hesitate to shoot (86th percentile), however has room to develop here, as he has only scored two goals and provided one assist in 18 matches this season.

Below is a visualisation of Víctor Muñoz's attacking off-ball actions against Athletic Club and Deportivo Alavés, taken from Kognia’s player match reports, showing his influence on his team's play. He is a winger who constantly breaks through and accumulates a significant number of movements behind the defensive line. Many of these do not start from areas close to the opponent's area, but from the centre of the pitch, which highlights the importance of this winger for CA Osasuna in transition. He always provides a solution when the team gets stuck in ball circulation.

However, Víctor Muñoz is not just about depth and verticality. He often appears inside channels to receive between the lines (75th percentile) and turn. He is a player who is growing in his understanding and interpretation of the game, providing support as a third man in different progression situations (73rd percentile). 

His team relies on him in the final third and in attacking transitions, particulary through crosses in open play (71st percentile). It is no coincidence that Ante Budimir, CA Osasuna's number 9, is one of the best centre forwards at connecting with crosses with his head, ranking in the 95th percentile in La Liga.

Attached is a map of Víctor Muñoz's support actions in one of his last league matches, showing the influence he has on the game. He is a winger who provides emergency support and drops back to give his team clarity in their attacks. 

In his last match against Athletic Club, Víctor Muñoz surpassed his physical statistics in three key physical variables, achieving numbers that very few wingers reach. The distance he covered at high intensity and in sprinting, together with the number of accelerations he made, are further evidence of Víctor Muñoz's physical presence and potential impact on his team. 

A quick comparison with one of La Liga's most outstanding wingers

It is not easy to compare Víctor Muñoz with one of the best players in La Liga and Europe, such as Rodrygo, but it is clear that the young talent who has recently emerged from Valdebebas is performing at a very similar or even higher level. 

• Víctor Muñoz has outstanding physical attributes, surpassing Rodrygo in sprinting and top speed.

• Víctor Muñoz is capable of breaking behind the opposition's defensive lines more often and receiving the ball more frequently.

• Víctor Muñoz contributes less than Rodrygo in the build-up play, but both are very close in terms of receptions between the lines and third-man passes.

• Víctor Muñoz delivers many more crosses than Rodrygo, being a deeper winger with the only handicap being his finishing.