A look at the ten best players in the Champions League in 2014/15 according to statistical ratings, with some surprise names featuring alongside Barcelona’s winners…
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10) Koke (Atletico Madrid)
Despite only reaching the quarter-finals with Atletico Madrid this season, Koke made an impression in this competition again with two goals and four assists, earning a WhoScored.com rating of 7.83.
9) Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid)
Level with Koke in terms of rating, Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo was joint top scorer with Messi and Neymar as he struck ten goals for the 2014 champions.
8) Alex Sandro (Porto)
With a rating of 7.87, Porto’s young Brazilian left-back Alex Sandro certainly did something right in Europe this season, despite the Portuguese side being thrashed by Bayern Munich in the quarter-finals.
7) Luis Suarez (Barcelona)
With big goals against Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain and of course his strike to give Barca the lead in yesterday’s final, Luis Suarez is undoubtedly one of the players of the tournament this year and got a rating of 7.89 overall.
6) Neymar (Barcelona)
Just ahead of his Barcelona team-mate, Neymar also scored in the final against Juventus and made it ten goals overall this season, which got him a rating of 7.92.
5) Nemanja Matic (Chelsea)
A slight surprise here, but Chelsea star Nemanja Matic is about the best defensive midfielder out there at the moment, and the Serbian got a solid 8/10 for his performances at this level in 2014/15.
4) Casemiro (Porto)
Loaned from Real Madrid to Porto, Casemiro got a higher ranking than any of his Bernabeu colleagues, earning a 8.16 from WhoScored.
3) Nani (Sporting Lisbon)
A very surprising choice, but one who only played five games in the Champions League this term, Manchester United flop Nani got four goals, two assists and an 8.28 rating.
2) Eden Hazard (Chelsea)
One of the best players in the world, Chelsea star Eden Hazard certainly made an impression for the Blues this season, scoring 8.40 after bagging three goals and two assists.
1) Lionel Messi (Barcelona)
Man of the Match in 9 of his 13 Champions League games, Lionel Messi is no surprise in first place, having scored ten goals, provided five assists, and reaching a rating of 8.89.
Stats via WhoScored.com.