Europe’s Best XI of the Week (9/3/22–9/6/22)

The best of the best this week in Europe.

*This is only accounting for the Top 5 European Leagues: La Liga, Ligue 1, Bundesliga, Premier League and Serie A. All player ratings are based off of sofascore.com*

GK: Jordan Pickford (9.2)

Jordan Pickford was a brick wall at the Merseyside Derby this past weekend. 7 saves from inside the box is enough of an indicator of this, and while Pickford was incredibly weak at distributing the ball, his heroic shot-stopping earned him such an acclaimed rating.

CB: Vlad Chiriches (8.3)

Vlad Chiriches was a bully on the ground with his 10 ground duels, of which he came out victorious in 80% of them. Furthermore, 7 tackles and 4 interceptions depict Chiriches’ unrelenting presence on the pitch. Cremonese’s defense often ended with Chiriches, but their offense against Sassuolo also began with the center-back’s 5 completed long-balls.

CB: Castello Lukeba (8.6)

Castello Lukebas goal contribution to Lyon’s 5–0 dismantling of Angers inherently inflates his player rating, but he was class on the other side of the ball as well. Lukeba rarely failed in his cautious distribution from the back-line with a pass completion percentage of 88%, in addition to his frequent level of touches due to his active high-pressure.

RB: Kieran Trippier (8.6)

Kieran Trippier was insanely proficient in his facilitation of Newcastle’s offense versus Crystal Palace, made apparent by his 9 long-balls and 15 crosses. Trippier also won a majority of his duels with his matchups, contributing to Newcastle’s containment of Palace’s 9 total shots.

LB: Ben Chilwell (8.1)

Chelsea faithfuls, including myself, were left ecstatic and disappointed by Ben Chilwell’s performance against West Ham. Ecstatic that Chilwell managed a goal and an assist with 19 minutes of playing time, but disappointed that he was left on the bench by another questionable series of Thomas Tuchel tactics.

CM: Florian Kainz (9.9)

3 out of FC Köln’s 4 goals were contributed by Florian Kainz. A brace of assists in addition to a penalty finish, Kainz was a force for the German side that is currently ranked 6th in the Bundesliga.

CM: Karl Toko Ekambi (8.5)

Karl Toko Ekambi heavily contributed to Lyon’s dominance of possession over Angers. Toko Ekambi obviously accounted for a brace, but he also kept the ball for around 4% of Lyon’s total possession time. Pushing up the ball often, Toko Ekambi was often dispossessed, but this can be overlooked by his efficient conversion rate that was a product of his tenacious offensive prowess.

CM: Alexis Mac Allister (8.3)

Even though Alexis Mac Allister is often an offensive catalyst, as evident by his two goals against Leicester on Sunday, he also dropped back quite often to hold down the fort. Winning 5/7 ground duels, Mac Allister is a critical aspect of Brighton’s continued success.

RF: Marcus Rashford (8.8)

Marcus Rashford embodied a description that has become a common phrase of mine throughout these matchweek recaps: clinical finishing. Rashford accounted for every single goal for the Red Devils in their triumph over Arsenal with his dual scoring effort and single assist.

LF: Rafael Leão (8.9)

Playing down the left side of Milan’s attack served Rafael Leão very well. Just like Rashford, Leão accounted for all of his club’s goals this past matchweek. The young Milan striker is known for his collected finishing, but his playmaking was on display as well, as demonstrated by his 2 key passes, ¾ completed crosses, and ⅚ completed long-balls that serviced front-striker Olivier Giroud appropriately, delivering him a goal in the process.

CF: Lionel Messi (9.4)

Ever since Lionel Messi arrived in France, his change in role has been abundantly clear. Instead of using his finesse to create shots for himself, the Argentine legend uses his suave dribbling to become a nuisance outside of the box by creating chances for fellow threats such as Kylian Mbappe and Neymar Jr. Even though the latter was not included in this weekend’s starting XI, the former was given a brace by the South American superstar.