Whilst one Algerian has been dominating the Premier League headlines in Riyad Mahrez, another is set to face the Gunners in their opening 2015/16 UEFA Champions League clash. Croatian champions Dinamo Zagreb host Arsene Wenger’s side on Wednesday and there is one danger man who the North Londoners will need to be wary of; Hilal Soudani.
Predominantly featuring in a central attacking midfielder role, Soudani has a great eye for goal. He also has sensational versatility, meaning he can play on the wing or even up front. Not only can he score, but he is also a provider. Soudani loves an assist, with his pinpoint accuracy – this makes it difficult for Wenger to plan ahead for the encounter. The fact that he wears the number two shirt could also give the Arsenal backline a bit of a headache!
The 27-year-old made the move to Central Europe in the summer of 2013, signing from Portuguese top-tier side Vitoria Guimares. His final appearance for them was in the Portuguese Cup final, where he scored and helped Guimares to a shock victory over Benfica, subsequently lifting the trophy. The transfer fee was just under one million pounds.
He scored 19 goals in his debut season, and 15 goals last campaign, showing that he is not shy in front of goal. As a result, this has led Zagreb to two consecutive domestic titles thanks to Soudani’s services. They won the 2014/15 league without losing a single game, so Arsenal may feel unnerved as they have to go up against Croatia’s very own ‘Invincibles’.
The World Cup in Brazil last summer was where we really saw Soudani burst onto the scene. He helped Algeria reach the knockout stages of the competition for the first time in the country’s history. The last 16 game against Germany showed how high his work rate was, often finding spaces in between Jerome Boateng and Per Mertesacker. The former Chlef player has 17 goals in 33 international appearances. To put that into perspective, Giroud has 10 goals in 39 apps for France, and Mesut Ozil has 18 goals in a whopping 68 apps for Germany.
Remarkably, Soudani already has eight goals so far this season. He netted three times during the qualification rounds of the Champions League, in addition to already finding the net on three occasions in the Croatian Premier League. Most recently, the Algerian international scored twice for his country in an African Cup of Nations qualifier earlier in the month. This is the man who Arsenal will need to watch if they are to come out on top this Wednesday.
