Alphonso Davies vs. Silas Wamangituka: the duel of the speed demons

When Bayern Munich host VfB Stuttgart on Matchday 26 of the Bundesliga season this weekend, two of the league’s speed demons are set to light up the wings with Alphonso Davies and Silas Wamangituka on collision course.

With a top speed of 22.34 mph (35.95km/h), Davies has been clocked as the quickest player in the league this season. Silas ranks eighth in the overall classification of the fastest players, at a speed of 22 mph (35.42km/h), according to the Bundesliga Match Fact Speed Alert, powered by AWS.

Consider also that Davies hit an even faster 22.69 mph (36.51km/h) to set the record for the quickest player ever in the Bundesliga (since this data collection began in 2011), it really will be a case of blink and you’ll miss him this Saturday.

Watch: Bundesliga Match Fact Speed Alert

What makes this particular duel so interesting, though, is the fact both players operate on the same side of the field. When Silas sprints down the Stuttgart right wing, Davies will be right alongside him as Bayern’s left full-back. And sprinting down the wing is something Silas does often, averaging 35 sprints per game this season.

It is going to take Davies’ impressive 56 per cent record of tackles won to keep the Congolese winger out of danger, though the Canadian has arguably yet to face such a stern test of that statistic this season, faced with a player who has supplied 11 goals for the Swabians – second only to Sasa Kalajdzic (13) in the promoted side’s impressive armoury.

Incidentally, that also makes him the league’s most prolific midfielder this season.

Add to that his four assists and you can see why Davies will have his hands full on Saturday, though the 20-year-old is certainly not afraid of being at the heart of the action. In fact, he likes nothing more than being within reach of the ball, which for a man of such speed is often the case.

Watch: Alphonso Davies – Bayern’s two-world star

With 1215 phases of possession from just 16 outings, Davies averages one touch of the ball every minute of the game. Impressively, just marginally less than 90 per cent of his 850 passes have reached their intended destination, and that includes 10 out of 16 long passes which have reached their man.

Although Silas has spent more time on the field – 1896 minutes to 1217 – he has completed fewer than half as many passes, although 20 of these were crosses, with one leading to a goal. If anything, Silas is big on efficiency with 70 per cent of his 10 big chances resulting in a goal, while his impressive statistics come from an average of 6.13 miles (9864 metres) per 90 minutes – over two-thirds of a mile (one kilometre) less than Davies.

This is certainly a case of quality over quantity, but will Silas enjoy such freedom with Davies biting away at his heels? Saturday’s clash of two of the league’s fastest players may well go by in a blur, so make sure you don’t blink for 90 minutes, or you really might miss something.