Deportivo is heading into the final three matchdays of LaLiga in second place, with their fate in their own hands as they push for promotion to La Primera. The Blanquiazules have accumulated 71 points and are the team that loses the least, a testament to their collective strength. This solid teamwork is reflected in the individual performances of several players who are proving too good for Segunda. One standout is undoubtedly Mario Soriano. The cold stats show that the “Joker” has already matched his best professional goal-scoring season with five strikes. He has also broken his assist record, providing eight so far—double his tally from last season with Deportivo and the previous campaign at Eibar.
But his evolution this season goes far beyond numbers, showcasing exponential growth as a player at just 23 years old, with plenty of room to improve. The “Joker” arrived in A Coruña in the 2021-22 season from Atlético Madrid’s youth academy with a clear label: attacking midfielder. He performed best in that role, though at times he was deployed on the left of the attack, as an interior midfielder, or even as a pivot—a true utility man.
However, his position in midfield underwent a radical shift this season when coach Hidalgo searched for countless solutions to make his engine room work. The manager tried various combinations with his central midfielders, then the club signed Riki in the winter market, but what convinced Hidalgo most was positioning Soriano as the catalyst of the game. Slowly, this tactical tweak became a dogma, and today nobody expects the “Joker” to be a natural playmaker anymore, though his presence in the box remains a regular feature in every match.
Soriano has matched his goal tally in Segunda (5) and surpassed his assist numbers (8).
The match against Cádiz perfectly illustrates the new Mario Soriano—a total footballer. The Madrid-born player gave the most passes of any player on the pitch, 74—16 more than the second-highest (Loureiro with 58)—and boasted a 93% accuracy rate. He not only controlled possession and dictated the tempo but also came close to scoring the opening goal with a cross-shot that missed the post by inches. His performance map showed Soriano involved in ball progression, in the final third, dropping wide, and making several runs into the box.
His involvement in Deportivo’s build-up play is overwhelming, and he leads many facets of Segunda División despite the tactical adjustments he has adapted to. The “Joker” is the player with the most successful passes this season (1,832), ahead of Andorra’s Sergio Molina (1,598) and Las Palmas’ Amatucci (1,571). The same applies to passes in the final third (294), where his influence is clear as the chasing names change: Morante of Burgos (262) and Gustavo Puerta of Racing (260). Not only that, but the Blanco y Azul No. 21 has also made the most successful passes in the final third (239), ahead of Puerta (216) and Morante (208). Neither Sergio Molina nor Amatucci appear in the top ten for passes in the final third.
Mario Soriano also ranks high in other advanced stats, such as progressive passes, where he is fifth (244), moving up to third in accuracy (203). The verticality of Deportivo’s brain is clear when you see that of his 2,004 attempted passes, only 404 (20%) went backward. To all this, he adds another invaluable trait: he is as durable as steel. The “Joker” has started 104 consecutive matches in Segunda as a starter, between Eibar and Deportivo. To find a game in the category without Mario Soriano in the starting lineup, you have to go back to December 10, 2023.