With that, the guys at WhoScored.com, using their unique player rating system, have formulated the current team of the Champions League campaign thus far of every player with at least three appearances and, as expected, there are a few familiar faces in there. However, that isn’t the case between the sticks with Olympiakos number one Roberto the highest rated goalkeeper so far.
The Spaniard has attained an average rating of 7.8 having kept two clean sheets and picked up two WhoScored man of the match awards in the competition this term. He has made 23 saves and his side stand a real chance of progressing to the latter stages of the competition, as they currently sit second in Group C as a result of his exploits in goal.
Ahead of him is teammate Kostas Manolas, with the Greece international securing an average rating of 7.6 in his four appearances this season. The 22-year-old has two goals to his name, a tally no centre-back can better, while his average of 2.5 tackles and 2.8 aerial duels won per game has helped out his teammate Roberto. Alongside Manolas is PSG’s Marquinhos, the Brazilian one of four players from the Ligue 1 champions in the team of the season so far. His rating of 7.7 means he’s the highest rated centre-back in the Champions League with at least three appearances.
Like Manolas, Marquinhos has two goals to his name, but has also impressed defensively, with the 19-year-old averaging 4.2 clearances per game. Boasting a 93.7 per cent pass success, he’s clearly abiding by manager Laurent Blanc’s wishes to hold on to the ball, which has seen PSG develop a WhoScored style of play of ‘possession football’ and ‘short passes’. PSG team-mate and right-back Gregory van der Wiel joins Marquinhos in defence after five notable performances, from which the Dutchman has accrued an average rating of 7.6.
The 25-year-old has four assists to his name; only Ángel Di María (five) has more in the whole competition. However, it’s his defensive qualities that have shone through, averaging 2.6 tackles and 2.2 interceptions per game, exhibiting his ability to read the game exceptionally well. On the opposite flank is Bayern Munich’s David Alaba, with the young Austrian registering two goals and one assist, while also averaging a total of four tackles and interceptions per game.
Ahead of him on the left is Real Madrid superstar Cristiano Ronaldo. Despite missing the 4-1 win over Galatasaray on Wednesday night, no player has more goals in the Champions League this season (eight), while he also boasts two assists. Ronaldo has thus been directly responsible for 10 of Real’s 18 goals in the group stages, also averaging 2.8 key passes and 2.5 dribbles per game. On the right-wing is Dutchman Arjen Robben, with the wideman playing a pivotal role in ensuring Bayern currently top Group D. Like Ronaldo, Robben has attained an average rating of 8.9 having netted three goals and picked up three assists in four appearances, while also registering 2.5 key passes and 3.8 successful dribbles per Champions League encounter.
In the middle of the park, Arturo Vidal is in the team on the back of his hat-trick in Juventus’ 3-1 win over Copenhagen on Wednesday. The Chilean has put his high work rate to exceptional use having made 26 tackles this term, the most of every player in the Champions League. Alongside him in midfield is PSG’s Thiago Motta, with the experienced Italian attaining an average rating of 8.0 over his five appearances this season. The 31-year-old had expected to see his starting opportunities limited with all of PSG’s summer recruits, but he’s been a regular presence in the PSG midfield under Blanc and has rewarded the Frenchman with two goals and three assists in the competition, not to mention his competition-high of 118.4 passes per game and at a success rate of 91.7 per cent.
Up front is Zlatan Ibrahimovic with the Swede currently boasting an average rating of 8.3 having netted eight goals from five appearances. The talismanic striker is not only the focal point in the PSG attack, but is capable of bringing others into play as highlighted in his average of 51.2 passes per game at a respectable 81.3 per cent success. Barcelona’s Lionel Messi partners him in attack, with the diminutive Argentine having been in scintillating form prior to injury. Messi netted six times in that period, averaging two key passes and 3.3 successful dribbles in his 270 minutes of Champions League football, meaning his average rating of 9.1 is the highest of every player with at least three appearances.
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