The publication Total Football Analysis has published a detailed analytical scouting report on the defender of Kyiv’s Dynamo, Taras Mihavko.
At the time of writing, Kyiv’s Dynamo is the best defensive team in the Ukrainian Premier League, having conceded 11 goals. Taras Mihavko is a young defender, 185 cm tall and weighing 69 kg, who joined the first team of Dynamo at the beginning of 2024, moving from the Dynamo U-19 team, which he joined from Lviv.
The 19-year-old player has played in 15 out of 17 UPL matches this season, missing two due to injury.
In these 15 matches, he has not received a single yellow card, which speaks to his ability to win the ball without harsh fouls.
This tactical analysis and scouting report focused on the player aims to explain why we chose Taras Mihavko for such a publication. Our player analysis will utilize data and video analysis to explain why this left-footed central defender is an emerging talent to watch closely.
Statistical Profile of Taras Mihavko
As shown on the heat map below, he is a defender with diverse skills who can play as a left central defender in a four-defender line or in a three-defender line.
This player has great potential in terms of advancing forward when he has the ball.
In the image below, there is a chart with some important statistics related to Taras Mihavko's versatile play, divided into three unique categories: attacking metrics, ball possession, and defense.
The numbers on the chart represent Taras's results by these criteria compared to other left central defenders playing in leagues of the same level in the 2024/25 season.
In the photo above, he stands out in the ball possession section, particularly in progressive passes per 90 minutes. As we will explain in the video analysis, this is a small indicator that he can fit into elite attacking teams.
It is also evident that he is good in the percentage of won defensive duels (94.7%), but he is not a beast in the percentage of aerial duels (67.2%).
Ball Skills of Taras Mihavko
Starting with his attacking skills, we will discuss his ability to be effective in the phase when the team is in possession of the ball.
Dribbling Skills of Taras Mihavko
His most striking skill is his ability to dribble the ball for the benefit of the team. In the scenario below, we prove that dribbling is not just running with the ball aimlessly; it also allows the player to open up space by breaking the opponent's pressing scheme.
As shown below, he has the ball, but primarily he has no free option for a pass.
At the same time, the opponent presses him on the arc to close the passing lanes, so he decides to dribble the ball forward.
As shown below, he makes it difficult for the opponent to press or keep him with the midfielder.
The midfielder decides to press him, so he easily passes the ball to his teammate, who is getting free. Now he also has the option to pass to the fullback.
In the scenario below, he does the same against Roma in the Europa League, clearly illustrating the importance of this action.
He has the ball while the striker is still too far from pressing, so he presents the same question to the opponent instead of simply standing on the ball and closing off the passing option, as many defenders do.
He continues to carry the ball, so the midfielder has to come and press him.
This player initially leaves the space where he stands, which Taras Mihavko takes advantage of by making a pass behind him into open space.
As in the case below, he can carry the ball straight and perform feints with the ball to find the right passing option. He returns the ball to his team and carries it as usual, reaching the opponent's half.
In the photo below, he pretends to make a pass, then feints around the ball, passing it to his teammate on the right, who has the option to pass into the area beyond the midfielder, as seen in the next two photos.
Passing Sense of Taras Mihavko
His second important skill is the ability to see the best and smartest passing options to create space.
Many players simply run with the ball toward their teammates, closing off passing opportunities and narrowing their own space.
In the case below, Mihavko found space for his teammate who did not realize he was in a good position and could take advantage of it.
In the image below, he has the ball while six players from his team are asking him to pass to the other central defender, not realizing what area he has, or perhaps because of a forward cutting off his passing lane.
The 19-year-old defender slightly dribbles past the other central defender, causing the forward to shift slightly toward him.
This opens a passing lane for the six players who can now receive the ball and turn to use that space.
Calmness in Ball Possession
He cannot execute these skills without a third important skill: being calm in ball possession, acting without haste, waiting for the best solution to keep the ball for his team, rather than simply clearing it.
In the first fragment, another central defender passes the ball to Mihavko horizontally, allowing the opponent to press him, forcing him to play a short pass (yellow arrows).
In the second fragment, we see that Mihavko is being pressed and cannot even find the "six," because the pressing player closes his area, but Taras's head is always held high, so he can always behave confidently.
Mihavko allows the ball to pass over him, so the orange (arrow) defender thinks he will pass to the left back, and then at the right moment passes the ball into space in the center, which can be called a disguised pass, as shown in the third and fourth fragments.
Sometimes defenders just need to regroup and hold the play for the right moment for the proper pass.
In the image below, it is evident that Mihavko is in a difficult situation, being pressed by a forward in such a way that making a pass to the left is risky, so Taras calmly and fearlessly accepts the ball, keeping his head up, and trying to find a passing line to the right fullback.
And he succeeds, as shown in the image below.
Off-ball Skills of Taras Mihavko
Now it’s time to discuss his skills as a defender. We will start with a deciding factor for many teams in modern football: defense using a forward leg lunge.
Defense Using a Forward Leg Lunge by Taras Mihavko
Defense using a forward leg lunge means that a defender must always stand at an appropriate and moderate distance from the opponent to intercept a pass to the forward in front of him or at least not allow him to turn, depending on the situation.
He should not be too close to avoid getting a pass behind him, and he should not be too far to not give the forward time to turn.
Thus, the proper defense using a forward leg lunge is difficult.
Below we see Mihavko standing at a fair distance from the opponent with good anticipation, prompting him to expect the passes marked by green arrows. Therefore, Mihavko begins to close the distance to the opponent.
This simple action does not allow the forward to turn and create danger—as we see below.
The play episode ends with the ball returning to his team, not just preventing the forward's turn.
Mihavko employs the same strategy even when he is in a higher position on the field. He is not afraid to engage physically high up, which is an important skill, especially at such a young age.
In the image below, Mihavko competes with a forward in the transition phase of the opponent's team from defense to prevent a counterattack from the very beginning. He maintains the same appropriate distance to prevent the forward from turning and is ready to back off if he suddenly turns to avoid a pass behind him.
Mihavko commits a foul (a slight push), but still disrupts the opponent’s team’s counterattack and does not allow their forward to turn.
Here it is worth mentioning a potential vulnerability of Mihavko, which he can address, especially considering he is still young. This vulnerability appears when he does not dare to move forward.
Let’s take a look at an example.
In the first fragment below, two green passes are easily anticipated.
Mihavko starts at a good, moderate distance from the attacking player from Roma, whom he is responsible for as a left central defender in a three-defender line.
As soon as the ball reaches the Roma left back, the opponent rushes to him to receive the pass. Mihavko does not dare to advance with him all that distance, automatically increasing it.
This Roma player receives the ball, easily turns around, and makes a cutting pass behind Mihavko to the running left back, leading to a dangerous situation.
In this case, Mihavko failed to cover his area and did not prevent the opponent from turning.
Heading Abilities of Taras Mihavko
As we understood through data analysis, Mihavko may need some improvement in his heading skills.
He is not bad in this aspect, but he needs some adjustments so that after heading the ball, his team retains possession.
It is crucial to choose the right moment and determine whether the situation in the defender's area requires a header, depending on the risk assessment.
Mihavko sometimes prioritizes a simple clearance, especially near his own box. However, elite defenders try to find a heading option that retains the ball for their team if the situation allows it.
Let's take a look at an example, knowing he is still young and can improve these minor aspects.
In the image below, Mihavko accompanies a game situation developing near the left back. This is fine and usually how it happens in many teams, but you must be sure when doing this because if you fail, you leave behind a huge space.
This is expected to be team work, not individual, when the rest of the defensive line plays narrowly and compensates for you.
In the image below, Mihavko leaves his space and cannot assess the situation in the air properly, leaving a dangerous area behind him where the ball can come. This has happened before.
To reiterate, he can improve in this aspect with experience.
Conclusion
In this analysis, we illustrated various skills of Taras Mihavko, showing his ability to be effective in both attack and defense, especially at such a young age.
We also demonstrated how he can improve on some moments.
This scouting report analyzes Mihavko's dribbling skills, passing sense, composure in ball possession, and defense using a forward leg lunge, while also showing how he needs to enhance his ball recovery and heading game.
Karim El-Sheikhain
