With Europe’s premier club competition set to get back under way again on Tuesday, we take a look at who the Continent’s five most in-form players currently are based on stats provided by www.whoscored.com …
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5) Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid) – Average rating: 8.14
The brilliant Portugal international has been right at the very top of his game again in this campaign for the La Liga giants, culminating in his winning of his second Ballon d’Or award as the world’s best player in Zurich last month.
However, despite a sensational return of 22 goals and eight assists in just 21 league fixtures for Carlo Ancelotti’s high-flying outfit so far, and an eye-catching average rating of 8.14, the playmaker is incredibly only the fifth best player in Europe on current form.
4) Thiago Alcantara (Bayern Munich) – Average rating: 8.15
Talk about hitting the ground running at your new club, with the exciting Spain international midfielder having been one of the Bundesliga champions’ standout performers so far this season under new head coach Pep Guardiola.
The 22-year-old was lured to the Allianz Arena from Guardiola’s former club FC Barcelona last summer at a cost of €25m, and what is more, Alcantara has proved himself to be worth every penny by contributing one strike and three assists in his ten league outings for the Uefa Champions League holders.
But it is not so much the goals or assists that really matter when it comes to the young Spaniard, more his overall contribution to the team cause which is reflected in his average rating in the Bundesliga in this campaign of 8.15.
3) Lionel Messi (FC Barcelona) – Average rating: 8.44
While some may be slightly surprised to see the name of the little Argentinian genius appearing in this top-five list, anyone who has watched the 26-year-old in action for the La Liga champions on a regular basis will not be.
Messi may have been forced to endure an injury-ravaged campaign to date at Camp Nou, but that has still not prevented the front man from having an average rating of 8.44 in the league for Barca to date.
And with attacking numbers comprising of 13 goals and eight assists in only 17 La Liga outings for the Spanish giants, you can understand just why Messi is rated as Europe’s third best player on current form.
2) Franck Ribery (Bayern Munich) – Average rating: 8.56
Many neutrals were both surprised and disappointed after the impish France international failed to be recognised last month by world football’s governing body Fifa as the best player on the planet last year.
And judging by the wide man’s outstanding form on the wing for the Bundesliga champions since the beginning of this campaign, you can understand why, with Ribery having contributed seven strikes and ten assists in total in just his 14 Bundesliga matches for Pep Guardiola’s unstoppable team.
1) Luis Suarez (Liverpool) – Average rating: 8.64
None of the Uruguay attacker’s other four rivals have appeared in more than the 21 Premier League outings than Suarez has turned out in for Brendan Rodgers’s in-form outfit so far in this campaign, and even then the player was suspended for the opening two months of the season.
However, that has still not prevented the 27-year-old from being the best player on the Continent, with a sensational average rating of 8.64 in the league to date to go along with his 23 goals and 15 assists overall.
And with those kind of attacking stats behind you, then it is hard to really argue that there has been a better or more dangerous player in any of the Continent’s top five leagues than Suarez has been this season.
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