Star player to watch – Thomas Partey, Ghana’s Black Star

SuperSport viewers on DStv and GOtv can look forward to seeing one of Africa’s top footballing sons, Thomas Partey, looking to make his mark in La Liga this coming weekend when his Atletico Madrid take on derby rivals Real Madrid.

The Madrid derby is the pick of La Liga matches this coming weekend and a key clash for Atletico, who have struggled to find consistency in their form of late. Diego Simeone’s side are winless in their last four matches across all competitions, including a shock defeat to Cultural Leonesa in the Copa del Rey last midweek.

This was followed by a 0-0 draw at home to Leganes which left the Rojiblancos in fifth place on the La Liga log. They are 10 points off the pace of Real Madrid, who assumed top spot this past weekend and have put together an extraordinary run of 19 games unbeaten across all competitions.

One man who could inspire Atletico to raise their game is all-action midfielder and Ghana international (also known as the Black Stars) Thomas Partey. While the club itself is struggling to live up to its own high standards, Partey has been one of the Rojiblancos’ most consistent and impressive performers.

In what has arguably been the Black Stars’ best season at the Spanish heavyweights, the 26-year-old has also taken up something of a leadership role for Atletico and is calling on the team to put their recent disappointments behind them and push hard for the remainder of the season.

“We have not had confidence and that is what we lack. We have to be ourselves,” said the Ghanaian international. “You have to forget, there is no other option. Work hard and hopefully good things come out. What we need most is the support of the fans.”

SuperSport viewers on DStv and GOtv can next see Partey in action this coming Saturday when Atletico Madrid head to Estadio Santiago Bernabeu for a Round 22 La Liga clash against Real Madrid.

Don’t miss the 2019/2020 football season on DStv and GOtv. Visit www.dstv.com and www.gotvafrica.com to subscribe or upgrade, and join in on the excitement. And while you’re on the move, you can stream matches on DStv Now.

Saturday 1 February
17:00: Real Madrid v Atletico Madrid – LIVE on SuperSport Maximo 2, SuperSport Select 4 Go and SuperSport 7

Thomas Partey – Player profile

Born: 13 June 1993 in Korbo Odumase, Ghana
Position: Midfielder

Club career

2013-14 Mallorca (Spain, loan) 38 appearances / 5 goals
2014-15 Almeria (Spain, loan) 32 / 4
2015-present Atletico Madrid (Spain) 167 / 14

International career

• Ghana 20 caps / 7 goals
• Ghana debut: 5 June 2016, Mauritius 0-2 Ghana, 2017 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier
• Squad member at the 2017 and 2019 Africa Cup of Nations finals

2019-20 La Liga stats

Appearances (subs) 16 (3)
Minutes played 1407
Goals 1
Assists 0
Yellow cards 8
Red cards 0
Shots per game average 0.6
Passing accuracy 83.2%
Key passes per game average 0.7
Tackles per game average 1.9
Interceptions per game average 1.4

Source: whatsupnewsghana.com