Felix Bacher – WSG Tirol’s ball-playing centre-back
Felix Bacher is a highly talented footballer from the Tyrol region of Austria, particularly the East Tyrolean district of Lienz, in the mountainous Virgen municipality. He honed his skills with AKA Tirol from U15 to U18 level before moving to Wackner Innsbruck, making ten appearances for various International age-groups as he was deployed as both a defensive midfielder and centre-back. He played for the second-team at SC Freiburg until the summer of 2021 as he moved back home to WSG Tirol as playing in front of his family and moving closer to his family has been integral for his development. At 22-years-old, Bacher has become one of the more intriguing ball-playing centre-backs in Austria as he will be an intriguing option for a team in the future.
Bacher begun this season playing as a right-back as his distribution, close control and ball-carrying made him stand out before he was moved back to his more natural centre-back position. It was impressive that he managed to stand-out in distributing possession with different passing angles as a fullback as he seamlessly assimilated to his centre-back role as he has grown in importance. He is authoritative in distributing possession as he enjoys driving the ball forward to attract pressure before releasing the ball while he is comfortable in releasing the ball with his weaker left foot. Playing the ball with his weaker foot allows him to manoeuvre out of tight situations as his passing range is exceptional, being able to send accurate switch balls to the opposite flank. The 22-year-old thrives as a ball-carrier using his close control and body to twist and turn out of challenges as he has a massive six-foot two frame while being agile enough to turn on a six-pence.
At home to Rapid Wien, he was deployed as a right-back, receiving a switch ball to drive possession forward, attracting pressure before elegantly skipping past a defender to continue driving the ball into the opposition half where he threaded a pass into the channels. In the build-up phase, he received possession near the touchline, driving the ball forward to thread a pass to the six-space. The 22-year-old received possession in the opposition half, lofting a cross into the box where a striker sent a shot wide. He received a pass from a goal-kick with an opposition player pushing up to apply pressure on him as Bacher slalomed past his man with nonchalance and grace to play a pass to the six-space. Bacher’s ability to dribble out of situations and hold the ball in tight spaces allows him to be a press-resistant defender as he received possession near the touchline while being marked by an opposition player, threading a pass through the legs of another defender to a teammate.
Bacher would lob a pass down the line for a runner as in a counter-attacking situation, he tucked into a centre-back role to make an interception before tracking an attacker to the flank and making a brilliantly timed sliding challenge. The 22-year-old received possession near the touchline to play a one-touch pass into the attacking line before lofting a long-range pass to the nine-space. In the defensive phase, he was occupying a more central position as he showed phenomenal anticipation to make an interception before tracking a striker into the central positions where he guided a lobbed pass into the arms of the goalkeeper. He tucked into a central position where he received possession and played a line-breaking pass to the six-space. The 22-year-old would rise high to win an aerial duel from an opposition long-ball as he spent the latter part of the game operating as a centre-back, showing that he had the anticipation and defensive awareness to make crucial interventions while he could also distribute the ball from the more central zones.
Away to LASK Linz, he would be deployed as a right-back once more, shuttling to the right flank to make a tackle on Keito Nakamura before working a pass to the six-space. After a turnover on the right flank, Bacher pushed forward in the counter-press to make a crucial intervention while in the pressing phase, he would remain touch tight to Nakamura, winning a physical duel before nonchalantly flicking a pass to a teammate. Bacher received possession near the touchline to play a one-touch pass into the central spaces as he repeated the trick, playing another one-touch pass into the central spaces before moving into the half-space to lob a pass which was intercepted as the centre-back won an interception in the air to head the ball to a teammate. After a turnover in the opposition half, he worked a one-two with a teammate before squaring a cross into the box which was held. Bacher would win another battle against Nakamura, making an interception on a flick-on to turn away from a sliding challenge to play a ball to a teammate.
Bacher pushed forward to cover a passing lane and make another interception before lobbing a pass from the right flank to the left eight space. The Austrian’s ability to contort his body before playing the ball is excellent as it allows him to thread passes through tight lines of pressure as well as switch the ball in an instant. The 22-year-old positioned himself to make another interception, playing a pass to a teammate before receiving possession to flick the ball past a defender and draw a foul. He was perfectly positioned to make another interception, using his directional first touch to drive the ball into the opposition half where he had a pass intercepted. The Austrian was perfectly positioned to make another interception to play a one-touch pass forward to instigate a counter-attacking move before he received possession on the right flank, skipping past a defender to drive the ball forward and thread a pass into the channels for a cross into the box and a finish. In the defensive phase, he had to tuck into a centre-back role to cover for his teammates as he scanned to identify a runner behind him as he was not sucked towards the ball as he moved to mark the attacker while remaining goal-side of him to make a crucial block on a cross.
At home to Austria Klagenfurt, he pushed forward to cover a passing lane and make a crucial interception as he repeated the trick and made another interception in the counter-pressing phase. In a counter-pressing situation, he tucked into a centre-back role to receive possession, playing the ball to a defender before moving into the six-space to play a one-touch pass to the flank with his left foot. After a turnover in the defensive phase, Bacher made a one-touch lobbed pass to the attacking line. At home to Austria Wien, he was repurposed as a centre-back, receiving possession with an opposition attacker pressing him to lob a pass into the attacking line. He followed an attacker to the flank to make a well-timed lunge to regain possession. In a counter-attacking situation, he covered for his centre-back partner to make a well-timed tackle. In possession, Bacher received possession to play a line-breaking pass to the six-space before holding off an opposition attacker to lob a pass to the ten space. Defensively, Bacher would cover for his centre-back partner to make a tackle, denying the opposition attacker a clear route to goal.
Bacher’s mobility and anticipation makes him a skilled defender in defending a high-line as he can push up to cover passing lanes and make interceptions or he can cover for his defensive partner to sweep up opposition attacking moves with impeccable calm. He received possession from a lay-off from the six-space to drive the ball forward and thread a line-breaking pass to the ball-far deep-lying midfielder. The 22-year-old then switched a pass to the left flank before receiving a lay-off while he was under pressure to play a one-touch lobbed pass to the nine-space. During a counter-attacking situation, he pushed forward to make an interception before receiving possession to thread another well-weighted pass to the six-space. Bacher received a back-pass from his right-back to thread another line-breaking pass to the six-space.
Bacher received possession once more to skip past one attacker before slaloming in between another two to play a pass into the eight space. The 22-year-old would then spread a pass to the flank before receiving possession to evade an attacker with his directional first touch before driving the ball past a second defender to thread a line-breaking pass to the ten space. Bacher drove the ball past an attacker after he received possession in his own box to roll a pass to the six-space as the Austrian’s line-breaking passes are so well-weighted that they allow their target to turn out of pressure and drive the ball forward. Away to Wolfsberger, he received possession while he was under pressure to play a line-breaking pass to the wide zone. The 22-year-old regained possession from an aerial duel from an opposition goal-kick as he received possession to roll another well-weighted pass to the six-space which allowed his midfielder to turn and play a line-breaking pass forward.
Bacher received a lay-off to switch a pass to the left flank before positioning himself well and pushing up to make an interception to play the ball into the centre. The Austrian moved to the left flank to cover for his partner to make another interception, driving the ball forward before playing a pass to the right flank with his left foot. He received possession in his own box with three attackers pushing up to apply pressure on him, taking a touch and threading a line-breaking pass to a teammate to instigate a counter-attacking move. Bacher is gifted at using his weaker foot when he wants to utilize a specific passing angle or has an opposition player pushing up to press him as he received possession to take a touch with his right foot with a striker behind him and a midfielder in front of him, intelligently using his left foot to play the ball to a teammate in a pocket of space on the right flank. Not only can he pass with his weaker foot but he can also contort his body as he covered for his centre-back partner to regain possession, driving the ball forward before contorting his body to play a reverse pass to the left flank.
Bacher received possession by allowing the ball to roll across his body so he was facing his fullback, swivelling his hips to thread a pass to the six-space. After his side lost possession in the opposition half, the opposition launched a long ball to the nine-space as the striker took a heavy touch allowing Bacher to recover and regain possession. In a crossing situation, his positioning was sound as he scanned over his shoulder to check the movement of the attacker behind him, making a block on a shooting opportunity. In another defensive situation, he used his body to regain possession on the edge of his own box before winning an aerial duel on a long pass. He pushed the ball forward to switch possession to the left flank while in a defensive situation, his fullback was beaten with a long pass into the channels for the 22-year-old to calmly regain possession. The Austrian took down a long ball on his chest, directing the ball away from an attacker to work a pass to the right flank with his weaker left foot. He controlled another long ball to drive the ball towards his fullback with a striker pressing him before he swivelled past the attacker to skip past a second attacker and draw the foul.
Bacher’s long-term future will be as a centre-back as he has a multitude of skills which allow him to thrive in the position as his ability as a ball-progressor is impressive. In terms of driving the ball, his close control and ability to change direction allow him to weave past one or two players while he is savvy enough to draw a foul in tight situations. As a distributor, Bacher is extremely well-rounded as he is able to pass out of tight spaces with his weaker left foot, contort his body and swivel his hips to thread passes through tight spaces while also being able to play passes over long distances with lobbed passes or switch balls to the opposite flank. He is constantly composed in tight spaces which allows him to constantly break lines and instigate attacking moves.
Defensively, his preferred form of regaining possession is through interceptions as he has the anticipation to push forward and make well-timed interceptions. He thrives in staying on his feet to regain possession, using his body to make challenges while he relies on his positioning, covering for teammates so he can make small movements over short spaces to make timely interventions. The domineering centre-back is also strong in the air as he has all the tools to develop into a high-level, high-line centre-back. In crossing situations, he always positions himself goal-line of his attacker as even when he is adjusting his position, he always ensures that he is goal-side as this allows him to make crucial blocks while his scanning of attackers behind is exceptional. Bacher is comfortable in sweeping up counter-attacks or pressure-filled situations with ease and aplomb.
Despite leaving Freiburg only a few years ago, Bacher could become a hot commodity for Bundesliga clubs in the summer transfer window as he could be a replacement for Mario Vuskovic at Hamburg. Union Berlin, Eintracht Frankfurt, Werder Bremen and Mainz would all be good landing spots for him. Serie A would also be a good league for the 22-year-old as Lazio, Atalanta, Torino, Bologna, Monza, Fiorentina, Sassuolo, Lecce and Spezia would also be really good moves for him. In Ligue 1, Lens, Toulouse, Lille, Reims and Nice would also be good moves for the young centre-back. PSV Eindhoven in the Eredivsie would also be a good move for Bacher as the ball-playing centre-back is sure to be one of the most followed players on the upcoming market as he will not be playing for his hometown team for much longer if he continues on his current trajectory.
