5 Players that can set alight the Champions League this season
Sorry about the big f***ing Champions League logo but I just had to illustrate to you guys just how excited I am to watch the greatest showpiece club football has to offer. Year in and year out the best clubs from around continent (except Man Utd) battle it out to become the kings of Europe. Like in all battles throughout history there are prominent figures whether it is Alexander the Great, Spartacus or Hannibal Barca whose excellence in combat has seen their names immortalised and football is no different. An individual player can garner adulation from fans around the world for their dominating displays similar to gladiators in the Colosseum. Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo’s duopoly at the pinnacle of footballing excellence has been the focus of everyone’s attention for many years but now Neymar, Suarez, Lewandowski and Bale are among players challenging to be the main centrepiece.
But who is the next talented individual to rise up from the mediocrity among the elite and produce a career defining performance befitting of their abilities and join the pantheon of world class players?
No pressure now guys!
Paulo Dybala — Juventus
Paulo Dybala is undoubtedly the most talented young striker playing in Europe. Dybala moved to Juventus at the start of last season from Palermo and immediately impressed onlookers, his mazing dribbling coupled with his keen eye for goal tore apart defences in Serie A — a league famous for its robust defences. Previous no.10 Paul Pogba has now left the Turin club and despite turning down the no.10 shirt Dybala will be his teams lynchpin in attack. But can the Argentinian international kick on and win the Champions League for his team this season? I certainly wouldn’t put it past him.
Raheem Sterling — Manchester City
Raheem Sterling looks back to his usual confident self under the new guidance of Pep Guardiola. His electric pace, intelligent movement and dribbling ability have frightened the socks out of many a defender so far this season. Many players would have crawled under a rock after being on the receiving end of so much criticism but the fact he has started the season so strong tells you about his mental strength. This could the season of Sterling.
Alexandre Lacazette — Olympique Lyonnais
During the summer transfer window the British public were bombarded by rumours regarding Lacazette leaving Lyon. Both West Ham and Arsenal had bids rejected for the frenchman who didn’t match their valuation for the striker and their loss is certainly Lyon’s gain. Lacazette is now arguably Ligue 1’s premier striking talent since the departure of Zlatan Ibrahimovic and has already scored 6 goals in only 3 league appearances. A good Champions League campaign can propel the striker’s reputation to new heights and cement a move to an elite club.
Thiago Alcantara — Bayern Munich
It may appear starnge that a player who has been around the top of the game for so long appears on this list. However Thiago hasn’t reached the level of world class yet due to his persistent injury problems that have plagued his career thus far. When discussing the best midfielders in Europe Thiago’s name is rarely put forward first,second or third. Nevertheless Thiago remains one of the most talented players on the planet when he is fully fit. If he can manage to remain injury-free throughout the campaign this conductor in the midfield will be the first name on everybody’s lips.
Arkadiusz Milik — S.S.C. Napoli
With the lorry load of cash Napoli got from the sale of Higuain to Juventus, a large portion of the money was spent on bringing the Polish international to the San Paolo. The former Ajax striker impressed at Euro 2016 alongside Robert Lewandowski upfront and was arguably better than his more reputable counterpart. Napoli’s new no.99 has started well in Serie A scoring 2 goals in his first 2 league outings and if he can continue his excellent 2016 form he can become one of the most feared finishers on the continent.
