Gaëtan Laborde (Montpellier HSC) is confirming his talents in the air at the beginning of the season in Ligue 1 Uber Eats check out his stats - and those of French football's other high flyers - in our statistical round-up.
Montpellier's Gaëtan Laborde - who scored with a superb header in the 2-1 defeat to Rennes in Round 2 - is one of Ligue 1 Uber Eats' most successful players in the air - and the stats are there to prove it: after two rounds, the striker leads the chart with 20 aerial challenges (highest total), 11 of which he has won (co-top total).
Up in the air
Right alongside Laborde is AS Monaco's early-season surprise scorer Benoît Badiashile - the central defender has won 11 of the 15 aerial challenges he has contested, scoring two goals. Meanwhile, Reims defender El Bilal Touré has gone up for 18 challenges but won just three - but one of his successes led directly to Boulaye Dia's goal against Monaco.
Among the other experts in the field, Benjamin André (LOSC) rarely comes off second best, with a winning rate of 90% of his aerial challenges (9/10). Ruben Aguilar (AS Monaco) hasn't been quite as busy in the air but nonetheless boasts a perfect 6/6 record - despite his 173-centimetre height, which sees OL's Brazilian stopper Marcelo - who has won 8/9 aerial challenges - tower over him by a good 20 centimetres.
Marcelo's compatriot at OL, Marçal, also lost only one duel in this field (7/8) in one game played. As for the forwards, Dario Benedetto (OM) pulled off a brilliant 5/5 against the defenders of Brest, and Morgan Schneiderlin (OGC Nice) won 4/4 over the first two rounds.
Aerial challenges (by player):
1- Gaëtan Laborde (Montpellier Hérault SC) 20
2- El Bilal Touré (Stade de Reims) 18
3- Jean-Kévin Duverne (Stade Brestois 29) 17
4- Aurélien Scheidler (Dijon FCO) and Nayef Aguerd (Stade Rennais FC) 16
Successful aerial challenges (by player):
1- Gaëtan Laborde (Montpellier Hérault SC) and Benoît Badiashile (ASM) 11
3- Benjamin André (Stade Rennais FC), Wout Faes (Stade de Reims), Nayef Aguerd (Stade Rennais FC) and Jean-Kévin Duverne (Stade Brestois 29) 9
Aerial challenges (by team):
1- Stade de Reims 74
2- AS Monaco 73
3- LOSC 72
4- Nîmes Olympique and FC Nantes 71
Successful aerial challenges (by club):
1- LOSC and AS Monaco 42
3- FC Nantes 37
4- Stade Rennais FC 35
5- Stade Brestois 29 33