Nikola
Simić

96th-percentile pass accuracy, 88th-percentile passes per 90. The passing volume is high and the quality is elite. He is not a safe recycler hiding from the ball. He receives often, in tight areas, and almost never gives it away. The short-medium accuracy and the long ball accuracy both sit in the elite band together, which is the combination that tells you the range is genuine rather than selective.

CIES ranked first globally among U20 CBs for opponents bypassed per 90. Across 46 top domestic divisions. This is not a Serbian Super Liga number; it is a global number. The mechanism that produces it is carrying through press and playing line-breaking forward passes at elite volume and accuracy.

95th-percentile dribble success rate. For a centre-back, this is the profile's most unusual data point. It hints at composure rather than athleticism: he does not dribble to escape danger, he dribbles because he has already assessed the situation and committed to a controlled exit. Young CBs who complete dribbles at this rate are comfortable manipulating pressure before it arrives.

Forward passes at 94th percentile, passes into final third at 90th. He plays early and plays forward. The build-up contribution is not just circulation. He is consistently finding the pass that breaks lines or advances territory. That is the technical and cognitive quality that makes him a genuine possession asset rather than a ball-secure recycler.

Steps into midfield when the structure invites it. Not a compulsive carrier but a selective one. When the line opens, he commits to the advance and plays the next pass from there. The positional reading that governs those moments is already well above what the age would predict.

93rd-percentile duels won, 90th-percentile defensive duel win rate. Wins his individual contests at an elite rate. The mechanism is composure and positioning rather than aggression: he waits for the right moment, stays on his feet, and forces the attacker into a losing position before committing to the challenge. Almost never gets beaten by the first touch.

Defensive action volume is modest at the 7th percentile. This is the number that confuses people who read left to right through a dataset without thinking about it. Low defensive action volume at Partizan does not mean passive defending. It means the team concedes few dangerous positions, and when they do, Simić has usually already cut the situation off before it fully developed. Positioning prevents the action from being required.

74th-percentile aerial duel win rate, 65th-percentile aerial duels won per 90. Good rather than dominant aerially. At 192cm the volume and win rate should both be higher eventually. The quality in contested moments is there. The assertiveness in seeking out aerial contact is the development question at the next level.

Covers channels with intelligent positioning rather than reactive recovery. Channel coverage at Partizan is a genuine tactical demand. He reads runs early, positions his body to cut the angle before the ball is played, and rarely needs the sprint recovery because the problem was already solved positionally. The recovery pace is there when needed; the positioning means it rarely is.

Cards at the 92nd percentile and fouls at the 86th. This number requires context. He is not a dirty player. He is a player who competes for the ball rather than hanging back. The discipline within those contests is high: the fouls are contested ground duels, not late challenges or cynical interventions. It is an engagement marker, not a conduct concern.